The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-20
THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE.
ONLY TWO WEEKS MORE OF THE
SESSION REMAINING.

~ AANAAEelA ON ttAA -
sion Bin Not Likely to Get Through
the senate-A Resolution That May
Cause Sensation.
Tallahassee. Fla, May Is.-The Florida
legislature now has but two short weeks
IN which TO discharge a list Of duties as
long as the moral law. and all signs
point TO the usual haste and waste in the
closing hours. Both houses have in some
was acquired a reputation for phenom-
email industry, but in spite of long sex
sions. and plenty of them. the lamentabie
fact remains that very little important
legislation has been enacted
The railroad commission bill has vet
10 pass the Senate. and the revenue bill
has just been introduced.
II has already been said that certain
features OF the general revenue law in
Florida are deemed oppressive but II will
bear repetition, and few Of those who are
acquainted with the state will need 10 be
told that it is the 'occupational license
tax which is likely to provo the biggest
Done OF contention when this indispensa-
bic measure comes up for discussion.
am given TO understand that the physi-
clans of the state are tired Of paying
license for carrying on a business that is
often work Of charity, and nobody sup
poses that the Southern Express Com
pany enjoys paying $4,000 a year under the
provisions OF the act. on the other hand.
Florida is In no condition 10 close up any
source of revenue at present and the cor
porations will probably have to grin and
bear 1t.
The more closely the House of Repre-
sentatives is observed the more clearly
are revealed certain tendencies-certain
characteristics-whic for want of bet
ter word, may be described as populistic.
1t is not that there are many populists in
the body; II Is not that a majority of its
members have renOunced the faith Of their
fathers and gone over to Jerry Simpson
and Mrs. Lease. 1t is simply the indepen-
dence-the Impotence with dictation and
leadership-the inclination to either puri-
~ or smash the political machine-it is
this which has given the present House of
Representatives in Florida a character of
It's own, and served to mark a decided turn
in the tide of local politics. For the
first time in years the House has no lead
err, and there is not a man in it who can
At will throw down the bars and drive
the sheep home.
resolution introduced yesterday by
Mr. Drew of Nassau covers a good deal
of ground-debatable ground at that 1t
is no doubt intended to bring the inward
ness of the great Disston land deal to
light Mr.. Drew is the son Of eN-GoV.
viii give those who dislike ex-Gov.
BloXham an opportunity to rake over the
details OF a vast transaction that turned
over 1000 900 acres of worthless swamp and
overlooked lands to the Philadelphia mill
ionaire, and put 81 900 600 in the state
treasury. Ex-Gov. Bloxhams course in
the matter is believed to have been per
fectly straightforward and honorable. and
no investigation is at all likely to leave
the slightest stain upon the character of
a man who has long served the people
of Florida, and whose services were prob
ably never more valuable than upon the
occasion in question.
Among the notable events of last week
these with a faint favor of "news'-was
the little scrap last Thursday between
Senator Reeves of Walton county, and
Prof. Sheats, the state superintendent of
public instruction. The trouble arose from
the fact that bill in which Mr. Sheats
was interested had been very successfully
amended by the senator. who was there
upon accused of misrepresentation. Mr.
Reeves has but one arm, while Sheats
has two hands; but, according to all ac-
counts. the latter had them full for asfew
minutes, before the bystanders separated
the combatants. The Senate Immediately
took action upon the matter by the APP
pointment of a committee of three, which
the next day made little report that sus-
famed Senator Reeves in his right to ex-
press his opinion on the floor and there
the matter was dropped.
In spite of the excellent impression made
here by the state militia, an attempt was
made in the Senate Thursday to kill the
military appropriation bill. The attempt
proved failure, but the clause providing
for a permanent camp ground was strick-
en- out. a step which will reduce the
amount involved to about $4,000. The dis
cussiOn of this bill in second reading gave
Senator Weeks, the Washington county
populst, an opportunity to ventilate his
opinion of the toy soldiers of the state
which he Immediately proceeded to do by
moving to increase the number Of com
panies from "a to 200, and the number Of
batteries from two to thirty-two Tho
amendment was lost, but Mr.. Weeks
scored his point-something he seldom
fails to do. by the way.
Both the railroad commission bill and
the everlasting Jacksonville charter bill
or rather, the substitute offered by Sena-
tor Hartridge for the latter-will be taken
up in earnest by the Senate early this
week. The latter may pass, but the Healy
commission bill is probably doomed, while
I the passage by the Senate of a measure
that virtually deprives the people of Jack
sonville of the right of self-government
would simply lead to its defeat in the
House.
Inc report Indue III the commission Dill
by Senator Thompson was remarkably
lucid and convincing, and it will be strange
indeed if views so conservative and sound
do not prevail. Mr.. Thompson, who is the
treasurer of Florida Central and PENN
sular railroad, points out in his report
the fact that nearly all the freight han
died in the state, either originates here
or finds a terminal here. No state in the
union has less traffic passing through It,
and this fact is one which has done much
to restrict the earning capacity of our
roads, which are now, thanks to the Feb
ruary freeze, in worse condition than
ever to confront any such adverse legisla-
ton as that proposed by Mr.. Healy's ex-
traordinary measure.
The report of the special House commit
tee-Messrs. Gilchrist and Sanders-ap-
pointed to investigate the guarantee COM
panies doing business in Florida, shows
that three such concerns are now operating
here-the American Surety Company the
Fidelity and Casualty Company, and the
Guarantee Company of North America.
The two former have made returns to
the state of the business done, but the last
whose field of operations is much more ex-
tensive, seems to have ignored the law and
to have paid no taxes whatever-a condi-
ton of affairs not likely to continue in a