FLORIDA. 



269 



far more identity of interest and feeling with 

 the people of Alabama than with the people of 

 Middle, East, or South Florida. This is the 

 result of natural causes, which it would be 

 unreasonable and unjust to make a ground 

 of personal censure. But, high as these ar- 

 guments are in favor of the inclusion of 

 West Florida in Alabama, they are not the 

 arguments which have led to our present mis- 

 sion. In Central Alabama we have the finest 

 deposits of coal and iron upon the American 

 Continent. We think we are justified in mak- 

 ing this assertion, after an examination into the 

 subject of the value of like mineral resources 

 in Pennsylvania. Pensacola must be the hand- 

 maid in the development of those immense 

 coal and iron interests, unless our own Mobile 

 should be able to improve its harbor. The 

 coal and iron of Alabama are destined to sup- 

 ply the demands of the South and of the steam 

 marine floating upon the Gulf of Mexico and 

 the Caribbean Sea. The supply will be afforded 

 through the port of Pensacola, if it is an Ala- 

 bama city. If the legislation hereafter as to 

 the port of Pensacola can be directed in refer- 

 ence to its ancillary influence upon the develop- 

 ment of the mineral interests of Central Ala- 

 bama, it will become a great city probably 

 the Birmingham of America and Alabama 

 will make it the gateway through which pros- 

 perity shall flow in upon its people and spread 

 throughout its borders." 



This communication was immediately sub- 

 mitted by Governor Reed to the Legislature, 

 with the recommendation " that a commission 

 be appointed to receive and consider, in behalf 

 of the State of Florida, any propositions which 

 may be presented in behalf of Alabama." 

 Messrs. 0. E. Dyke, W. J. Purman, and N. H. 

 Moragne were appointed by the Legislature to 

 act in behalf of Florida in the negotiations. 

 These gentlemen subsequently had a confer- 

 ence with the Alabama commissioners, and 

 agreed upon the terms of transfer. In pursu- 

 ance of the provision requiring the question to 

 be submitted to a popular vote in the district 

 proposed to be transferred, Governor Reed, on 

 the 25th of June, issued a proclamation for an 

 election in West Florida, in which were em- 

 bodied the terms of the agreement made by 

 the commissioners. These stipulated that the 

 assent of Congress should be obtained, and 

 that a consideration of one million dollars be 

 paid by Alabama. 



At the election on the 2d of November, the 

 result was as follows : 



"Whole number of votes cast 1,823 



Number of votes cast for annexation 1,162 



Number of votes cast against annexation. . 681 



Majority in favor of annexation. . 501 



In Jackson County no election was held. 

 Had there been an election in this county, it is 

 believed that the vote would have been much 

 larger in favor of annexation. 



The Governor, in his message to the Legis- 



lature in January, 1870, reports the voto on- 

 the proposed cession to Alabama, and quietly 

 remarks that he presumes no very consider- 

 able portion of the people of the State, or their 

 representatives, seriously entertain the idea of 

 ceding one-fifth of their territory and popula- 

 tion, and the finest harbor on the gulf, to the 

 jurisdiction of another State, almost without 

 consideration. 



Pursuant to the call of the Executive for an 

 extra session of the Legislature, that body met 

 on the 8th of June. Although the session was 

 short, several measures closely allied with the 

 welfare of the State were passed. One of the 

 most important of these was the bill effecting 

 a complete and much-needed revision of the 

 revenue and tax laws. The system of taxation 

 and revenue had been in a very defective con- 

 dition, from which the State had suffered 

 heavy losses. The revenue was inadequate to 

 meet the necessary expenditures of the govern- 

 ment. In some parts of the State property of 

 great value had escaped taxation entirely, either 

 through the negligence of the assessors or their 

 fraudulent returns. In one county it was re- 

 ported that property, which, many years ago, 

 was valued at eighty cents per acre, had been 

 uniformly assessed according to that standard, 

 although its increased value was from ten to 

 twenty dollars per acre. In calling the atten- 

 tion of the Legislature to these evils, the Ex- 

 ecutive said : " In connection with this subject, 

 I would remark further, that it cannot be 

 doubted that, under the present system, a very 

 large amount of property is not taxed, and the 

 system of assessment is so radically defective, 

 that the assessor is really able to know but 

 little of it. A proper system for the assess- 

 ment of all the taxable property in the State, 

 at a fair cash value, will result in great relief 

 to that portion of our citizens who have here- 

 tofore borne the burden and expense of main- 

 taining the State government. Immense tracts 

 of land, owned by non-residents and others, 

 some of which lands are among the most val- 

 uable and productive, have either escaped tax- 

 ation altogether, or been charged so slightly 

 that they have been withheld from market 

 and from cultivation, thus impeding immigra- 

 tion and the increase of population, and throw- 

 ing the burden of maintaining the government, 

 the improvement of roads and bridges, and 

 opening the avenues of commerce and agricul- 

 ture, upon the property of others, and upon 

 individual industry and enterprise." 



Not only was the system defective in regard 

 to the assessment of taxes, but the State had 

 suffered heavy losses through the neglect of 

 collectors or their default in making returns 

 to the treasury. To remedy these and other 

 evils it was necessary thoroughly to revise the 

 revenue and tax laws. It is believed that the 

 bill passed by the legislature at this session will 

 introduce an equitable and efficient system of 

 taxation which will yield a revenue adequate 

 to the needs of the State. 



