276 



FLOEIDA. 



Senate, wherein Lieutenant-Governor Gleason 

 was presiding again, the first resolution offered, 

 and adopted by a vote of ten yeas to one nay, 

 was a plainly-implied condemnation of the im- 

 peachment proceedings, as follows : 



Resolved, That the Senate recognize no other Jour- 

 nal of its proceedings for this session than the Jour- 

 nal commencing Tuesday, January 5, 1869, and that 

 all other so-called Journals appearing in or attached 

 to, be expunged from its records. 



Before the voting on this resolution, another 

 Senator had even proposed a substitute, though 

 it was withdrawn, declaring that " there was 

 no Legislature convened in the State in ex- 

 traordinary session in November last." As to 

 the House of Assembly, where the impeach- 

 ment had originated, its very first act, upon 

 its meeting, was the adoption of the following 

 resolution : 



Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed 

 by the Speaker to wait upon his Excellency Harrison 

 Eeed, and notify him that the Assembly is in session, 

 and ready to receive any communications he may wish 

 to make. 



On the first two days of the session, several 

 resolutions and substitutes were indeed offered 

 in the House, purporting the appointment of 

 more or less numerous committees to investi- 

 gate the charges preferred against Mr. Reed, 

 preparing, as it were, materials for future im- 

 peachment, if there was cause ; but they were 

 successively postponed, or not acted upon, till, 

 on January 6th, the following preamble and 

 resolution were adopted by a vote of 30 yeas 

 to 5 nays : 



Whereas, It is known to this Assembly to be pub- 

 licly alleged that Harrison Eeed, Governor of Florida, 

 has done and committed acts wrongful and unlawful : 

 therefore, be it 



Resolved ly the Assembly of the, State of Florida, 

 That a committee of five be appointed by the Speak- 

 er, to inquire into and investigate the conduct, acts, 

 and doings of the said Harrison Eeed, Governor 01 

 Florida, and that the said committee be empowered 

 and authorized to send for persons and papers, and 

 take testimony upon oath in the premises, and that 

 the said committee be required to report the results 

 of its investigation at its earliest convenience during 

 the present session, and that it accompany its report 

 with the testimony taken in the said matter. 



Even this, however, had no result, as a mo- 

 tion was immediately made " to reconsider the 

 vote just taken, and that the reconsideration 

 be laid on the table," which was agreed to. 



As each House separately, amongst its own 

 members, condemned the impeachment pro- 

 ceedings, and recognized Mr. Eeed to be right- 

 fully exercising the functions of Governor, so 

 did they in joint action together. On Janu- 

 ary 7th the Assembly adopted the following 

 resolution : 



Resolved ly the Assembly, the Senate concurring, 

 That a committee of three be appointed by the 

 Speaker, to act with a similar committee on the part 

 of the Senate, to wait upon his Excellency the Gov- 

 ernor, and infonn him that the Senate and Assembly 

 are organized, and ready to receive any communica- 

 tion that he may be pleased to make. 



And shortly after the Senate sent a message to 



the House that it had " appointed a committee 

 of two to wait on the Governor, and inform 

 him that both Houses are organized and ready 

 to receive any communication he may wish to 

 make." At noon on the same day the Senate 

 entered the Assembly Hall for the purpose of 

 receiving the Governor's message, when the 

 president of the Senate took the chair, the State 

 officers and some others being, on motion, in- 

 vited to seats within the bar upon the occasion. 

 A committee of three representing each House 

 having then been appointed by the chair " to 

 wait on the Governor, and inform him that 

 the Legislature was assembled in joint meeting 

 to receive any communication he might wish 

 to make," they executed their mission, and on 

 their return presented to the Assembly the 

 Governor in person, when he delivered his 



In this document Mr. Eeed speaks hopefully, 

 and exhibits a pleasing picture of the condition 

 of Florida, especially in that the animosity of 

 her citizens against each other for political op- 

 position had lost much of its sharpness and in- 

 tensity, and their minds appeared now mutually 

 softened, saying: "Throughout our beloved 

 State violent opposition to Federal authority 

 and republican government has ceased, and 

 all classes of the people yield obedience to the 

 laws. The newly-enfranchised citizen of color 

 sits side by side with his white fellow in the 

 Cabinet, the halls of legislation, the jury-box, 

 and on the Boards of Commissioners occupies 

 the magistrate's chair, and executes the de- 

 crees of courts, without exciting violence or 

 occasioning asperity. The change since your 

 last session is marvellous, and calls for grate- 

 ful recognition. Political antagonisms still ex- 

 ist, and must ever exist among a free people ; 

 but toleration and concession have taken the 

 place of intolerance and proscription." 



As to the finances, he sets down the State 

 bonded debt at $578,045.08, and her resources, 

 chiefly from new bonds and the estimated 

 revenue for 1869, at $525,000, leaving a small 

 balance to be provided for. To the $132,000 

 of the Florida bonds held by the United States 

 Indian Trust Fund at Washington, he opposes 

 her claim of nearly or quite that amount, 

 against the United States, for expenditures in 

 the Seminole war. The manner of paying her 

 current expenses in scrip seems to have been 

 highly detrimental to the State, since the Gov- 

 ernor urges the necessity of forbidding all fur- 

 ther issues of scrip and affirms : " If we once 

 resume the payment of all expenses in cash, as 

 they accrue, we shall reduce these -expenses 

 from 25 to 50 per cent., and place our bonds 

 at par." He concludes this subject, saying: 

 " "Wise and judicious legislation at this session 

 may establish the fact that no Southern State 

 resumes its position in the Union under better 

 financial auspices, or with more available re 

 sources." 



On taxation, he recommends the establish- 

 ment of a Board of Equalization, in order to 



