The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-04-23
ne-Third of Session is Over
and Only Seven Bills
Disposed of.
1873 BILLS HAVE
BEEN INTRODUCED
In House and Senate Since
the Legislature Con-
Vened.
SEVERAL IMPORTANT MEASURES
WILL BE CONSIDERED DURING
PRESENT WEEk-COUNTY DI.
VISION MATTERS FORECAST
OF THE WEEKS WORK BY So
Ions AT TALLAHASSEE.
Special to The Journal.

0Tallahassee, Apr. 22.-It hardly
seems credible TO one who has been
In the thick of the battle clad in the
bullet-proof armOr of the press cor
respondent, that Just one third of the
constitutional sixty days limit of the
session has expired. Perhaps neither
house realizes either how time has
flown, and that one bill of general
importance aud six local measures
sum up the result so far of the bills
which have beccn1e law. But since
the two houses were called TO order
at the hour of noon the second day
and first Tuesday of the present
month, numerous measures have been
introduced, 223 in the senate and $50
In the house of representatives. and
with the exception of the seven
which have been approved by the gov
ernor, perhaps one or two more which
await his signature, and the few that
have been withdrawn, the rest are
on the calendar of one house or the
other, or under consideration by the
proper committees.
IL is therefore too early to say OF
the legislature of 1907 that it is a
good starter but a poor finisher, be-
cause 1t has not yet finished. Nor
IS the volume of work now pending
as large as IL seems, for practically
all bills of general importance, or
at any rate a great many, have been
introduced simultaneously in senate
and house, in order that the princi-
l7tes embodied in them may be under
Consideration by the proper commit
tees of both houses at the same time,
in order to prevent the delay that
otherwise would ensue were it neces-
sary 10 wait Ior one house to dispose
NJ . hot Fhn oil .NNly
1t into consideration.
Legislature is Slow.
In its restrictions upon the mode
of the passage of bills, the constitu-
ton of the state has widely provided
against undue haste in legislation. and
by limiting the sessions of the legis-
latuEe TO sixty calendar days every
two years, which would hardly reach
much less exceed fifty working days,
1t has provided against too much law
making. Under ordinary circumstan-
ces, when everything is favorable to
the passage OF the bill, IL will require
six days for a measure to go through
the routine of both houses. and go 10
the executive for signature, unless,
under the emergency clause of the
constitution, the rules be waived by
two-thirds of each house. and a bill
passed under suspension of rules. In
such cases bills have been known 20
go through in twenty minutes time.
IT is customary when il can be done
without seriously interfering with the
other business to pass local bills
which have the united support of the
representatives of the county to be
affected thereby, under suspension OF
Jules, under the beneficient provisions
OF the aforesaid emergency clause.
Then the special orders break into
the routine, and delay the less import
ant measures to make way for the
ones of more general interest Hence
the course of legislation is slow.
Work in light.
Having put in fifteen days and frac-
tons of days in service, both houses
will re-convene this afternoon for a
hard weeks work. The senate has
before il this week a number of import
ant labor measures. including Presi-
dent HarTis's child labor bill. which
has been amended considerably TO meet
local requirements in various parts of
the state, but still retains the prin-
ciples of protection of children from
the more degrading features attend
ant upon certain forms of labor in
their earlier years, and bill by Sen |
ator Tim providing for commissioner |
of a bureau of labor and industrial |
statistics. Senator Trammell has
number Of bills before the body on |
educational subjects, all looking TO I
the advancement OF the country I
schools, and Senators Crane and /.
HUMPHREYS have bills relating to text
books, the one for a uniform state
system. the other for cheaper books /
without uniformity.
County Division.
The hpneA hqg uoeeAI
Messrs. Rowe of Madison AID Reese I
of Escambia for separate waitin.
rooms and cars for white and colored |
passengers, and these 90 before the I.
senate which has had under co-sid !
Grafton similar measures. The house
VIII have 10 wrestle in the near future I
with the proposition TO create P!ne!la /
as county out CT the west coast {: /
Marlborough. and the senate with the /
CONTINUED on Page Three.)