FLORIDA. 



297 



FLORIDA. Peace and quiet have reigned 

 in Florida since the completion of proceedings 

 relating to the result of the election of 1876, a 

 full account - of which, appeared in the previ- 

 ous volume of this work. The Legislature 

 continued in session until the 1st of March. 

 There were several contested election cases, 

 turning on allegations of fraud in the election 

 returns of 1876 ; but all were decided in favor 

 of the the sitting members. A committee of 

 five was appointed in the Assembly "to investi- 

 gate the rumors being rife throughout the 

 State reflecting upon the honor and dignity of 

 certain members of this body, to wit, the 

 members from Alachua, of bribery, forgery, 

 and corruption during the late elections and 

 connected therewith." Charges in a somewhat 

 specific form were made against two mem- 

 bers, L. G. Dennis and W. K. Cessna. On 

 the 7th of February, the committee made a 

 report in the case of Mr. Dennis, to the effect 

 that there was " not sufficient evidence to sus- 

 tain the charges." In the case of Mr. Cessna 

 the majority of the committee reported on the 

 17th of February, that the evidence was 

 "pointed and conclusive as to the guilt of the 

 said W. K. Cessna, who, with every oppor- 

 tunity to do so, has failed to successfully 

 invalidate such evidence." The minority of 

 the committee, after discussing the nature of 

 the evidence, concluded that, as the testimony 

 came from a person who was "known in the 

 community in which he resides as a common 

 liar, utterly unworthy of belief or confidence," 

 the report of the majority was unwarranted 

 and the accused should " stand fully exonera- 

 ted before this Assembly." A resolution was 

 adopted by a vote 29 to 12, declaring that 

 " the evidence adduced against W. K. Cessna, 

 a member of this Assembly, charged with 

 bribery, perjury and fraud during the late elec- 

 tion, is not sufficient to convict him of such 

 charges." Early in the session the follow- 

 ing resolution was adopted by the Assembly : 



Whereas, It is published that Hon. R. B. Archi- 

 bald, Circuit Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit of 

 this State, as a witness before a committee of the 

 United States Senate testified as follows : 



"The State Senate stood twelve Republicans to twelve 

 Democrats, and Johnson was selected because his district 

 was a close one, and deliberately murdered for the purpose of 

 giving the Democrats the ascendency in that branch of the 

 Legislature. The evidence against Richard, the assassin, 

 was clear, connected, and amounted to a certainty of mathe- 

 matical demonstration, and yet the jury refused to convict 

 him. The moment he wag arrested the whole Democratic 

 bar of Jacksonville, and nearly every Democratic lawyer in the 

 State, volunteered their services in his defense, while every 



effort was made by the best citizens to throw the officers of 

 justice off the track, and facilitate the escape of the murderer." 



Therefore, resolved^ That the Committee on Ju- 

 diciary be, and they are hereby, instructed to pro- 

 cure a sworn copy of the testimony given by said 

 Archibald before said committee of the Senate of the 

 United States, and report to this Assembly on the 

 liability of said Archibald to impeachment on ac- 

 count of said testimony. 



Subsequently a committee of three was ap- 

 pointed " to inquire whether or not cause 

 exists for the impeachment of Robert B. Archi- 

 bald," with power to send for persons and 

 papers. A majority of the committee reported 

 in favor of impeachment, and the minority 

 against it. A resolution of impeachment was 

 defeated by a vote of 81 to 20, two-thirds not 

 voting in the affirmative. An investigation 

 was also made into the conduct of "William 

 Bryson, Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit, to 

 ascertain whether he had " done any acts or 

 been guilty of any conduct that would war- 

 rant this Assembly in preferring charges of 

 impeachment against him." The Committee 

 of Investigation reported 



That there was information filed before us charg- 

 ing Judge Bryson with reprehensible rulings as a 

 judge in cases before him in the county of Suwan- 

 iiee of his circuit ; that some of the above gentlemen 

 were engaged in those suits as attorneys, and while 

 they differed from him in some of the judicial con- 

 clusions reached, they fully exculpated him frcm 

 corruptly and intentionally doing or intending to do 

 wrong. The evidence before us nas impressed your 

 committee favorably as to his administration of the 

 criminal law in his circuit ; that crime has decreased 

 since he commenced his ridings in that circuit. W e 

 herewith tile an answer made by Jud^e Bryson 

 before your committee, vindicating himself from 

 the charges made, and the evidence before us sus- 

 tains his answer very fully. "We have been unable 

 to find that his honor W. Bryson is other than a 

 just and upright judge, and fully acquit him of all 

 intention to do otherwise than to faithfully perform 

 his duties as judge. 



Several attempts were made to have acts 

 passed amending the constitution of the State 

 in respect to elections and sessions of the 

 Legislature, but they failed. The general legis- 

 lation of the session was unimportant. 



No State election took place this year, and 

 as there was no session of the Legislature in 

 1878, official reports on state affairs are want- 

 ing. There was no action taken by political 

 parties ; but a convention of colored men was 

 held at Tallahassee on the 4th of July. An 

 address to the colored people of the State was 

 adopted, setting forth the importance of edu- 

 cation, of acquiring homesteads, and of foster- 

 ing habits of industry and sobriety. The ad- 

 dress concluded as follows: 



We are aware that recently in our own State, os 

 well as throughout the whole South, a political revo- 

 lution has taken place, and it is our hope that now 

 the race issue in politics, with all its accompanying 

 evils, will pass away, and that intelligence and in- 

 tegrity will now dominate without regard to color or 

 previous condition. The policy of pacification is 

 right then, and President Hayes's course was in- 

 evitablepublic opinion in the North as well as in 

 the South demanding such a course. 



