

FLORIDA. ' 



bill seemed to warrant a doubt whether the 

 u at limited to tho lino mentioned in the 

 r extended to all other roads of which 

 that company might become possessed. 

 A I. ill of a mixed character was passed at 

 mm session, which seems worthy of no- 

 tici- for its ;i|.|iront irregularity, its title In-in^ 

 enable indigent persons to obtain credit, 

 aii'l to secure the lender." 



A largo share of tho attention of tho Legis- 

 lature was bestowed upon the mode of treating 

 judicial eases. Tho result was the passage of 

 a bill entitled "An act to simplify and abridge 

 the practice, pleadings, and proceedings of the 

 courts of tho State." This " Code of Practice " 

 was published, and went into effect on the 1st 

 day of July. 



Of all matters of a public character on which 

 tho Legislature acted during the session, the 

 impeachment of the Governor was regarded 

 and followed with the most Intense interest by 

 tho members of that body, as well as by the 

 press and people at largo. Not long after the 

 opening of the session, charges of malfeasance 

 and appropriation of public moneys to person- 

 al use having been preferred against Mr. Reed 

 before the Assembly, with a view to his im- 

 peachment, that body took cognizance of the 

 matter, and appointed a special committee of 

 live "to investigate the official conduct of his 

 Excellency, Harrison Reed, Governor of Flor- 

 ida." The investigation lasted for about two 

 weeks, during which time the committee in- 

 spected official books and private documents 

 bearing on the charges under inquiry ; exam- 

 ined the officers of various State departments 

 and other witnesses ; heard also Mr. Roed, 

 whom they required to give his explanations. 

 On the 4th of February they submitted a re- 

 port, signed by four among them, embody- 

 ing the evidence adduced to substantiate the 

 charges, together with their own remarks, and 

 concluding by recommending the passage of 

 the following resolution: "Resolved by the 

 Assembly, That Harrison Reed, Governor of 

 Florida, be impeached of high crimes and mis- 

 demeanors, malfeasance and incorapetency in 

 office." On the same day, the fifth member of 

 the committee presented to the Assembly a sep- 

 arate report, signed by himself alone, in which 

 ho reviews the evidence produced, shows its 

 insufficiency to warrant an impeachment, and 

 concludes with recommending tho adoption of 

 tho following preamble and resolution : 



TFArM, By resolution of this Rouse, grave charges 

 of incompetency, malfeasance, and criminality, were 

 formally preferred against Harrison Reed, Governor 

 of Florida, a committee of this House was duly com- 

 missioned to make investigation, and report in regard 

 to the evidence upon which such charges were mudo ; 

 and, 



Whereas, After full examination of tho evidence 

 adduced and due consideration given to the explana- 

 tions of Governor Reed, said committee have report- 

 ed, that while there was evidence of irregular and 

 indiscreet action on the part of Governor Reed, 

 \vhich may bo considered reprehensible, and not de- 

 serving of approval, yet that, taking into consider- 



ation tho circumstances under which inch action 

 occurred, and tho many difficuUic* encountered, no 

 proof is found of any corrupt or criminal iir 

 on the part of Governor Reed that warrant* impeach- 

 ment : therefore, l>o it 



JtttolvtJ, That in view of the charges made, the 

 vi.l.-uce presented, and the explain < d, and 



in consideration of attending circuraaUnoes, no hufJi- 

 cient evidence appear* to warrant the impeachment 

 of Harmon Rood, Governor of Florida. 



Both of these reports were received and read, 

 and a motion "to refer them to the Commit- 

 tee of the Whole " was then adopted. Ti 

 liberations upon this matter lasted until eleven 

 o'clock at night. Motions were successively 

 made and carried, and acted upon, whereby 

 tho proceedings of the special committee of in- 

 vestigation, together with the written and oral 

 evidence produced before then;, were read. 

 The majority and minority reports were also 

 read to the Assembly a second time, when a 

 long and most animated debate ensued, in 

 which the members of the investigating com- 

 mittee took a prominent part. The subject 

 under consideration having finally been put to 

 the vote, the Assembly refused to adopt the 

 majority report yeas 21, nays 29. The adop- 

 tion of the minority report was moved, upon 

 which the vote was yeas 27, nays 22. The 

 minority report was adopted. 



As the originators and most prominent sup- 

 porters of his impeachment were Republicans, 

 members of the State government included, 

 many of that party deplored these proceedings 

 as foreboding no good for it. They held a 

 caucus at Tallahassee, on February 5th, the 

 object of which was to make an " effort to 

 harmonize Republicans, and to concentrate 

 Republican effort." All the speakers, who 

 were numerous, urged the attainment of that 

 object. Several members of the legislative 

 body, well known to have been prominent 

 among the impeachers, were also present, and 

 addressed the meeting : " They acknowledged 

 that they had misunderstood the wish of tho 

 party. * * * They had been fairly, thoroughly 

 whipped. * * * Accepting the result both as a 

 finality and as directory of the wishes of the 

 Republican party," they pledged themselves 

 " to sustain the administration of Harrison 

 Reed, cooperating with other Republicans in 

 obtaining necessary and proper legislation." 



By a message dated January 24, 1870, Mr. 

 Reed notified the Senate that, on that day, he 

 had appointed Edmund C. Weeks Lieutenant- 

 Governor of the State, " to fill the vacancy oc- 

 casioned by the judgment of the Supreme 

 Court," which message was referred to a 

 select committee. The vacancy here alluded 

 to had occurred several months before, in this 

 wise : William H. Gleason was elected Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor of Florida, at the same time 

 when Reed was elected Governor; but in a 

 suit subsequently instituted, it having been 

 shown to tho satisfaction of the court that at 

 the time when the people were voting for him 

 ho was ineligible according to the law of the 



