FLORIDA. 



demanded of the juror Holmes, aa follows: "I 

 iiirivf with thu Court that the juror Holmes in 

 this rase can not be required to answer the 

 questions put to him, but I go further. I do 

 not think that the act of Congress which, by 

 requiring a test-oath as to past conduct, ex- 

 cludes a irri-at majority of the citizens of half 

 the country from the jury-box is valid. In 

 my judgment the act is not only oppressive 

 ami oil i,, a-, and repugnant to the spirit of our 

 institutions, but is clearly unconstitutional and 

 void. As a war measure, to be enforced in 

 the insurgent States when dominated by the 

 national forces, the act could be sustained ; but 

 after the war was over and the insurgent 

 States were restored to their normal and con- 

 stitutional relations to the Union, it was as 

 much out of place and as inoperative as would 

 be a law quartering a soldier in every Southern 

 man's house." 



In a subsequent case of Atwood vs. Weems, 

 from the Circuit Court of the District of Flor- 

 ida, the Supreme Court held on the question 

 of jurors' test-oaths that the right under sec- 

 tion 820 of the Revised Statutes to require a 

 panel of jurors called to serve for a term to 

 take the oath therein prescribed, or be dis- 

 charged, is a right which can be exercised only 

 by the District Attorney ; that it does not be- 

 long to either of the suitors in the case about to 

 be tried. Justice Field, in concurring in the 

 opinion, reiterated his previously expressed be- 

 lief that section 820 of the Revised Statutes 

 was unconstitutional and void. He held that 

 Congress miirht undoubtedly prescribe the qual- 

 ifications of jurors in the Federal courts, but if 

 any of the causes for disqualification was the 

 commission of an act which the law had pro- 

 nounced a public offense, it was not compe- 

 tent for the Court to go into an investigation 

 to determine the guilt or innocence of a juror; 

 that is to be ascertained only in one way by 

 a separate trial of the party upon an indict- 

 ment for the offense, and the only competent 

 evidence in such a case is the record of his 

 conviction or acquittal. 



The products of the State, as shown by the 

 returns of the assessors for 1877, which are 

 somewhat defective, as seven counties made no 

 reports, nevertheless amounted as follows : 



Cotton, upland . bales 14,007 



" Sea Island, Ibs S,844.f>75 



Corn, bushels 1 62*.9s8 



Oats, " 846,810 



Wheat, " 608 



Rye, " 11,093 



Rice, " 26,852 



Sugar-cane, gallons of sirup 601,208 



Sugar, Ibs. 968,910 



Tobacco, Ibfl 1 572 



Orange-trees In -rrovo 20,481,641 



' " bearing 1B,621 



Oranges produced 16,084,508 



Lemon* " 844.498 



Citrons " 88.789 



Limes, bushels 8.789 



Guavna ' 6,217 



Hiui:in:is. bunches IT. '.'To 



Pineapples 686,800 



Peaches, bn jhels 238,260 



Apples, " 7,096 



Pears, 117 



Grape*, bushels 



Wine, gallons 



Gardun-pca*, crates. . . . 



Huang, cratei 



Potatoes, Irish, bushels. 

 " sweet, 



Melons 



Cucumbers, crates 



Tomatoes, ' 



Hay, ton* 



18411 

 6^648 

 7,', 97 

 7,790 



18,784 



7- ; 



6,1 M 

 87,570 



The number of the convicts in the State 

 Prison at the beginning of the year was 168. 

 Of these 24 were were white males, 1 white 

 tvinale, 135 colored males, and 3 colored fe- 

 males. 



The expense of the prison for 1877 was 

 $5,962.27, of which $3,159.10 was for convey- 

 ing prisoners and $927.60 was for repairs of 

 the buildings at Chattahoochee. The expense 

 of 1878 was $6,616.03, of which $4,514.58 was 

 for conveying prisoners to the convict camps. 

 This expense, by the contract since made, is 

 hereafter to be borne by the contractor. 



The proposition for a ship-canal across the 

 State was revived again duringthe year. In 1877 

 General Q. A. Gillmore, in charge of the river 

 and harbor improvements on that portion of the 

 line of coast which embraces the shores of the 

 States of Florida, Georgia, and South Caroli- 

 na, submitted a report in answer to a resolu- 

 tion of the Senate directing the Secretary of 

 War "to communicate nil information in his 

 possession concerning a water-line of transpor- 

 tation from the mouth of the St. Mary's River, 

 between the States of Georgia and Florida, 

 through Okefenokee Swamp and through the 

 State of Florida to some suitable point on the 

 Gulf of Mexico, embracing the probable nature 

 and character of such a water-line, and the ex- 

 tent of country and population to be benefited 

 by its construction, and an estimate of the cost 

 of the necessary surveys or examinations there- 

 for." 



The main purpose sought to be attained by 

 the proposed water-line is assumed to be a 

 cheap means of sending eastward the products 

 of the Mississippi Valley over a route that shall 

 shorten the time and avoid the danger of the 

 trip through the Gulf of Mexico and the Flor- 

 ida Straits. 



Two methods of accomplishing these objects 

 have been suggested : 



1. By a water-line of barges across the pe- 

 ninsula of Florida, continued westward to the 

 Mississippi River by another inside barge route 

 through the landlocked sounds and bays bor- 

 dering the Gulf of Mexico in the States of 

 Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. 



2. By a ship-canal across the State of Florida, 

 of dimensions sufficient to pass large ocean- 

 going Vessels. 



In determining the western terminus for a 

 peninsula barge-canal from St. Mary's River, 

 through Okefenokee Swamp, to the Gulf of 

 Mexico, the advantages offered by the harbor 

 of St. Mark's become at once apparent. 



From St. Mark's westward to Lake Borgne 

 or Lake Fonchartrain there exists a nearly 



