The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-16
MAKING NEW LAWS IN FLORIDA.
THE SENATE PASSES THE HOUSE
ELECTION BILL.

The senate Committee Reports
Against the Creation of state
Railroad COmmIssion-Ihe state
Health officer Given Control of
Animals Afflicted With Rabies-The
House PASSES the Bill Relating 10
Primary Elections.
Tallahassee. Fla, May 15.-This has
been field day for the Florida legisla-
ture The passage OF the House cleo
ton bill No. 205 by the Senate has been
made a matter Of congratulation by all
concerned. The conference committee
appointed TO sit on the measure reported
to-day. and the section giving inspectors
the right to instruct iuiterate voters has
at last been struck out.
Among the bills introduced in the Sen
ate were the following.
one amending the road laws.
one asking for appropriation for Bis
cayne Bay.
one relating to guarantee and surety
companies
one Incorporating the Pensacola ana
Northern railroad
one Incorporating the Merchants Bank
and Trust Company.
Another memorial for the coinage Of
silver at the ratio OF 1G TO ].
The Senate committee at last made a
report on the House railroad commits
sion bill as follows. in part: 1.-The prop
osition to re-establish for the state of
Florida a railroad commission at this
time is one which should receive serious
and impartial consideration of all inter-
ested in the prosperity and welfare of
our state. The situation at the present
time in Florida is unusual, and in many
respects distressing. A large part of the
state has suffered in a most remarkable
degree in it's material welfare by reason
of the extreme cold prevailing in De-
cember, January and February The result
of these cold waves was to destroy the
freight traffic then in sight
equal to not less than 100000 pounds.
This loss not only fell upon those whose
oranges and other growing crops were de-
stroyed, but fell with fearful force upon
our transportation lines. Our railway
systems occupy an exceptional position in
that the traffic they handle is almost ex-
clusively that which originates in the
state. and is carried out and that which is
brought from points without the state in
to Florida. The traffic passing through
Florida is infnitesimal in amount Take
for Instance, state like Tennessee. There
are number of lines of railway which
carry through that state from north to
south and south to north and from east
to west and west to east very large vol
ume of freights which are known only to
the state of Tennessee as foreign com
merce passing through her border, and
from this source the railways of TenneS-
see have an earning capacity not possess
ed by any lines in the state of Florida. A
further fact to be considered in connection
with the proposition to establish a rail-
road commission In this state is this. That
our railways represent one-fifth Of the en-
tire taxable valuation of the state OF
Florida, and in the enactment of
laws legislative body should not
lost sight of any interest of the state but
should keep constantly in mind proper
protection of the rights of all branches
Of trade and commerce. The power of the
Legislature to control or regulate transpor-
tation is one strictly limited to the move
ment of freight within the territorial linn
it's of the state The volume of freight
therefore and the transportation charges
which could be regulated or controlled be-
ing very small, and our railroads, by rea-
son of their great losses, having been re-
duced almost TO the point of starvation.
this committee is of the opinion that at
this time any effort to take arbitrary con-
troll of our transportation lines with view
of reducing their revenue from local move
ments of freghts would be unjust to this
great industry, which has done so much
toward upbuilding Florida"
In the House of Representatives a long
protest was received from the city coun-
ell of Jacksonville against giving street
railroad companies the right to do a gem
eral electric business.
The bill requiring railroad companies to
put up blackboards with marks and
brands of cattle killed was passed. as was
a bill amending the act Incorporating the
Peninsular and Oriental Express Com
pany.
House bill No. 80. providing for holding
primary elections, was also put on its
passage, and the bill making additional
appropriations for the state troops and
also the measure giving control of animals
infected with hydrophobia to the state
health officer were passed.