Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1899-03-15
MIST LegisIate
Or Go Without Pay
Special to the Post-Dispatch.

>DSCldi u lilC ttSL-lDlSD1IC1.
JEFFERSON CITY. Mo. Mar.
9.-State Auditor Sei!crt and State
Treasurer Pitts have found Il club
with which they can compel the
General Assembly to enact laws
that will increase the revenue to
the desired; amount. This club is
a section of the constitution which
prohibits an appropriation for the
expenses of the General Assembly
including the pay Of members, I'M
til all other expenses Of the State
have been met.
The revenue Of the Slate is about
100000 less than the necessary
expenses of the State, and after
the Assembly has appropriated
the necessary amounts to pay in
tcrest on the State debt, for the
sinking fund, for the public schools
for the cost of assessing and collect
ing the revenue, For the civil list
and for the support Of the elecmo-
synary institutions, there will be
nothing left unappropriated for the
expenses of the Legislature.
1t is by this means that the Au
ditor and Treasurer hope to bring
the members of the General AS
scmbly to realization Of the need
for revenue. They have a means
Of touching them in their tcnderest
spot-their own pocketbooks. OF
course, if the Legislature passes
desired revenue bills, the Auditor
and Treasurer may feel safe in hon
oring warrants. In the absence of
such revenue laws they simply fall
back upon the law and decline to
honor warrants for pay of men,
bcrs until money is appropriated
for that purpose. Their position
is impregnable; and when the next
pay day comes, if not sooner, the
members will see the point. AL
ready a few warrants have been
turned down.
The section of the constitution
which the Auditor and Treasurer
are standiag on is as follows:
"All revenue collected and mon
eys received by the State from any
source whatsoever shall go into the
treasury, and the Federal Assem-
bly, shall have no power to divert
the same or to permit money to be
drawn from the treasury except
in pursuance Of regular approp-
Friations made by law. All appro-
priations of money by the success
sivc General Assemblies shall be
made in the following order:
''First-For the payment of all
interest upon the bonded debt of
the State that may become due
during the the term for which each
General Assembly is elected.
''Second-Fort the benefit of the
sinking fund, which shall not be
less annually than S25O,0O0.
''Third-For free school purpo-
scs.
''Fourth-For the payment OF
the civil list.
''Sixth For the support Of elee-
mosynary institutions of the
State.
''Scventh-For the pay of the
General Assembly and such other
purposes not herein prohibited, as
it may deem necessary; but nc
General Assembly shall have pow
er to make any appropriation OF
money for any purposes whatever
until the respective sums necces
sary for the purposes in this sec
ton specified have been set apart
and appropriated, or to give prior
ity in IT'S action to a succeeding 9
over a preceding item as above en-
umerated.
| 1t is the last clause of this sec
ton which gives the Auditor ant
Treasurer the club that they have
wanted to secure the passage Of
the revenue bills which they think
are necessary to the maintenan ct
of the credit of the State.
| The Senate resolution looking tc
~ L., tho S+,tr