FLORIDA. 



297 



the laws, and to punish all who may violate the 

 mime, whether such violation in the result of a pre- 

 >l. i. : limn .1 policy or of temporary excitement or 

 pa.-M.in, nevertheleM tin- people, themselves must 

 l'vi-1 untl aivept tlifir responsibility as men and as 

 citizens, mid niu^t uid in protecting their own inter- 

 ests and the fair fame of the State, by tin honest de- 

 termination to .-ee justice and good order prevail, 

 and l>v 11 In arty cooperation with the officers of the 

 State HI preserving the public peace, and in secur- 

 ing a fair, free, and honest election. 



In testimony whereof, 1 have hereunto set my 

 hand and caused the Great Seal of the State 

 [L. 8.] to be affixed, at Tallahassee, this 81st day of 

 October, A. i>. 1876. 



M. L. STEARNS, Governor of Florida. 

 By the Governor : Attest, 



SAMI-EL B. McLiw, Secretary of State. 



FLORIDA ARROWROOT (COONTIE) AND FRUIT. 



The election of the 7th of November passed 

 off without any disorder or disturbance of the 

 peace. The election law, enacted August 6, 1868, 

 provides for a complete registration of voters by 

 the county commissioners, and for the conduct 

 of the election by three inspectors at each poll- 

 ing-place, appointed by the commissioners. The 

 inspectors are authorized to u maintain good 

 order at the polls and to enforce obedience to 

 their lawful commands during the election and 

 during the canvass and estimates of the votes, 

 and if any person shall refuse to obey any law- 

 ful orders of the inspectors, or by disorderly 

 conduct in their presence or hearing shall in- 

 terrupt or disturb their proceedings, they may 

 command any sheriff, or constable, or other 

 person, to take such disorderly person into cus- 

 tody and confine him during the election and 

 canvass." After the close of the polls the in- 

 spectors are required to proceed at once to 

 canvass the votes publicly, and must complete 

 the work without adjournment. Certificates 

 of the result, signed by the inspectors and 

 clerk, must be securely sealed and delivered 

 without delay, one copy to the clerk of the 

 Circuit Court and one copy to the county judge. 

 On the sixth day after the election, or sooner 

 if the returns shall have been received, the 

 county judge, clerk of the Circuit Court, and 

 a justice of the peace of the county, are re- 

 quired publicly to canvass the votes for their 

 respective counties. The result is to be made 

 put in duplicate certificates, one to be recorded 

 in a book by the clerk, one to be sent by mail 

 to the Secretary of State, and a third to the 



Governor. Twenty days are allowed for the 

 canvassers in Monroe, Orange, I>u<le. Husanl, 

 and Manatee Counties. The act declarer that 

 " tlio person who shall receive the highest num- 

 ber of votes cast for any office shall be elected 

 to such office." The provisions regarding the 

 State canvass in the original act are as follows : 



SECTION 28. On the first Tuesday next after the 

 fourth Monday in November next after any general 

 election, or sooner, if the returns shall have been 

 received from the several counties, the Secretary of 

 State, Attorney-General, and Controller, or any two 

 of them, shall meet at the office of the Secretary 

 of State, pursuant to notice to be given by the Sec- 

 retary of State (or, in his absence or inability to at- 

 tend, by the Governor), and proceed to canvass the 

 returns of such election, and determine who shall 

 have been elected, by the highest number of votes, 

 to any office, as shown by said returns. They shall 

 make and sign a certificate containing, in words and 

 figures written at full length, the whole number of 

 votes given at such election for each office, the num- 

 ber of votes given for each person for each office, 

 and designating who shall have been elected to each 

 office, wnich certificate shall be recorded in the 

 office of the Secretary of State in a book to be kept 

 for that purpose, and the Secretary of State shall 

 cause a certified copy of such certificate to be pub- 

 lished in one or more newspapers printed at the 

 seat of government. 



SEO. 29. The Secretary of State shall make and 

 transmit to each person chosen to any State office, 

 immediately after the canvass, u certificate showing 

 the number of votes cast for each person for such 

 office at such election, which certificate shall be 

 prima facie evidence of his election to such office. 



SEC. 30. When any person shall be elected to the 

 office of elector of President and Vice-President, or 

 Bepresentative in Congress, the Governor shall make 

 out, sign, and cause to be sealed with the seal of 

 the State, and transmit to such person, a certificate of 

 his election. 



An amendment to this act, approved Feb- 

 ruary 27, 1872, contains the following provi- 

 sions : 



SECTION 4. On the thirty-fifth day after the hold- 

 ing of any general or special election for any State 

 officer, member of the Legislature, or Representative 

 in Congress, or sooner if the returns shall have been 

 received from the several counties wherein elections 

 shall have been held, the Secretary of State, Attor- 

 ney - General, and the Controller of Public Ac- 

 counts, or any two of them, together with any other 

 member of the cabinet who may be designated by 

 them, shall meet at the office of the Secretary of 

 State pursuant to notice to be given by the Secretary 

 of State, and form a Board of State Canvassers, 

 and proceed to canvass the returns of said election, 

 and determine and declare who shall have been 

 elected to any such office, or as such member, as 

 shown by sucn returns. If any such returns snail 

 be shown or shall appear to be so irregular, false, 

 or fraudulent, that the board shall be unable to de- 

 termine the true vote for any such officer or mem- 

 ber, they shall so certify, and shall not include such 

 return in their determination and declaration, and 

 the Secretary of State shall preserve and file in his 

 office all such returns, together with such otl.er docu- 

 ments and papers as may have been received by 

 him or by said Board of Canvassers. The said 

 board shall make and sign a certificate, containing 

 in words written at full length the whole number of 

 votes given for each office, the number of votts 

 given For each person for each office, and for member 

 of the Legislature, and therein declare the result, 

 which certificate shall be recorded in the office of the 



