FLORIDA. 



Democratic party in New York. He bore the 

 reputation of being one of the ablest financiers 

 in the State, and his honesty in all official and 

 private acts was unquestioned. He was for 

 many years one of the contributors to The 

 Albany Aryut, and the political questions of 

 the day were discussed by him in its columns. 

 He was one of the most determined opponents 

 of the United States Bank ; he rendered effi- 

 cient aid to De Witt Clinton in moulding public 

 opinion in regard to the canal policy ; and later 

 he was an outspoken opponent of the pro- 

 slavery policy of the Democratic party. He 

 was one of the founders of the Barnburner 

 party, subsequently known as the Free-soil 

 party. He was elected Controller of New 

 York City in the fall of 1852, and was reflected 

 three years later. Soon after leaving the Con- 

 troller's office, in 1859, he became blind. He 

 never lost his interest in political matters, and 

 the daily papers were read to him by his 

 daughters. 



FLORIDA. The Legislature met on the 

 17th of January. The first business of im- 

 portance brought before it was the electing 

 of a United States Senator for the term com- 

 mencing March 4th. The struggle between the 

 two parties lasted for many days, and excited 

 the most intense interest. It finally concluded 

 in the election of Hon. Simon B. Conover, 

 Republican, Speaker of the Lower House of the 

 State Legislature. 



Mr. Conover was born in Middlesex Conn- 

 ty, N. J., September 23, 1840. Having crnd- 

 uated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1863, he 

 was appointed assistant surgeon in the Army 

 of the Cumberland, and was station. <! at 

 Nashville, Tenn. He was ordered to Florida 

 in 1866, and shortly afterward resigned his 

 position in the army. In politics he lias 

 always been a Republican. He was a member 

 of the convention which framed the ]>: 

 constitution of Florida and was ubeqnently 

 appointed State Treasurer by Governor Reed. 

 He was next elected to the Lower House of the 

 Legislature from Leon County, and was chosen 

 Speaker of that body. In 1868 he was a m.-m- 

 ber of the Chicago Convention, and was there 

 appointed a member of the National Republi- 

 can Committee, in which capacity he served 

 for four years. He has also been a member of 

 the State Executive Committee of Florida. 



Some reports having been circulated to the 

 effect that certain persons had resorte<l to 

 bribery in connection with the election of the 

 United States Senator from the State, a com- 

 mittee of three was appointed by the As- m- 

 bly to investigate the reports. After examin- 

 ing these minors, and all the evidence upon 

 which they were founded, the committee re- 

 ported that they had "not been able to find 

 any direct proof of bribery on the part of any 

 one, and begged leave to be di*e],.; 



Among the more Important act* of the Le- 

 gislature WM thepamage of a bill "to ] 

 the citizens of the State of Florida in their 



civil rights, and to furnish the means for their 

 vindication." The first section of the act pro- 

 vides - 



That no citlion of this State ihall, by reason of 

 race, color, or previous condition of servitude, be ex- 

 oepted or excluded from the full and equal enjoy- 

 ment of any accommodation, advantage, tin-it i:. 

 privilege 1'urninhed by innkeepers, by common car- 

 * hotlier on land or water, by ners, 



managers, or lessees of theatres or other _places 

 of public amusement; by trustees, conn 

 superintendents, teachers", and other officers of com- 

 mon schools and public institutions of lea 

 same being supported by moneys <1. 

 oral taxation, or authorized by law, also of eon 

 associations and benevolent associu! 

 or authorized hi the same way: ProriJeJ, That pri- 

 vate schools. -. and institutions of learning 



established exclusively for white or color, 

 ami maintained respectively by voluntary contribu- 

 -hall remain according to the terms of the 

 original establishment. 



The second section declares that any per- 

 son violating any of the provisions of the act, 

 "or aiding in 'their violation or inciting there- 

 to," shall pay $100 to the person aggrieved, 

 "and shall also for every such offense be 

 deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon 

 conviction thereof shall be fined not less than 

 $100, nor more than $1,000, or shall be im- 

 prisoned not less than thirty days nor more 

 than one year." Every discrimination against 

 any citizen on account of color, by the use of 

 the word " white," is annulled, and it is en- 

 acted that "no citizen possessing all other 

 qualifications prescribed by law shall be dis- 

 qualified for service as a juror in nny court in 

 this State by reason of race, color, or previous 

 condition of servitude ; any officer or other 

 person charged with any duty in the se- 

 lection or summoning of jurors, who shall 

 exclude or fail to summon any citizen for the 

 reason above named, shall, on conviction 

 thereof, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and be 

 fined not less than $100 nor more than 

 $1.000." 



The question of public improvements^ re- 

 ceived the favorable attention of the Legisla- 

 ture. A memorial to Congress was adopted 

 favoring the construction of a ship-canal 

 H the Peninsula of Florida from the Gulf 

 of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, along the 

 line of the waters of the Withlucoochee, Blue 

 Spring, Silver Spring, Ocklawahn. and St. 

 John's Rivers, and their adjacent lakes. 



Congress was also memorialized in relation 

 to the, construction of a Southern transconti- 

 nental interior line, of water communication 

 between the Mississippi River and the Atlantic 

 Ocean. The memorial set forth : 



That, through the channel of the St. John's and the 

 inner lake-region of Florida, a path is opened for 

 that important lino of Southern inland transporta- 

 tion, traversing the Gulf States and touching 

 Orleans. Mobile, and Pcnsacola, by means ofwbieb 

 omemeannreof relief may be afforded t" (lie valley 

 ofthfl MisHinsippi, now suffcrinjf and stagnating un- 

 der the immense weight of its own rarplui pi 

 tions unprofitable 'through their immovability, 

 while an adequate exit may be given, through the 



