Florida Constitutional Amendments of 1871

Amendments, General Assembly, 1871:

Ratification of Articles I - IX,

for submission to people at election.

Proclamation by Governor reporting adopting of Amendments approved by Assembly in 1870, ratified in 1871, and approved at election of April 4, 1871.

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A JOINT RESOLUTION

Agreeing to, Ratifying and Confirming Amendments to the State Constitution.

Whereas, The first Legislature, under the Constitution of A. D. 1868, of the State of Florida, did in due form, by a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each of the two Houses, propose and agree to amendments of said Constitution as follows:

ARTICLE I.

The salary of the Governor of the State shall be three thousand five hundred dollars per annum; that of each Justice of the Supreme Court shall be three thousand dollars; that of each Judge of the Circuit Courts shall be two thousand five hundred dollars; that of each Cabinet officer shall be two thousand dollars; that of the Lieutenant Governor shall be five hundred dollars, and he shall receive the same mileage as members of the Legislature. The pay of members of the Legislature shall be a per diem, to be fixed by law, for each day's actual attendance, and in addition thereto ten cents per mile for traveling expenses for each mile from their respective places of residence to the Capital, estimated by the shortest thoroughfare, and the same to return. All other officers of the State shall be paid by fees or per diem, fixed by law. No Legislature shall increase its own pay.

ARTICLE II.

The offices of Surveyor General and Commissioner of Immigration are hereby consolidated under the name of Commissioner of Lands and Immigration.

ARTICLE III.

The thirteenth section [Section 13] of the Sixth Article [Article VI] of the Constitution is hereby abrogated.

ARTICLE IV.

The number of terms of the Supreme Court, and the time of holding the same, shall be fixed by law.

ARTICLE V.

The Legislature shall have power to prescribe regulations for calling into the Supreme Court a judge of the circuit court, to hear and determine any matter pending before the court, in the place of any justice thereof who shall be disqualified or disabled in such case from interest or other cause:

And enter the same on the respective journals thereof with the yeas and nays thereon, and refer the same to the Legislature then next to be chosen, and the same having been published, as provided by law, for three months previous to the time of making the choice of this the second Legislature under said Constitution; therefore,

The people of the State of Florida, represented in Senate and Assembly, do resolve as follows: That the said amendments aforesaid, and each of them, are hereby ratified, agreed to, and confirmed, and the same shall be submitted to the people separately for their approval, as this Legislature shall provide.

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AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

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Proclamation by the Governor.

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To all whom these presents shall come, greeting:

Whereas, the First Legislature under the Constitution of A. D. 1868, of the State of Florida, did, in due form by a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each of the two Houses, propose and agree to certain amendments to said Constitution, and did cause the same to be entered on the respective journals thereof, with the yeas and nays taken thereon, and did refer the same to the Legislature chosen at the general election now last past, and did cause the same to be published as provided by law for three months previous to such election; and whereas, The Legislature chosen at such election, to wit: This, the Second Legislature under said Constitution, has, by a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each House thereof, agreed to, ratified and confirmed the following of said amendments, to wit:

ARTICLE I.

ARTICLE II.

The offices of Surveyor General and Commissioner of Immigration are hereby consolidated under the name of Commissioner of Lands and Immigration.

ARTICLE III.

The thirteenth section [Section 13] of the Sixth Article [Article VI] of the Constitution is hereby abrogated.

ARTICLE IV.

The number of terms of the Supreme Court, and the time of holding the same, shall be fixed by law.

ARTICLE V.

Whereas, The Legislature of 1871, at its regular session of that year did, by act approved January 28, 1871, provide for the submission and ratification or rejection of said amendments by the people of the State of Florida, at an election to be held on the fourth day of April, of said year 1871; and whereas, Said election was duly held and the result thereof duly canvassed by the Board of State Canvassers, and certified to the Executive office as provided in said act last mentioned; and whereas, It appears from such certificate that each and every of said amendments were duly ratified and approved by the people of this the said State of Florida;

Now, therefore, I, Harrison Reed, Governor of the State of Florida, in accordance with the requirement of said act last mentioned, do hereby, by this my proclamation, declare that each and every of said amendments were duly approved and ratified by the people of the State of Florida, and that the same are each and every of them part of the Constitution of the State of Florida.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused

[L. S.] the Great Seal of the State to be affixed at Tallahassee,

the Capital, this fifteenth day of May, A. D. 1871.

(Signed) HARRISON REED,

Governor of Florida.

Attest:

(Signed) JONATHAN C. GIBBS,

Secretary of State.

I, Samuel B. McLin, Secretary of State of the State of Florida, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the original on file in the office of the Secretary of State.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed

[L. S.] the Great Seal of the State at Tallahassee, the Capital,

this twenty-ninth day of May, A. D. 1874.

SAMUEL B. McLIN,

Secretary of State.