The Pensacola journal., 1907-05-24
} 9 Q 80 80 % 80 =
A BILL WHICH
SHOULD PASS (
Leesburg Commercial.
= <<<~~%%~%~<4~~%%i
a BILL


To allow the old soldiers of the In
dian war or their heirs to sue the
state of Florida in any of the courts
of the state:
A bill to be entitled An Act to au-
thOrize and empower persons having
claims against the state of Florida,
growing out of or relating to the In
dian wars of A. d. 1S49 to A. D. 1858
for services rendered the state of Flor
ida, or in the collection of moneys
from the government of the United
States on account of expenditures
made by the state of Florida, in the
suppression of Indian hostilities, TO
bring suit against the state of Flor
ida on such claims, and to provide for
the payment of judgments in such
suits.
Be it enacted by the legislature of
the state of Florida:
Section l. That any person or
persons having any claim or claims
against the state of Florida growing
out of or relation TO the Indian wars
of A D. 1S49 to A. D. 1858. or for
services rendered to the state of Flor
ida in connection with the collection
of moneys paid to the state of Flor
ida, by the government of the United
States, on account of expenditures
preston of Indian hostilities or for
commissions for services rendered in
connection with the collection of
moneys by the state of Florida in SUP
preston of Indian hostilities, be and
they are hereby authorized and en-
powered to bring suit against the
state of Florida in any court of COM
petent jurisdistion. for uny money or
moneys claimed to be due them, at
any time within six months after the
passage of this act.
That service of process shall issue
and be served, and be returnable as in
other cases, and that service shall be
made upon the governor of the state
visions of this act shall not extend
TO any claim that has heretofore been
presented to any of the commissions
heretofore appointed and by said COM
missions examined and disallowed.
Section 2. In case of judgement
against the state of Florida in suit or
suits brought under the provisions of
this act. the comptroller is hereby
directed to draw his warrant on the
treasurer in the amount of such Judge
ment, and the treasurer is hereby di-
rected to pay the same out of any
money in the treasury, not otherwise
appropriated
Section s. This act shall become
law upon its passage and approval
by the governor, or upon its becoming
a law without the approval of the gov
ernor.
Since the wars of 1S49, first the old
soldiers and next their children have
clr lined that the state of Florida has
never paid them for their services to
I = ~ IN, of 4hn Il
children against the Indians.
The state has had several commits
sions to see what was due these men
that they might be paid and the
odium of reputation removed. First
was the commission headed by Gen.
Bullock. Brown and Beard and their
report was sent to the legislature and
printed in the Journals of 1881. The
next commission was printed in Jour
mails of 1889 and the present Journal
will contain the last commission. COM
posed of Governor BrOward, Attorney
General Ellis and Treasurer Knott
Now there is some talk of another
commission. Why not let these peo-
| pie go into court and forever settle
/ this matter, for nothing ever grows
out of the action of a commission only
7 to raise the hopes of these old people
! or their heirs.
! In addition should this bill pass. it
will enable Col. WALES who is now
| barred by the constitution. to bring his
case into one of our state courts. The
/ state by its appropriation of S25,000
/ in 1908. which is still untouched in
our state treasury, admits her indeht-
edness to him. Certainly if he did
not take that. he must know there is
more due him. Then why not let him
go into the courts? Are we afraid of
our own courts and not willing to
trust them? Certainly not The
business men of this state think a
great wrong has been done him and
all the papers have been for getting
him settled with. We all know what
the reputation of North Carolina
even in her carpet bag bonds (for
which she got no benefit) brought TO
her by the action of the state of Da-
/ kota on some of these bonds, which
the state was made to pay
! The present legislature ought to
/ find some way to remove the cloud
from the good name of Florida by
! having Col. WALES settled with