BEGUN AND HELD AT THE CAPITOL, IN THE CITY OF TALLA- Tallahassee : OFFICE OF THE FLORIDIAN AND JOURNAL. PRINTED BY DYKE & CARLISLE. 1859. JOURNAL. MONDAY, November 28th, 1859. The House of Representatives of the General Assembly of Florida met at 12 o'clock this day, in pursuance of the adjournment of the two Houses on the 15th of January last. The roll was called-a quorum not present. Mr. Barrett presented the credentials of Stephen R. White, member elect from the counties of Madison, La Fayette and Taylor, to supply the vacancy created by the resignation of W. H. Pope. Whereupon the oath of office was administered to Mr. White by F. C. Barnett, Esq., Notary Public. On motion, the House adjourned until to-morrow morning, 11 o'clock, TUESDAY, November 29th, 1859. The House met pursuant to adjournment. On calling the roll the following gentlemen answered to their pames, to-wit: Mr. Speaker, Messrs. Barrett, Bird, Bissell, Brinson, Campbell, Church, Coffee, Davidson, Erwin, Evans, Frink, Hughey, Hunt, Kenan, Manning, Mickler, Munn, Peacock, Richardson, Robinson, Smith, Starke, Vogt, White, Whitfield and Williams of Leon. So there was a quorum present. The Rev. Mr. Blake officiated as chaplain. A committee from the Senate appeared at the bar of the House and announced that the Senate had re-assembled and were prepared for the transaction of business. On motion of Mr. Davidson, a committee consisting of Messrs. Davidson, Church and Erwin, were appointed to wait on the Senate and inform them that the House has met in pursuance of adjournment and is prepared for the dispatch of business. The committee having performed that duty were discharged. On motion of Mr. Williams of Leon, a committee consisting of Messrs. Williams of Leon, Barrett and Bird, were appointed to meet a similar committee from the Senate to wait on his Excellency the Governor, and inform him that the two Houses of the General Assembly have re-assembled and are ready to receive any communication which he may have to lay before them. Mr. Barrett presented the certificates of Samuel R. Sessions, member elect of New River County, and Mr. A. J. Smiley of Columbia County, and moved that they be referred to a select committee of five. The Speaker announced the following gentlemen as members composing said committee, viz: Messrs. Barrett, Williams of Leos, Davidson, Frink and Munu. The committee to join a committee of the Senate and wait upon his Excellency the Governor, having performed that duty were discharged. On motion of Mr. Williams of Leon, It was ordered that fifty copies of the Rules of the House be printed for the use of the members. Mr. Williams of Leon moved that the Standing Committees of the House be reorganized; Which motion was adopted. The following gentlemen gave notice of intention to introduce bills. at some future day: By Mr. Kenan : A bill to be entitled an act in addition to an act concerning Dower. By Mr. Church: A bill to be entitled an act to change the name of Andrew J. Revells of Madison County, to that of Andrew J. Duncan. By Mr. Williams of Leon: A bill to be entitled an act to exempt one Slave from Execution. By Mr. Bird: A bill to be entitled an act to empower Minor Walker of Jefferson County, to assume the management of his own estate. By Mr. Barrett: A bill to be entitled an act for the better Government of Free Negroes in this State. The following communication was received from the Governor: Gentlemen of the Senate and House of Representatives: You are assembled at the Capitol by virtue of your resolution of adjournment in January last, and I meet you now with the same interest as when it was plainly my duty to do so, at the commencement of the term fixed and pre scribed by the Constitution, hoping that the continuation of your labors may result in much good to the State. Circumstances have transpired since the adjournment of the Legislature, and measures have suggested themselves to my mind not embraced in my annual message, to which I invite your attention, in obedience to that clause in the Constitution which makes it the duty of the Executive to give to the General Assembly information of the state of the Government and recommend to their consideration such measures as he may deem expedient. OFFICIAL REPORTS. I invite your attention to the official reports of the Comptroller and Treasurer as to the financial condition of the State. By reference to the report of the Comptroller, it will be seen that the receipts from the various sources for the fiscal year 1859 are $106,022 35, and that the amount of warrants issued during same period is $104,879 12. The finances of the State will require at your hands a rigid scrutiny into all the appropriations by the Legislature. The increased expenditures of the government are disproportioned to the increase of population, and the alternative of retrenchment or increased taxation is presented. The current expense for criminal prosecutions is largely on the increase, as well as that of jurors and witnesses, and should be reduced, if consistent with a proper enforcement of the laws and administration of justice. STATE LOAN. By virtue of the authority vested in me by "An act to provide for the payment of the debts of the State," and the amendment thereto, I negotiated a loan for the State in the cities of Charleston and Savannah, through the agency of Col. John W. Pearson, of two hundred and forty-one thousand three hundred dollars, the greater part of which has been disbursed in payment of claims for services ren |