The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-05-11
THAT DRAINAGE RESOLUTION.


read and see what absolute powers are
given drainage commissioners in the
proposed joint resolution amending the
Constitution, and what it might easily
lead to in the hands Of bad men who
might be, or who might become. com
missioners, we reproduce from the
Journal of the House, session 1905, the
following, verbatim, including the vote
on the same:
Senate Joint Resolution No 2sj:
Being a Joint resolution proposing an
amendment 70 Article Is of the COnsti-
tuition Of the State Of Florida relating
20 the drainage, reclamation and inn
prOvement Of the swamp and overflow
ed lands, the creation of Board Of
Drainage Commissioners, prescribing
its powers and duties, authorizing the
establishment Of drainage districts,
drainage system, the building Of canals,
levees, bikes and reservoirs for pur-
poses Of drainage, irrigation and com
merce, the assessment Of lands to be-
drained reclaimed, improved and bene-
fitted by means thereof, the collection
Of necessary funds by assessments OF
l
the management and maintenance there
Of, and for exercise Of the right Of en-
inent domain, and for the sale and uses
Of said lands for the purposes of drain
age, reclamation and improvement of
| said swamp and overlooked lands with
in the State of Florida.
The following amendment to Article
| XVI Of the Constitution of the State Of
| Florida be and it is hereby agreed to
and shall be submitted TO the electors
| of the State at the general election, to
| be held on the first Tuesday after the
| first Monday in November, A. D. 1906,
for ratification or rejection.
| Section 81. The Governor, the Comp
| troler, the State Treasurer the Attor-
ney General and the Commissioner of
| Agriculture of the State of Florida, and
their successors in Office, are hereby
constituted and designated as a Board
of Drainage Commissioners, and are
| hereby authorized and empowered to es-
| tablish a system of canals, drains,
| levees, bikes and reservoirs of such di-
mansions and depth, as, in the Judge
ment Of said Board of Drainage Com
| missioners, is deemed advisable, to drain
and reclaim the swamp and overfiowed
| lands within the State Of Florida, or
such parts or portions thereof as is
| deemed best by said board of Drainage
| Commissioners from time TO time, and
! TO provide for the irrigation of the
| lands reclaimed and to maintain such
canals, drains, levees, bikes and reser-
vols in such manner as will be most adj
| vantageOus to the territory so drained,
! the State Of Florida, its inhabitants and
! the commerce thereof
Section 80. That the Board of Drain
age Commissioners are hereby author
! lied and empowered to establish drain
age districts and fix the boundaries
! thereof in the State of Florida. That
! the Board OF Drainage Commissioners
! be and it is authorized and empowered
| TO prepare a list or lists Of all the allu-
| vial or swamp and overlooked taxable
| lands within such drainage district or
/ districts, and levy thereon an acreage
/ tax not exceeding ten cents per acre
/ per annum to be fixed annually by said
/ Board Of Drainage Commissioners, and
/ the various tax assessors of the various
counties embraced in part or in whole
/ within such drainage district or districts
shall receive such list or lists and enter
! the same upon the tax rolls of the cOun-
! tV or counties in which such lands may
/ lie and the amount so levied by the
Board Of Drainage Commissioners in
such manner and form as may be pre-
scribed by the Board of Drainage Com
mssoners from time TO time, which
amounts shall be collected by the vari-
Gus tax collectors of the counties where
in such leves have been made as other
taxes are collected in accordance with
law, and pay over said amount collected
to the Board of Drainage Commission
ers. Said Commissioners shall have "a
lien superior to all other liens upon the
taxable lands in any such drainage dis.
trict. to be enforced by tax levy. for
the cost Of any work done under the
provisions hereof, or done. prior 70 the
adoption of this amendment. under the
provisions of an act Of the Legislature
passed in 1905.
Section a. That the Board of Drain
age Commissioners be and it is author
lied 10 exercise the right of eminent
domain i'm the condemnation of land for
! the location of its canals, drains, levees
bikes and reservoirs for the purposes a
! fOresaid. and may enter upon, take and
use such land as il may pending con-
demnation proceedings deem necessary
for such purposes, and in ascertaining
the compensation to he paid for such
! land or rght-Of-way, benefits TO be de-
rived from such drainage shall be con-
sidered 10y the jury.
Section 35 The legislature may pro-
vide for the assessment of benefits de-
rived by lands 10y reason Of such drain
age, and the collection thereof; the pro-
cceds therefrom shall be paid to the