Gettysburg Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
October 9, 1822 Page 4
From the National Intelligencer
Florida
The Legislative Council of Florida appear to be diligently
engaged in the discharge of their duties. As the business
of their first session embraces, as far as practicable, the
enactment of a general code of laws for the Territory, it
is both important and arduous. Down to the 9th of August,
many bills had been under consideration, and some of the most
interesting had finally passed. Among the former were bills
to raise a revenue – to regulate civil proceeding and chancery
proceedings – to regulate damages on bills of exchange – to
establish inferior courts – to regulate descents – bills concerning
awards and arbitrator, proceedings on attachments – to prevent
frauds and perjuries – for the distribution of intestate estates
– for regulating executions, &c.
The bill providing for the election of a Delegate to Congress
had been matured and passed. By this bill the Council have
extended the right of suffrage to settlers, sailors and mariners,
in the public service. On this prime pie, however, the Council
was nearly divided, a motion being made to exclude the description
of persons from voting for a Delegate to Congress, it was
rejected by the casting vote of the President, Mr. Bronaugh.
The members in favour of granting the privilege, were Messrs,
Gaither, Hanham, Miller and White; and against it were Messrs
Calf, Law, Murray and Reynolds.
The territory has been, by one of the acts, divided into four
counties – in the East, St. John’s and Duval – in the West,
Escambia and Jackson.
The following resolution was adopted by the Council on the
9th of August, and a committee appointed to draft a memorial
accordingly.
Resolved by the Legislative Council of the territory of Florida,
that a respectable memorial ought to be addressed to the President
of the United States, upon the subjects of general interest
to the inhabitants of this territory, and particularly to
request His Excellency to direct the officers of the engineer
corps, who are expected shortly to make a survey of Tampa
bay, by order of the Secretary of War, to explore the interior
of the country, and report to the Governor of this territory
the most eligible place for the permanent seat of government
and to lay out the nearest practicable road from St. Augustine
to the place designated, and from thence to Pensacola.
[Submitted
by Nancy Piper]
