1911 State Institutions of learning. (SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6.) Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives That a committee of five, two from the Senate and three from the House, be appointed to visit the University of Florida, the College for Women, the School for the Blind and Deaf, and the Colored School; also the State Arsenal at St. Augustine, and the permanent camp site at Black Point, Duval County, Florida, and to investigate the needs and management of said institutions, and report back to the Legislature, with such recommendations as the conditions may warrant. Primary laws. (SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 14.) Now Therefore, Be it Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives Concurring: That a committee of five be appointed, two by the Presi dent of the Senate and three by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as a commission to examine the Primary Laws of this and other States; to make full investigation thereof and suggestions to prepare forms of such law or laws, to carry out the purposes of this Resolution as in their judgment they may deem best, and to make recommendation and report thereof to this Legislature as expeditiously as possible. Capitol grounds. (SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 7.) Be it Resolved by the Senate, and the House of Represent atives Concurring: That a committee of three, one from the Senate and building and two from the House, be appointed by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, to confer with the Governor and members of his cabinet, and to inspect the Capitol Building and Grounds, and make report to the Legislature of the appropriate and necessary additions and repairs thereto and the probable cost thereof, and that said committee be directed to report within ten days. 1911 (SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 2.) Be it Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives Concurring: That a committee of five, consisting of two members of the Senate and three members of the House of Representatives, be appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively, to visit and inspect the progress and conditions of the work of reclaiming the Everglades, now being carried on by the Trustees of the Infernal Improvement Fund, and to make a report of the conditions of said work, the condition of the Everglades, including the drained and undrained portions, the area actually drained, the area partially drained, and the area contemplated to be drained, and the area, if any, not contemplated in the present drainage plans; also to report the number, size, width, depth and length of canals now contemplated and also the number, length, width and depth of those in course of construction and the portion of each contemplated, and the work done on any incompleted portions, and the number, length, width and depth of those contemplated and not yet begun; also the costs up to the present time in money and lands and the estimated costs to complete those under construction and the estimated costs of those contemplated; also the value of the reclaimed lands as to money, valuation and any other matter, thing or fact concerning the same of value, importance or useful information; and that they be requested to report back to this House the number of acres of the Everglade land that has been sold or otherwise disposed of, and to whom sold, terms and conditions of sale, and price paid for same. Work of reEverglades. claiming the 1911 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 31. Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives That the following be adopted as a Joint Rule: Either House when in session may receive any message from the other House whether the latter be in session or not. Tax levy to meet expenses of State government. HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 28. Be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate Concurring: That there shall be appointed a special committee (to be known as the Committee on Budget) composed of five members of the Legislature, three members of whom shall be named by the Speaker of the House, two by the President of the Senate, who shall be directed to make a compilation of the appropriations of the present Legislature together with an estimate of the total sum of revenue probably to be derived from all sources of taxation, and it shall be the duty of the committee to recommend what State levy may be necessary in their opinion to meet the current expenses of the State government for the next ensuing fiscal two years. HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO 32. The assessed valuation of all personal property in Flor ida, less animals, for the year 1910, as shown by the Comptroller's report, is $26,620,007; the real valuation. of all personal property is between $300,000,000 and $400,000,000, as shown from data compiled by the Gov ernor, and stated in his message to the Legislature of 1911. At the Fourth International Conference on State and tional Tax Association, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 30th, September 1st and 2nd, 1910, it was agreed: "All the current discussion of the general property tax is concerned with personal property. Therefore, for the purpose of the resolution, 'the general property tax will be considered as a system of assessing each person all the personal property he pos sesses and taxing this sum at the same rate as real estate.' "That the general property tax has broken down in administration may be regarded as an established fact. Our concern now is to say whether this breakdown is due to inherent defects in the system itself, or to weakness in its administration." "The committee quotes opinions of investigating commissions in nine States whose Constitutions require the general property tax. These reports have all been made within the last five years, and in no case does the investigating commission advocate a more strict enforcement of the general property tax as a cure for the evils which all have found to exist under this system. Each of these States, with a single exception, has advised the abandonment of the attempt to tax all property at a uniform rate and by the same method." Florida is the exception referred to. Section 1 of Article IX of the Constitution provides for such a system. It appears that every State in the Union, except Florida, has, in some manner, shown that this is a vicious system. The statistics already shown, show that it is a vicious system for our State to continue. Therefore, Be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate Concurring: Section 1. That the Governor be and is hereby directed to appoint a Commission to consist of three, whose duty it shall be to report to the Governor at least sixty days before the convening of the next Legislature, such 1911 Committee to suggest constitu tional changes. 1911 changes in the Constitution and laws as may be deemed advisable. The Commission shall submit a draft of proposed constitutional amendments and of bills which the Governor shall transmit to the Legislature of 1913, with such recommendations as he may deem advisable. Committee to examine laws on practice and report. HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 33. Be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate Concurring: That the Governor be and he is hereby authorized to select and appoint three lawyers of ability and discretion pleading and to constitute a commission for the purpose of examining into the laws and the system of pleading and practice, embracing both common law and equity procedure, in this and other States, and to prepare such bills which in their opinion may simplify the administration of law and promote the ends of justice; and report the same to the Governor at least sixty (60) days before the next session of the Legislature of this State. Pardon for peonage prisoners. SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT Be it Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representa tives Concurring: That His Excellency, the Honorable William H. Taft, President of the United States of America, be and he is hereby most respectfully petitioned and requested to issue to W. S. Harlam, S. E. Huggins, C. C. Hilton, Robert Gallagher and Walter E. Grace, who were convicted at the March adjourned term of the United States Circuit Court of 1906 at Pensacola, Florida, Judge Charles Swayne presiding, upon the charge of a conspiracy to arrest and return certain persons to a condition of peon. age, all of which persons are citizens of the State of Alabama, a full and complete pardon, including a remission |