On motion, leave of absence was granted to Mr. Mathers for a few days.

On motion of Mr. Pelot, the resolution laid on the table, on yesterday on his motion, in relation to Stationery, for the use of the Senate chamber, &c., was taken up, and placed amongst the orders of the day.

Also, the Joint resolution from the House of Representatives, in relation to the compensation of certain officers, of the last Legislative Council, was, on motion of Mr. Pelot, taken from the table, and placed amongst the orders of the day.

Mr. Long gave notice, that he shall on some future day, ask leave to introduce a bill to be entitled, An Act respecting Executions, Mr. Haughton gives notice, that he will on to-morrow, ask leave to introduce a bill, for the relief of Reuben Scott.

Mr. Smith pursuant to notice given, asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act to enable the Union Bank of Florida, and others, more readily to collect their debts. Which was read. Mr. Pelot offered the following preamble and resolution. Which was read.

WHEREAS, the Legislative Council, of the Territory of Florida, at its session in 1841, appointed and requested the Hon. William Marvin, to revise the laws of this Territory:

AND WHEREAS, such appointment was accepted, the work undertaken, completed and submitted to the Legislature in 1843:

Be it therefore resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Territory of Florida, That a Joint Select Committee of two members from each House be appointed to wait on the Hon. William Marvin, to confer with him about the amount necessary to compensate him for his services, and to report as early as practicable. Mr. Cooper offered the following Resolution:

Resolved, That the regular hour for the meeting of the Senate be at eleven o'clock, A. M. Which was read.

The Preamble and Resolution in relation to the Public Lands, offered by Mr. Pelot on yesterday, were read a second time.

66

Mr. Livingston moved to amend, by striking out after the word sale," the words "more than one year."

Which amendment was accepted by the mover.

Mr. Haughton moved to amend the Preamble, by striking out after the word "homes" all to the word "want," inclusive. Which was rejected.

The Preamble and Resolution, as amended, were ordered to be engrossed for a third reading on to-morrow.

The Preamble and Resolution offered on yesterday by Mr. Cooper, asking an appropriation by Congress for clearing out the obstructions in the Suwannee River, were read a second time, and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading on to-morrow.

A bill entitled, An Act concerning Executions, was read a second time, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and fifty copies ordered to be printed.

A bill entitled, An Act in addition to the acts regulating Judicial Proceedings, was read a second time, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and fifty copies ordered to be printed.

The Resolution offered by Mr. Pelot, in relation to Stationery for the use of the Senate Chamber, &c., was read a second time. Mr. Livingston offered the following as a substitute :

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate furnish the members of this House with such Stationery as they may require, and keep an account of the same.

Mr. Yonge offered the following as a substitute for the substitute: Resolved, That each member of the Senate purchase such Stationery as he may require for his use in the Senate Chamber and for his room, and, at the end of the session, certify to the correctness of the said account.

The question of reception was taken on Mr. Yonge's substitute for the substitute offered by Mr. Livingston, and rejected, and the question recurred on the reception of the substitute offered by Mr. Livingston for the the original resolution, on which the yeas and nays were called for by Messrs. Livingston and Cooper, and were: YEAS-Mr. President, Messrs. Livingston, Long, Ramsay, Walker, Yonge-6.

NAYS-Messrs. Cooper, Hart, Haughton, Pelot, Smith-5.

So the substitute offered by Mr. Livingston was received, and on the question of its passage the same was rejected.

And on motion of Mr. Pelot the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, 12 o'clock.

THURSDAY, January 18th, 1844.

The Senate met pursuant to adjournment. A quorum of members being present, the journal of yesterday was read and approved. Mr. Yonge gave notice that, on a future day he will introduce a bill to be entitled, An Act in addition to, and amendatory of the several acts in relation to Divorce;

Also, an act in relation to Ferries.

Mr. Haughton, in pursuance of notice given on yesterday, asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill, entitled, An Act for the relief of Reuben Scott;

Which was read.

Mr. Walker presented the petition of Susan Dozier, of Leon County, praying to be divorced from her husband, Benjamin Dozier :

Which was read, and referred to the Select Committee created on the petition of James Long, on the same subject.

ORDERS OF THE DAY.

The Preamble and Resolutions offered by Mr. Long in relation to the removal of the seat of the Territorial Government, were taken up and read a second time.

Mr. Long moved to fill the blank with the word Marianna. Mr. Pelot moved a reference of the Preamble and Resolutions to the Committee on the State of the Territory.

Mr. Hart moved that the Senate go into Committee of the Whole on the said Preamble and Resolutions. Whereupon the Senate resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole, Mr. Yonge in the Chair, and after some time spent therein, the Committee rose, and Mr. Yonge reported the Preamble and Resolutions without amend

ment.

Mr. Long renewed his motion to fill the blank with the word Marianna. Which motion failed.

Mr. Pelot moved their reference to the Committee on the State of the Territory, but after some conversation, withdrew his motion.

On a motion of Mr. Yonge to lay the whole subject on the table, Mr. Walker moved to amend by adding, "until the fourth Monday of June next," which motion to amend was ruled out of order, and the said Preamble and Resolutions were laid on the table, on Mr. Yonge's motion.

The Preamble and Joint Resolution offered on yesterday by Mr. Pelot, in relation to the revision of the Territorial laws, were read a second time, and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading to

morrow.

The Resolution offered by Mr. Cooper, on yesterday, appointing a regular hour for the meeting of the Senate, was read a second time and passed, in the following words:

Resolved, That the regular hour for meeting of the Senate, be at 11 o'clock, A. M.

The Joint Resolution from the House of Representatives, in relation to compensation to certain officers of the last Session of the Legislative Council, was read a third time, and on motion of Mr. Pelot, was recommitted to a Committee of the Whole, Mr. Yonge in the Chair.

After some time spent therein, the Committee of the Whole rose, and Mr. Yonge reported the resolution with the following amend

ment :

After the words, "Hugh Archer, Secretary of the House," insert, "and other officers of the Senate and House of Representatives." Which was adopted, and the resolution, as amended, ordered for a third reading to-morrow.

A bill entitled, An Act to re-organize Wakulla County, was received from the House of Representatives, and read the first time. A Joint Resolution from the House of Representatives, in relation to the Census Returns, was read the first time.

A Joint Resolution from the House of Representatives, relating to Roads in Nassau County, was read the first time.

On motion the Senate adjourned until 11 o'clock to-morrow morning, being hereafter the regular morning hour for the mecting of the Senate.

FRIDAY, January 19th, 1844.

The Senate met pursuant to adjournment. A quorum of members being present, the Journal of yesterday was read.

Mr. Smith moved to amend the Journal. The bill introduced by him to enable the Union Bank of Florida and others more readily to collect their debts, had its second reading on yesterday, and was referred to a Select Committee, and fifty copies ordered to be printed. This fact did not appear on the proceedings of yesterday. The Journal was accordingly amended.

Mr. Pelot also moved to amend the Journal. The motion which he made to refer the Preamble and Resolutions of Mr. Long, in relation to the removal of the seat of the Territorial Government, to the Committee on the State of the Territory, was lost. This fact does not appear on the Journal. And the motion made, after coming out of Committee of the Whole, was for their reference to a Select Committee, instead of the Committee on the State of the Territory. Which corrections were made, and the Journal was then approved.

Mr. Haughton gives notice that he will, at a future day, ask leave to introduce a bill entitled, An Act to change the time of holding the Superior Courts in Leon and Gadsden Counties.

Mr. Hart presented the following Preamble and Resolutions, which were read:

WHEREAS, present indications admonish us, in the most significant manner, of the necessity of preserving a just balance of power or influence between the slaveholding and non-slaveholding States, and make it most manifest that the true interest of the South generally, as well as of Florida, require that the Floridas should come into the Union as two States, whenever they are admitted; and to that end, as well as for convenience, better government and general welfare of the people of this Territory in the meantime, the division of the Territory, and the establishment of two separate Territorial Governments, would be highly proper and satisfactory to the people:

It seems to be suggested by its practicability and expediency, and because it is strongly promotive of Southern policy and tends to our own political good. Each of the Territories are much larger than several of the States, and each capable of receiving and sustaining a much larger population. The present union appears to be unnatural, and their geographical position will present a State of a most awkward shape, creating a controversy and confliction of interests which will forever destroy that harmony so essential to the prosperity of a political body. This seems to have been the view taken of the Floridas by every other government which has had dominion over them.

Originally, as Spanish Provinces, and were independent of each other. by Spain to Great Britain in 1763.

they were separately governed In this way they were ceded They continued separate Pro

vinces under that Goverument; and when they were re-ceded by Great Britain to Spain in 1783, no change was made.

By the Treaty of Cession in 1819, between Spain and the United States, they were ceded to the latter as separate Territories, known as East and West Florida. The Government of the United States seems to have regarded them in this light; for, immediately after their cession, although Gen. Jackson, clothed with the authority of Captain General of Cuba, was appointed to govern them; yet two separate officers, denominated Lieutenant Governors, were appointed to each of these Provinces, and their present union was originally a measure only of temporary convenience.

It is most manifest that the Treaty does not contemplate the admission of the Floridas as one State, but in language that cannot be misunderstood, it secures to the inhabitants of each of these Territories the right of admission as separate States, as soon as shall be be consistent with the principles of the Federal Constitution.

Therefore, be it resolved by the Governor and the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, That our Delegate in Congress do urge, and use his utmost exertion to procure the passage of a law dividing the Territory of Florida, and establishing two separate Territorial Governments, to be called respectively East Florida and West Florida-commencing on the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Suwannee River, and running up the main branch of said River to the Georgia line; and all east of said River to constitute the Territory of East Florda, and all west of said River to constitute the Territory of West Florida.

And be it further resolved, That after this preamble and resolutions shall have passed the Senate and House of Representatives, and have been signed by the Governor, copies of the same be made and duly authenticated by the proper officers, and one copy be sent to our Delegate in Congress, one to the President of the United States, one to the President of the Senate, and one to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States.

ORDERS OF THE DAY.

A Resolution from the House of Representatives, in relation to compensation of certain officers of the last Legislative Council, which had been amended in Coinmittee of the Whole, was read a third time and passed.

A bill for the relief of Reuben Scott was read a second time, and referred to a Select Committee, consisting of Messrs. Haughton, Livingston and Hart.

The engrossed Preamble and Resolution, respecting Judge Marvin's Code, were read a third time and passed, and Messrs. Pelot and Smith appointed the Committee on the part of the Senate.

The Joint Resolution from the House of Representatives, relating to the Census Returns, were read a second time, and referred to the Committee on the State of the Territory.

The Joint Resolutions from the House of Representatives, re