FLORIDA. 



333 



ture. During the same month at Portland, 

 Maine, the range was 46, and the maximum 

 temperature was 97. Other points in this 

 State, when compared with localities in higher 

 latitudes, would exhibit a like result. It is 

 asserted that in Florida there has never been a 

 case of sunstroke, or of that terrible malady, 

 so peculiar to the hot months, hydrophobia. 

 The same cause that operates to mitigate the 

 heat of the summer also contributes to lessen 

 the severity of the cold in winter, and prevents 

 frequent and sudden changes of temperature. 

 Punta Rassa, though situated but a few miles 

 farther south than Indianola, Texas, has a much 

 milder climate than the latter. At the former, 

 during the month of December, 1876, the range 

 of the thermometer was 42, mean temperature 

 60; while at the latter the range was 52, 

 mean temperature 49 '7. At Jacksonville, still 

 farther north than Indianola, the range was 

 47, mean temperature 49, during the same 

 time. It will thus be seen that the tempera- 

 ture there, even in winter, is higher and more 

 equable than in other localities of the same 

 latitude. 



In the western part of the State, Pensacola 

 is the center of trade for the whole area of ter- 

 ritory embraced by Santa Rosa Sound, Choo- 

 tawhatchee Bay and River, and the Escambia, 

 Black Water, and Perdido Rivers ; a territory 

 reaching on the north and west far into the 

 State of Alabama, and extending east as far as 

 Walton County. For the season of 1877-'78 

 there entered and cleared from the port of 

 Pensacola 490 vessels, with a total tonnage of 

 261,037. These vessels carried to Great Britain, 

 the Continent of Europe, Algeria, Cape Col- 

 ony, the West Indies, Central and South Amer- 

 ica, the British Provinces, and coastwise to 

 New York, Baltimore, and other United -States 

 ports, 4,513,985 cubic feet of hewn timber and 

 3,996,648 cubic feet of sawn timber, making an 

 aggregate of 8,510,633 cubic feet; of lumber 

 dressed and undressed, 73,366,000 feet; cotton, 

 11,542 bales (against 1,307 in 1876-77, being 

 an increase in one year of 10,235 bales) ; staves, 

 pieces, 8,524; barrels of rosin, 3,887; cedar, 

 cubic feet, 3,941 ; flour, 1,400 barrels ; cotton- 

 seed, 1,026 sacks ; oak timber, cubic feet, 

 19,666 ; Mexican cedar, 183 pieces ; 1,235 

 sticks of fustic. The invoice value of these 

 different exports is not less than $3,500,000, 

 and to this must be added the ordinary dis- 

 bursements and expenditures of tae vessels 

 while in port. 



The time for the State election was Novem- 

 ber 5th. Two members of Congress were to 

 be chosen, half the State Senate, and the mem- 

 bers of the General Assembly. The following 

 concurrent resolution of the previous Legisla- 

 ture was published at the same time with the 

 notice of election, that the views of the people 

 might be expressed in their choice of mem- 

 bers: 



The People of the State of Florida, represented in 

 Senate and Assembly, do resolve as follows : That it is 



the determination of this Legislature that it is neces- 

 sary to cause a revision of the entire Constitution 

 of the State of Florida; that this determination be 

 entered upon the respective Journals of the two 

 Houses of this Legislature, with the yeas and nays, 

 and that the same is referred to the Legislature next 

 hereafter to be chosen, and shall be published in at 

 least three newspapers of this State for three months 

 before the time for choosing the next Legislature. 



Some diversity of opinion prevailed on the 

 subject of calling a State Constitutional Con- 

 vention. Some of the objects desired were to 

 simplify the government by making it less un- 

 wieldy and less expensive ; the abolition of 

 some of the Cabinet offices, and the assignment 

 of their duties to others ; the reduction of sal- 

 aries of State officials and judges to an equal- 

 ity ; to limit the tenure of office ; and the 

 election of State officers by the people. Many 

 who opposed the Convention were in favor of 

 amendments by the Legislature to the existing 

 Constitution, under the apprehension that a 

 new Constitution might be more radical than 

 was desirable. 



The Democratic candidate for Congress in 

 the First District was Robert H. M. Davidson ; 

 in the Second District, Noble A. Hull. 



The Republican party in the State at present 

 has only a small white element. In several of 

 the county conventions for the nomination of 

 delegates to Congressional Conventions, only 

 one or two white members were present. The 

 Republican candidates for Congress were Si- 

 mon B. Conover in the First District, and Ho- 

 ratio Bisbee, Jr., in the Second District. 



A registration law was adopted at the pre- 

 vious session of the Legislature, the main fea- 

 tures of which were as follows : 



1. The Commissioners are required to divide their 

 counties into election districts. 



2. To examine the registration list, and erase and 

 publish, or post when no paper is published in the 

 county, the names of all whom they can not identify 

 and locate, and of such as are known to be disqual- 

 ified by reason of conviction for crime or other 

 cause. 



3. On the first Monday of October the clerk of the 

 Circuit Court is required to appoint a deputy for 

 each election district, who is made the registration 

 officer for the district for which he is appointed. 

 The clerk is to designate the pjace in each district 

 where the registering officer is to be found, and also 

 to give notice that the books will be closed ten days 

 before the election. Persons whose names have 

 been erased, or who have not before registered, will 

 attend and register in their respective districts with 

 these deputies, who are required to return their 

 books to the clerk of the county, who transfers the 

 names therein to the general registration book as a 

 permanent record. 



4. All voters are required to register and vote in 

 their respective districts, and can vote nowhere else. 

 Their names must be on the registration list of the 

 district in which they reside and in which they offer 

 to vote. 



The vote in the First District was as follows : 

 Davidson, 11,532 ; Conover, 8,301 ; majority 

 for Davidson, 3,231. In the Second District two 

 counties were laid aside and not included in 

 the result. The vote then stood : Hull, 9,639 ; 

 Bisbee, 9,626; majority for Hull, 13. The fol- 



