Page:Journal of Florida Secession Convention.djvu/54

 2nd. That all persons who, at the date of this Ordinance, hold office in the State of Florida, under the Government of the late United States, connected with the mail service, whether as post-masters, or in any other way, be, and they are hereby continued in office under the Government of this State, until otherwise provided under the authority of this Convention, or until their several offices shall have been abolished or vacated by proclamation by the Chief Magistrate of the State of Florida; and all persons so holding office shall receive the same compensation and emoluments for their service as they are now entitled to; and all vacancies in their respective offices, whether occurring by death, resignation, or otherwise, shall be filled, until otherwise provided, by the Governor of the State, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, when in session. 3d. That the several mail routes which lie in whole or in part in the State of Florida, or in its adjacent waters, and the contracts now subsisting for carrying the mails thereon, be and they are hereby continued until otherwise provided under the authority of this Convention, or until, by proclamation by the Chief Magistrate of the State of Florida, they shall be suspended or discontinued; and that all amounts falling due under said contracts be paid out of any moneys in the Treasury of the State of Florida not otherwise appropriated. 4th. That the General Assembly of the State of Florida do provide for the appointment or election of a competent person who shall, for the State of Florida, discharge all the duties heretofore performed by the Post Master General of the United States, so far as the same may be applicable to a single State, subject however to such modifications as the said General Assembly may prescribe, and whose duty especially it shall be to negotiate with the proper authorities of the States of South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, for the joint payment of the expense of transporting the mails over such routes as may have one of their termini in either of said States and the other in Florida. 5th. That the General Assembly of Florida shall have power to repeal, alter, or amend any act of Congress in relation to postal affairs, herein declared to be in force in this State; to abolish any Post Office established by and under the authority of the late Federal Government; to dispense with any existing mail route or contract; to adopt new laws, create new offices, establish new mail routes, and authorize the letting of new contracts, as may from time to time be required by the mail service in this State. Respectfully submitted, J. M. DANIEL, Chairman. Which was received and placed on the table.