The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-02-13

petitioner, the question as TO whether the b0nee
Of 1873 had been sold in accordance with ist
powers vested in the petitioner by the terms ~
the act OF 1873 Your committee do not care -
review aud comment upon the concusinks
reached by these various committees, but ~
content themselves by referring somewhat In cg
tail to the action of the Legislature OF 1881, ~
reference to the subject matter under invesiigsf
ton. The Legislature in 1881 passed an act aa
proved March Z. 1881. This act provided fotaa
committee If two from the Senate and thrtk
from the Assembly to be appointed To insesi9
gate the subject matter before your commauSe
They were To meet in the city Of Jacksonviwk
within sixty days after the adjournment o, taTt
Legislature and TO report their doings aud lint3'
ings to The Governor Of the State. n
The committee had full power to send tor:pdf-
sons and papers, to administer oaths, and webs
to be aided by the Attorney General This com.
mittce was composed of Silas L. Niblack attl
William Bryson, on the part of the Senate, aHsl
OF Messrs. Newsom, Cooper and GetZen, on tlte
part of The Assembly that a majority Of tlEs
committee did organize with Senator Niblack -
their chairman. They were aided by the Attor.
ney-General in their investigation. They eE.
amined the following witnesses: Ex-GOveroAk
Harrison Reed, Gen John Varnum, Hon. Il. y.
Gamble, late Comptroller. Hon. John L. CraV;;
ford, Secretary of State, +. NJ. Cheney, Esq. .saua
the Hon. G. A. Cowgirl and reduced their ex(-
dence to writing, all Of which has been laid tas
fore your committee, together with larSn
amount of documentary evidence. y
Your committee have examined the aca ~
1873, under which the bonds were issued aEa
disposed of by Comptroller Cowgirl also hiq re.
port of 1874 as to the disposition made of ieh
bonds of 1878, and his entire transaction in $aG:
ing up the bonds OF the State held by l. I.
Bayne & Co. also a letter Of his 10 A.
torney General Raney that is to he found n
the Assembly Journal of 1881, page 824. Yeolf
if
into minute and detailed statement of all tha
facts connected with the delicate and responsible
duty of obtaining from L. p. Baync & Co. TIE
298 bonds of the State of Florida of the issue hi
1869, out of which these several investigaiioR$
emanated or arose bnt considering all of tDs
evidence before your committee, they have
reached the conclusion that there are no grounsa
to believe that the passage of the bOni act ft
1873 was procured by or through any corrupt er
illegal means, and that The Transaction of the pc
TONER, as Comptroller Of the State OF Florida, in
getting up from L. p Biyne & Co. the 29S ben99
of 1863, held by said firm, WAS wise and jude
cious on his part when considered in connectioB
with all of the surrounding circumstances. Il:
Your committee therefore beg leave 10 repoJE
that there is ground 10 ccns1re the pctitiOne+,
and we do exonerate him from all blame. 7.
Your committee herewith submit the evidence:
that was before them, and ask that the AsseIG:
bly, do make such disposition of it as may tie;
submitted tI)
The report OF the committee was adopted, ana
Mr.. Mcclellan of Jackson moved that the Cbisf
Clerk of the Assembly after properly securing
the evidence before the Judiciary Committee fb
the matter referred to said Committee upon PEI.
titon of Hon. c. \. Cowgirl, do file the evidecas
and copy of the report in the office of the Secrs-
tary OF State; which was agreed to. q
Assembly bill No. l07. To be entitled an ala
for the relief of jacksonville and the counties II
Baker Bradford, Columbia, Suwannee, Madis6u,
Jefferson. Duval and Leon, was taken up, arf3
the Senate amendments thereto cOncurred in a1J
the bill ordered enrolled. y
On motion of Mr. Harris, the Assembly iocE
up for consideration Assembly joint resolution I'd
reference to calling Convention: n;
The people Of the State Of Florida, represented Il
Senate and AssensTy, do resotoe as f0Lo,rs: Thas
this Legislature agrees to the necessity tor ~
revision of the entire Constitution OF the SlateaF
Florida contemplated by joint resolution oF
the last Legislature, entitled concurrent res4s
luton relating 10 cali of n Convention, and
duly published as required by Section 2, Article
II, of said Constitution. The rules were suspended
and the resolution passed by two thirds vOts'.
On motion of Mr.. Harris, the Assembly tot!k
up Assembly joint resolution recommending tlse
electors at The next general election to vote fsf
or against Convention, as follows:
Joint Resolution Recommending the Electors II
the next General Election 10 vote for or aginH
aCOnventlOn. e.
WHEREAS, The Legislature of 1881 did deefS
mine by vote of majority of all the mcmbeEf
elected to each Of the houses thereof. that il is
necessary TO cause a revision Of the entire COtf
stituiiOn of this State did enter snch dciermin3,
ton upon their respective journals. with tba
yeas and nays thereon, and did refer the same t4
the next Legislature then next 10 be chosen dnk
achereds The Legislature next chosen as afOresait,
it being the Legislature Of 1888 an now in ses-
sion, does agree to such revision by majori&
of all the members elected to each house thereof;
and mhereas, Section 2, of Article II, OF the CoIs
stituion, makes it the duty of the present Legsl,
ure,n pursuance of the aforesaid premises, TO req
Ommend 10 the electors of the next election fds
members OF the Legislature To vote for or agansk
a Convention; therefore,
Resolred By the people OF the State Of Florida re1
resented in Senate and assembly, That the eectot*
of the next election for members Of the Ligisl+
ture are hereby recommended to vote for Or
against Convention Resotyed further, That ~,
Secretary Of State is hereby directed to iucorpo..
ate, with the notice of general election 10 te
held in 1884 a notice OF the recommendalitta
herein made, with proper instructions as 10 tbs
mode OF compliance with said recommendations;
which was passed by two-thirds vote.
Assembly bill No. So: To be entitled an asa
to protect growing crops againgt the depredsr
tions OF stock running al large. was withdraw4,
Adjourned. t.
SATURDAY, February 10, 1883.
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