Live Oak daily Democrat. (Live Oak, Fla.) 190?-190?, 1907-05-21
MIR. MCCLELLAN THANKS HOUSE
ON BEHALF OF OLD
VETERANS
DRAINAGE MEN IN MAJORITY
Senator Boards Bill to Repeal Drain
age Act of 1905 Defeated by
a Close Vote.

Tallahassee, May 20.-'Mr. Speak
er, as Confederate veteran, desire
TO thank the house for this vote.
There are not many of US left, but
the ties that bind us together are
strong, and in behalf of the veterans
of the lost cause and their widows,
l thank you all from the bottom of
my heart.
In these few words, simple and so
fervently uttered that they touched
the heart of every man in the house
of representatives, Judge McClel-
Ian, of Suw&nnee county, yesterday
afternoon acknowledged the I'M
animous action of the body in pass
ing Broome pension bill, the most
liberal Confederate pension measure,
perhaps which ever passed a south
ern legislature. The words of thanks
of the Suwannee veteran, spoken to-
ward the close of a day of extra
ordinary activity and some personal
bitterness brought forth a hearty
burst of applause.
The Broome bill carries with it a
tax levy of four mills, one mill more
than the present rate, and is ex-
tremely liberal in its provisions. II
was introduced in the senate by Mr..
Broome, and after a number of
amendments had been adopted over
the bill as prepared by the joint COM
mittee on pensions, was passed by
heavy vote. Amongst other provi-
sions, the bill provides that pension
ers over sixty years of age shall not
be required to prove disability. The
scale is from 500 a year, up. A
few years residence in Florida is re-
quired, and the home guards are en-
titled to the benefits of the act
which is also more liberal to widows
than former acts. Several amend
ments were prepared, one by Mr..
Griggs, striking out the sixty-year
clause, for the purpose of admitting
all veterans but all were voted down.
on account of the fact that the ses-
sion is drawing to close. The vote
was: yeas, 65; nays, none; the
heaviest given any measure SO far
this session.
In the senate the most important
event was the indefinite postponment
of Mr.. Boards bill to repeal the drain
age act of 1905, almost identical
with the drainage amendment, lost
at the last general election. Sen
atcr Beard argued his bill from a
standpoint, contending
that the drainage ate deprived of
without due process of law.
Senator HuInphries contended that
drainag, had been disapproved by
the people of the state, and if the
Everglades were drained, it would
reduce the value of lands already re-
claimed. Senator Crane moved the
indefinite postponement of the bill,
the drainage scheme as a
of the legislative committee,
which inspected the operations Sen
ator Buchanan moved to make the
bill a special order for Thursday,
along with Mr.. Cranes bill amend
ing the drainage act so as to bring
It within reach of Judge Locke's deci-
sion, but the effort failed The mo-
ton to indefinitely postpone was car
ried, 16 to IL, five absent or not
voting.
Entirely aside from the investiga-
ton of the administration of the In
-ernal Improvement Fund, which has
not yet been completed, the drain
age scheme mas won distinct victor
les during the session-the report
Of the legislative committee, which
ian reasonably be construed only as
favorable, the withdrawal Of the re-
solution introduced by Mr.. Dorman,
the first day of the session, appeal
ing to the trustees to cease work.
the overwhelming vote in the house