The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-04-09

resolution OF both houses instead of
only enc.
Joint Resolutions.
Besides the various acts regarding
| education, the railroads, franchise
taxes, etc, etc, that have been intro
duced in one house of the other, the
| legislature is confronted with d num-
| Der of Joint or concurrent resolutions
that will require the consent of roth
houses, most of them referring 10
visits to the different state inStitu-
tiOnS, and one or two for the person
al inspection OF the drainage opera
lions in the Everglades by L joint
! committee, ali of which will probably
pass, with possibly some unin 2ortant
amendments. The house Monday will
probably receive from the senate It. G.
r. No /. providing for an investigation
of the Internal Improvement Fund,
which was amended in the senate
| The probabilities are that joint COM
mittee will have to be appointed to
draft a resolution suitable to both
houses, for the house seems strongly
of the opinion that the senate resolu-
ton, which the lower house tabled
at their last session, is too exhaustive,
and the senate seems to think that the
house resolution, which they amended
is 200 comprehensive, or non-Compre-
hensive, as the case may be. The
friends IF each resolution claim that
it will secure a complete investigation
of the fund in the quickest time and
with the least expense and that the
other resolution will do Just the con-
trary. The proposition liz the senate
resolution to employ counsel TO assist
the committee in investigating the
fund IS chiefly responsible for its de-
feat IN the house, where it was con-
tended by Mr. Garter of Alachua, IN
a very strong speech that the COM
mittee should refrain from doing the
thing for which most people are dis
posed to criticiSe the trustees of the
fund, the employment of what is be-
lieved by these critics TO be unneces-
sary counsel. Mr.. Dorman. of Suwan-
nee, who has a larger number of resO-
lutions to his credit at the present
time probably than any other mem
her of either house, has one on the
calenGar appealing to the trustees of
the internal Improvement fund to
cease spending the public moneys in
attempts at reclaiming the Everglades,
until the people and tax payers of the
state shall have expressed their Will
! ingneSS to proceed with the scheme.
/ The preamble is a very lengthy one,
and it is likely should the resolution
pass the house, that it will contain a
stronger word than the one in quota
ton marks So far, it may be Oh
served as a matter of fact without
meaning any reflection on either
house, it seems that the lower house,
in matters pertaining to the admins
tration of state affairs, has been the
most conservative in the matter Ct
resolutions.
| Constitutional Amendments.
| There are a number of constitution
al amendments before the proper conf
mittees in one house or the other. In
the house Mr. Dorman has a resOlu-
| ton calling for a constitutional con-
vention and in the senate Senator
Beard OF the second, has a proposition
| to limit the suffrage in this state to
white male citizens above the age If
! n years, as a means of testing the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
to the federal constitution, which Sen
atOr Beard declares were never ratified
IL the manner required by the consji-
tuition, and are. therefore not properly
parts OF the organic law. In the house
Mr.. Pettigrew, of Manatee, the little,
white bearded EngliShman with a high
plJCn6C voice winch ne QOeS not use
on the floor of the house except at
roll calls, but is eager to put in prac-
Jice at any and all times to discuss
with any one the principles of the so
cialist party, whose dignity he main
tains singly and alone in the legisla-
ture OF Florida, the only one out OF
the hundred members. reminding one
Of that old song beginning There
were ninety and nine that safely lay
in the shadow of the fold etc..-but
no, that will not work this time, for
there is an extra member in the house
making a total OF 101 instead OF an
even hundred-has in a proposed
amendment establishing the principles
LOT the initiative and referendum. while