368 



FLORIDA. 



State, John L. Crawford ; Comptroller, Will- 

 iam D. Barnes ; Treasurer, Edward S. Crill ; 

 Attorney - General, C. M. Cooper ; Superin- 

 tendent of Public Instruction, Albert J. Rus- 

 sell ; Commissioner of Lands and Immigration, 

 C. L. Mitchell. Judiciary, Supreme Court : 

 Chief- Justice, George G. McWhorter ; Associ- 

 ate Justices, George P. Raney and R. B. Yan 

 Valkenburgh. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met on 

 Jan. 6, and adjourned on Feb. 12. Wilkinson 

 Call, Democrat, was re-elected United States 

 Senator. The following are the chief acts of 

 the session : 



To provide for the assessment and collection of 

 taxes on railroads and the properties thereof for the 

 years 1879, 1880, and 1881, as to which there was no 

 assessment. 



To enforce the assessment and collection of taxes 

 on certain lands granted to the St. John's Railway 

 Company. 



In relation to the apportionment of the one-mill State 

 tax for school purposes. 



To prescribe the duties of the Treasurer of the 

 State. 



To provide for the issue ot bonds in exchange for 

 the bonds of the State of Florida belonging to the 

 common- school fund, seminary fund, and Agricultu- 

 ral College fund of the State. 



A deficiency appropriation hill for the year 1884, 

 granting $23,725.83. 



The general appropriation bill for 1885 and 1886. 



To provide an annuity for disabled soldiers and 

 sailors of the State of Florida. 



To provide for the taking of the census of the State 

 in 1885. 



Appropriating $35,000 for the expenses of the Con- 

 stitutional Convention. 



To provide for the management of the State Asy- 

 lum for Indigent Lunatics. 



To allow parties to testify in divorce suits. 



To provide for the introduction in evidence of con- 

 veyances and certified copies of conveyances acknowl- 

 edged or proved and recorded. 



To determine the priority of deeds and other in- 

 struments of record. 



To provide a general law for the adoption of chil- 

 dren. 



^ To authorize railroad and canal companies of the 

 State to condemn private property. 



To regulate the admission of foreign and domestic 

 surety companies to do business in the State. 



To provide for the appointment of boards of health 

 in and for the several counties of the State. 



To provide for the levying of a tax in cities and 

 towns for water-works and fire-protection. 



To dissolve insolvent municipal incorporations, and 

 to provide provisional governments for the same. 



To prevent excessive rates of tariff over any tele- 

 graph or cable company within the State. 



A mechanics' lien law. 



To require carriers in the State to receive, convey, 

 and deliver freight as agreed upon with shippers. 



To give laborers engaged in unloading vessels a 

 nrst hen on such vessels for their wages. 



Regulating the sale of beef under certain circum- 

 stances. 



To define what are food-fish, and for the further 

 protection thereof. 



For the protection of oysters. 

 To fix the liability of owners 



10 nxtne liability of owners or operators of log- 

 drives or ditches in certain cases. 



To punish the carrying of concealed weapons. 



Authorizing the Governor to appoint a committee 

 to investigate and ascertain what quantity of land the 

 Atlantic and Gulf Canal and Okeechobee Land Com- 

 pany has reclaimed. 



For the incorporation of presbyteries in the State. 

 An act recognizing the Florida University at Talla- 

 hassee as the University of the State. 



A State tax of four mills on the dolLar is 

 levied for each of the years 1885 and 1886, 

 with power in the Governor to reduce the rate 

 if practicable. The counties, for their pur- 

 poses (with certain exceptions), may levy not 

 more than six mills on a dollar, provided that 

 they shall levy not more than five nor less than 

 two and a half mills on the dollar for schools. 



The act for calling a Constitutional Conven- 

 tion provided that it should meet at Tallahas- 

 see, on the second Tuesday of June, and con- 

 sist of 108 members, apportioned as members 

 of the Legislature are, to be chosen on the first 

 Tuesday of May. 



Constitution. Members of the convention 

 were elected, pursuant to the act, on May o. 

 They were classified as follows : Democrats, 

 83 ; Republicans, 22 ; Independents, 2 ; Inde- 

 pendent Democrat, 1. Seven were colored 

 men. The convention met on June 9 and ad- 

 journed on Aug. 3, having framed a Constitu- 

 tion, the main features of which are given 

 below. The Legislature is to consist of not 

 more than thirty-two Senators, elected by dis- 

 tricts for four years (one half being chosen 

 biennially), and not more than sixty-eight Rep- 

 resentatives, elected for two years. The Rep- 

 resentatives are to oe apportioned among the 

 counties according to population, but each 

 county shall have at least one, and no county 

 more than three. 



The regular sessions of the Legislature shall be held 

 biennially, commencing on the first Tuesday after the 

 first Monday in April, A. D. 1887, and on the cor- 

 responding day of every second year thereafter, but 

 the Governor may convene the same in extra session 

 by his proclamation. Regular sessions of the Legis- 

 lature may extend to sixty days, but no special ses- 

 sion convened by the Governor shall exceed twenty 

 days. 



The pay of members of the Senate and House of 

 Representatives shall not exceed six dollars a day, 

 and mileage not to exceed ten cents a mile each way. 



No Senator or member of the House of Representa- 

 tives shall, during the time for which he was elected, 

 be appointed or elected to any civil office under the 

 Constitution of this State, that has been created, or 

 the emoluments whereof shall have been increased, 

 during such tune. 



No person holding a lucrative office or appointment 

 under the United States or this State shall be eligible 

 to a seat in the Legislature. 



Each law enacted in the Legislature shall embrace 

 but one subject, and matter properly connected there- 

 with, which subject shall be briefly expressed in the 

 title ; and no law shall be amended or revised by ref- 

 erence to its title only ; but in such case the act, 

 revised, or section, as amended, shall be re-enactec 

 and published at length. 



The Legislature shall not pass special or local laws 

 in any of the following enumerated cases : that is 

 say, regulating the jurisdiction and duties of anycl! 

 of officers, except municipal officers, or for the pun 

 ishment of crime or misdemeanor ; regulating t 

 practice of courts of justice, except municipal cpur 

 providing for changing venue of civil and crinnna 

 cases; granting divorces; changing the names of per- 

 sons ; vacating roads ; summoning and empanehi 

 grand and petit juries, and providing for their 

 pensation ; for the assessment and collection of ti 



