The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-01

ate by Senator Goodwine. and was returned
TO that body yesterday afternoon, together
with the Governors objections. by Secre-
The specific objections which Governor
Durbin enumerates against the bill arc as
follows:
Il herewith respectfully return Senate
bill No. l6. n bill for a act authorizing
boards OF trustees I'm cities and incorporated
towns 10 negotiate and sell the bonds OF
school cities and towns. etc, with my Cis-
approval. My objections thereto are these:
1t is the fundamenta law OF this State
that no political or municipal corporation
In this State shall ever become indebted In
any manner or for any purpose to any
amount In the aggregate exceeding , Per
cent. on the value OF taxable property
within such corporations. TO DC dscertalned
by the last assessment Cor State AM county
taxes previous TO the mourning o. sutn w
debtcdEess. and all bonds or obligations
In excess OF such amount, given ny such
corporation. shall be void
The effect OF said Senate bill No. is. II
II should become a law. would he 10 m
crease the limit OF indebtedness from : %
I per cent. upon the taxable property IN
all the cities ala towns OF Indiana. I am
firmly convinced that IL is not consistent
With public policy 10 sanction the radical
departure proposed. There Is no good btiSi-
ness reason why municipal corporatloi.s
should increase their bonded Indebtedness
nj a time when individuals and private
corporations are rapidly liquidating their
indebtedness. Business methods should he
@*HPfcStd III CtnuuCllik ilullClDal dlldtSs
exactly as In private matters. One OF the
great evils in municipal government to-day
Is the tendency toward increasing per-
manent Indebtedness.
while a few communities might possibly
be benefited by this bill. If IL should be-
come a law, at the same time a large num-
Der or municipalities would unquestionably
suffer from the effects of a wlde-open pol
Icy, which would increase public indebted
ness rather than operate for the reduction
thereof.
THE Legislature may authorize the rails
ing OF a levy To meet any emergency that
may arise. and school buildings can be
constructed out OF such levy. IL is true
that the temporary burdens caused by such
increased levy in a few localities may be
heavy for a time, but even that is far pre-
ferable to opening the way for the doubling
OF the permanent debt of all the municipali-
ties of the State of Indiana.
1.-The next objection TO this bill is one that
vides for raising revenue, and should there
fore have originated in the House of Rep
fesentatives. This is in direct conflict with
a plain provision of the Constitution. L
quote Section 16 of Article ", TO wit: Bills
may originate in either house. but may
be amended or rejected in the other, ex-
cept that bills for raising revenue shall
originate in the House of Representatives
THE bonds provided for, with interest
thereon, are to be paid out of taxes to be
levied as provided in this bill. The amount
of bonds issued, and the tax produced from
such levy must be devoted wholly TO the
payment of such bonds. Therefore, even
In the absence of other objections, this bill,
having originated in the Senate is clearly
nullified by the Constitution