The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-05-22
LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.


Harry Mason member of the legis-
lature from Jacksonville has intro
duced bill in the House providing
for an increase Of salary for certain
members of the Governors cabinet.
He wants their salaries raised from
measly $1,000 year to S2.5OO. The
reason he gives for wanting these
salaries raised is that it would pre-
vent the officers from stealing.
If the Hon. JnO. p. Wall doesn't
have a watch out that man john
sing from Liberty county will snatch
the face off that watch dog
Senator Taliaferro is at Tallahas-
see this week for a few days stay.
He is stopping at the Leon hotel and
is surrounded, so the papers say, by
a large body of friends who keep him
busy talking about the crops and sicn
like things. The Senator is attended
by G. b. Rogers and II. V. Porter of
the Consolidated Grocery company,
and w. 7. Bauskett, his private sec
retary.
Mr.. Johnson of Liberty county is
evidently conscience smitten over
the fact that he is drawing $6 per
day and giving little in return, so he
has introduced q bill reducing the
pay Of members of the legislature to
~ per day and five cents milage.
Should this bill go through it would
lower the standard of the body.
You can't get a really choice article
of legislative ability, such as we now
enjoy for "a per day.
The Senate by a vote of % to has
decided on quadrennial sessions of
the legislature, and that the MEM
| bers be elected for four years instead
of two, as heretofore. The idea of
the measure is to hold elections
every two years, with senators and
representatives to be chosen at alter
nate elections. There is grave doubt
as to the measure passing the House
on the principal Of the remark once
made by the governor OF South Caro-
lima to the governor of North Caro-
lima, at will be long time between
drinks" Should the measure, how
ever, pass the House, the bill re-
quires constitutional amendment
and will have to be submitted to q
vote of the people for ratification.
The people generally, it is believed,
will favor such a law.
The legislature will adjourn on
Friday June 9TH.
The House has passed Il bill, intro
duced by Mr.. st, Clair-Abrams,
which apprOpriates $4,000 year for
| the next two years, to cover expense
of state encampments for the state
troops. The soldier boys all say its
Il good bill, and that ought to settle
it. The Senate has also passed the APP
preparation
The governor has signed the bill
which eXempts newspapers from the
operation of the Sunday law.
/ A bill having It's origin in the
House and which amends an act en-
titled an act to prescribe the mode of
procedure in cases of supposed in
sanity, to provide for competent ex-
animation, and to define the duties
of county and circuit Judges, has
been approved by the Senate and
will go to the governor for his sigma
ture.
Senator Grill has introduced a bill
to incorporate the Palatka and Ocala
Railway company and to confer cer-
tain powers. 1t is the purpose of the
projectors of the line, in case the bill
passes, to construct and operate %
trolley line between Palatka and
Ocala, and to use water power to be
obtained eight miles west of this
city and at Orange Springs for gen.
Grating the electricity.
The city of Tallahassee has offered
l,, ,+nt 1,t ,;t /, g
will be donated for the erection
thereon of Governors mansion,
and the Legislature has appointed a
joint committee to consider the
proposition. In the senate Mr.. Law
of Clay has introduced bill which
provides that the governor and
comptroller and three fit persons to
be appointed by the governor, shall
constitute commission to be
known as 1.-THE Governors Mansion
commission Of which the governor
shall be chairman. This commits
sion is to select site, plans for, and
erect a governors mansion and fur
nish it. The bill provides for an ap-
preparation of $26,OO0 to meet the cost.
1t is quite likely that the bill will
pass, and that the Governors of
Florida will eventually have II fitting
home.
Gov. Jennings has ont to the
Senate the name of Col. Chas. p.
Lowell Tor promotion--to be q briga-
dIer-general of Florida State Troops.
Lowell was colonel of the First
Florida Volunteers in the Spanish
American war and with his regiment
saw hard and valiant service in the
various American camps and in
many a hard fought battle with en-
balmed beef. At the Fernandina
camp he made himself popular with
the enlisted Florida boys below the
rank of lif-tenant by keeping them
reasonably busy during the long hot
August days at grubbing palmetto
roots on the open lands. He
worked his regiment hard at drills
and attained for 1t remarkable de-
gree of proficiency, probably earning
the thanks of congress and a CRATE
full people, though it is not on record
| that he ever got it. For some rea-
son he did get honorable mention, so
the press reports say, from Secretary
of War Alger while encamped on
the plains of Huntsville, Ala,
keeping watch lest the brave men in
his command crushed the growler"
too strong, Lowell is a remarkably
correct specimen of the "tin horn"
soldier and as such is deserving of
even greater military hOnOrs,
The senate has passed a bill grant
| ing pension Of S25 per month TO the
widow of the late lamented Gen. j.
j. Dickson.
President of the Senate Adams has
entered suit claiming $4,000 damages
| for libel against the president and