The morning news., 1897-05-22
TROUBLES OF THE TREASURER
THE HOUSE ADOPTS THE ARTICLES
OF IMPEACHMENT.

only rive Votes Recorded In the
Negative-They Are Cast by Messrs.
Carlisle. Frisbec, Pope, DSaI ana
StocktOn-Mr. stockton Declares
That the Governor and Com
trOIIer Are as CuIpabIe as
Treasurer Collins The Banker
Very Emphatic in His Opposition
to the Adoption of the Report.
Tallahassee, Fla, May 21.-The articles
of Impeachment against state Treasurer
Collins, which We're reported by the spec
ial committee yesterday. and which were
made the special order for o'clock this
afternoon, were taken up and read section
by section, and adopted in the same man
ner. The report was then adopted as
whole, but five votes being recorded
against it, namely, Messrs. Carlisle, Fris-
bee, Pope Dyal and Stockton.
The fight made in the report was con-
centrated in article one, which Mr.. Pope
moved to strike out. as being contrary to
the evidence reported by the investigating
committee. This section, together with
section two, dealt with the alleged loan
of $4,000 by Treasurer Collins to the Mer-
chants National Bank of Ocala without
the consent of the governor and controller
The debate on Mr.. Pope's motion was
long and heated, and in the course of his
remarks Mr. Stockton declared that the
governor and controller were as culpable
as the treasurer, and that the articles of
impeachment should have been brought
against all three officials.
Messrs. Harris, Sloan and Owens spoke
against the motion and deprecated delay,
the latter devoting himself especially to
Mr.. Pope's contention, that as the Of
fenses charged against Treasurer Collins
had been committed in his former term
of office this legislature could not properly
pursue the investigation. Mr. Owens said
that there had been no opportunity of pur-
suing the investigation until the conven-
ing of the legislature, and in ringing tones
declared it to be the duty of that body
to protect the fair name of Florida.
Mr. Stockton said he regretted to see
members appealing to prejudice and ig-
nOring facts, and again described the Mer-
chant bank deal as "a brilliant business
transaction" and declared that the in
vestigating committees report must have
been inspired by the bitterest prejudice
and hatred.
MI. Opt u6CldI6u ltldl the bNlu6DCe
showed that Mr.. Stockton, and not Col
Inns, had made the loan in question, and
he besought the members to confine them
selves to the article under discussion, in
stead of dealing with the report as a
whole
All this argument, however, proved 10
be in vain, and when the roll was called,
Mr.. Pope's motion was lost by a vote of 80
to z.
Article one was adopted by the same
vote.
The remaining eleven articles of i'm
peachment were then read and each, in
turn, was adopted without the formality
of a roll call, the voices of Messrs
Stockton and Pope being heard each time
in the negative.
After the adoption of the report, Mr..
Harris offered a resolution, which vac
adopted that committee of three be ap-
| pointed to impeach Clarence B. Collins at
| the bar of the Senate in the name of the
| people of Florida of high crimes and mis-
| demeanors, etc. The speaker appointed
as such committee Messrs. Harris and
Wall of Putnam, and Zewadski, and the
! House adjourned.
The articles of impeachment cover the
main points raised against Mr.. Collins in
| the original committee report, namely,
| the alleged loan to the Merchants Ma
! tional Bank, the time deposit of $4,000 in
| Mr.. Stockton's bank his loan of $1,000 to
| the Citrus county school board, the $15-
| 600 loan TO the Marion county school
! board, the Investment of $500 in the
Jacksonville Telephone Company and OF
! 81 500 i'm the Nebraska Fuller's earth spec-
/ ulation, and his deposit OF $254 124
| of state funds in various banks without
| adequate security. 1t is expected that
| the House committee will present the case
! a the bar of the Senate and as that body
may hold an extra session at any time
within six months, the Impeachment will
! probably not be unduly delayed. although
it is probable that the Senate will adjourn
on the usual day and after some lapse of
| time, convene again.
Mr.. Collins is understood to have retain
ed Judge George p. Raney and will doubt
less make a stubborn night
There is a difference of opinion as 70
| the effect of the Impeachment proceed
| ings on Mr.. Collins tenure of office. The
| suspension clause was probably through
| inadvertence. omitted from the latest re-
| vision of the states statutes and lawyers
here have come to the conclusion that Mr..
Collins viii hold office during the i'm
parchment proceedings.
The routine work of the Senate was of
little interest. A number of bills passed
in the House including one to give the
| Florida Central and Peninsular road the
right of eminent domain between Plant
| City and Port Tampa; also a bill for the
| protection of fish; one extending the time
for completing the South American Inter
national railroad.
The Jacksonville driving park bill with
| a pool selling attachment was defeated
as was a local option no fence law.
The House this evening considered bids
for lease of the state convicts.
-~-o~s--
naa Han a