The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-06-01
By fred NJ. Allen.

BY fred NJ Allen.
Tallahassee Fla. Nav 31.-Claim-
ing that he yeas offered funds to fl
nance his en1re campaign for con.
gress against Frank Clark if he
would supporJ3 the Jacksonville char
ter as il stood and that that was the
main reason wfy he swung over, Speak ,
er Farris created a sensation on the
floor of the house this morning. He
made a fight Hor reconsideration of
the vote by Vhich the Jacksonville |
charter bill wGs passed <bu1 lost By a
vote of thiTt=one~-to thlrty-tWO,
Votes were hearty all positively
pledged or thete is no doubt but that
the sneaker Wpuld have won recon
sideration and defeat of the measure.
He also devded strong denunCiatIon
TO the Times Union and to its repre-
sentative. HetcIaimed that the cor
respondent oft.that paper has been
circulating an affidavit 10 the effect
that he. Farris had been offered two
thousand doIlakss for his campaign
fund to changs front on the charter
bill.
The hall Of he house OF representa-
tives was crowded to the doors and
while Mr.. FaTHs was speaking there
was much Excitement caused by his
remarks Speaker Pro TEN Stokes
held the chafrl 4sld DlsEeAyfd Srder
tirougbsut Ie4Essesa sst3Ae RiekbOyEe
of Walton poke strongly in favor If
including the FarriS referendum
cIaase in the charter The charter
bill has now gone TO the senate.
The house passed the Harris bill
giving the state board of health su-
thority to maintain a tuberculosis
sanitorium.
GOVERNOR VEToEs BILL.
Governor GiIchrist this morning We
toed the Leggett bill making an ap-
preparation for the counties affected
by the supreme court decision relative
to common school appropriations The
bill carries yer $4,000 and every
county in the state was interested in
il. Constitutional grounds are cited
by the governor:
The governors message to the sCn-
ate is as follows:
Tallahassee. May 81, 1909
Hon Frederick NJ. Hudson, President
of the Senate.
Sir: I have the honor TO return
herewith without my approval the
following bill which originated in yOur
honorable body:
"An Act Making an Appropriation
for the encouragement and Promotion
Oh the GuDltC StHUOiS III oil the NOuL-
ties OF the State of Florida.
This bill appropriates $166.759.SO to
be paid out of any funds in the treas
ury not otherwise appropriated to the
several county boards of public in
structiOn of the state upon the basis
of the average attendance of the
pupils upon the public schools in each
connty.
This appropriation must be paid. if
paid at all. from the general revenue
fund of the state. This fund is de
rived from a state tax levy and from
licenses. etc
purposes are COmmendable when they
are not forbidden by the constitution.
If this appropriation is forbidden by
the constitution, IL is my duty to re-
turn the bill to your without ap-
proval
SECTIONS 1. ?, 4, ,. s. Z. as amend
ed. S as amended 8. and 10, of Article
XII of the State Constitution con-
template and provide for designated
limit of taxation for the public free
schools of the counties. The state
levy for the support and mainten
ance of public free schools" is by sec
ton s or Article XII of the constitu-
ton specifically fixed at one mill, and
this tax is separately collected and
distributed TO the counties semi an
nualIv under Section 4 Taken in
connection with the other sections re
ferred to above. section s of Article
XII of the constitution is manifestly
intended as a limitation upon the
power of the legislature to levy a
state tax for the support and main
tenance of public free schools in the
several counties of the state
The general revenue fund. from
which this appropriation is to be
made consists in part at least of a
state tax levy, and if this appTopria-
ton is paid from the general revenue
fund. it will be an indirect violation
of the constitution
In the case of the board Of public
instruction for Santa Rosa County vs.
Groom. comptr0lIer. ct al, decided
December I9, 1905. the supreme court
of Florida. in constituting the meaning
and erect Of Article XII Of the con-
stitution, said:
we deem il proper also TO say.
without meaning TO express a positive
Centinuaa "a PaRa FaHr.l