Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/291

 FLOKIDA 283 surrogate or probate powers, but subject to appeal. Besides the above mentioned, the legislature may establish courts for municipal purposes only in incorporated towns and cities. A state attorney in each judicial district is ap- pointed by the governor with the consent of the senate ; also in each county a sheriff and clerk of the circuit court, who shall also be clerk of the county court and board of county commissioners, recorder, and ex officio auditor of the county, each of whom shall hold office for four years. The right of suffrage is con- ferred upon every male person of the age of 21 years and upward, provided he be a citizen of the United States or has declared his inten- tion to become such, and has resided in Florida for one year, and in the county where his vote is offered for six months next preceding the election. The salary of the governor is $5,000 a year; of the lieutenant governor, $2,500; of cabinet officers, $3,000 ; of justices of the supreme court, $4,000, and of the circuit court, $3,500. Florida is entitled to two senators and two representatives in congress. Provision is made for a state census to be taken in 1875 and every tenth year thereafter. The consti- tution provides that "institutions for the bene- fit of the insane, blind, and deaf, and such other institutions as the public good may require, shall be fostered and supported by the state;" but no such institutions have yet been estab- lished. The penitentiary at Chattahoochee contained in 1873 an average of 43 convicts; they are employed under contract outside the prison. The total cost of maintaining the prison in 1872 was $20,078. The total assessed value of real estate in 1870 was $20,197,691, and of personal estate $12,283,152. The true value of real and personal estate was $44,163,- 655. The total taxation not national was $496,166, including $248,768 state, $168,389 county, and $79,009 town, city, &c. The total receipts into the state treasury during the fiscal year were $192,489, of which $175,467 were from general taxes, $14,096 from licenses, and $2,926 from miscellaneous sources. The dis- bursements amounted to $295,078, of which $23,942 were for the executive department, $78,337 for the legislature, $82,697 for the judiciary, $18,559 for schools and educational purposes, $7,663 for interest, $14,333 for print- ing, $16,982 for the penitentiary, $4,923 for the militia, and $47,642 for contingent and miscellaneous expenses. The bonded debt, Jan. 1, 1873, was $5,619,973, including bonds to the amount of $4,000,000 issued to the Jack- sonville, Mobile, and Pensacola railroad. In addition to this there was a floating debt of $224,827. The constitution requires the legis- lature to provide a uniform system of common schools and a university for the free education of all children. The general supervision of the educational interest of the state is intrusted to a superintendent of public instruction, who with the secretary of state and attorney gen- eral constitutes the board of education for the state. The common school fund is derived from the proceeds of all lands granted to the state by the United States for educational pur- poses ; gifts by individuals, and the appropria- tions by the state ; escheated and forfeited lands; money paid for exemption from military duty ; all fines collected under the penal laws of the state; such portion of the per capita tax as may be prescribed by law for educational pur- poses ; and 25 per cent, of the sales of public lands by the state. In addition to the other means provided, a special tax of not less than one mill on the dollar of all taxable property in the state is required to be levied. The com- mon school fund must be distributed among the several counties in proportion to the num- ber of children between the ages of 4 and 21 years. Each county is required to raise an- nually by tax a sum not less than one half the amount apportioned for the common school fund. Any school district neglecting to es- tablish and maintain for at least three months in the year such schools as are required by law, forfeits its portion of the common school fund. The amount of the school fund in 1873 was $281,785. The whole number of schools in the state was 444, and of pupils 16,258. About one fourth of the school population were enrolled in the public schools. The average duration of school was four and two thirds months. Florida is singularly deficient in institutions for advanced instruction. Lands have been granted by the general government, amounting in 1873 to 85,714 acres, for the sup- port of two seminaries in East and West Florida. In 1872 the Florida state agricultural college was incorporated, which is designed to afford educational facilities to the working classes and prepare them for agricultural and mechanical pursuits. According to the census of 1870, the whole number of libraries was 253, with an aggregate of 112,928 volumes. Of these 178, with 87,554 volumes, were private. There were in the state 23 newspapers and periodi- cals, with a total circulation of 10,545 ; annu- ally issued, 649,220 copies : 2 were tri-weekly, circulation 820 ; 1 semi-weekly, circulation 300; and 23 weekly, circulation 9,425. The total number of religious organizations was 420, having 390 edifices, with 78,920 sittings, and property valued at $426,520, as follows : DENOMINATION. Organi- zations. Edi- fices. Sittings. Property. Baptist 127 123 21100 $53,460 Episcopal (Protestant) Methodist. .... 17 235 18 215 . 4,600 42,600 71,100 140,700 1 1 50 150 Presbyterian 29 29 6,620 70,310 Roman Catholic 10 9 3,950 90,800 Total 419 390 78,920 $426,520 The name of Florida (which signifies the florid or flowery, and was given by the Span- iards in allusion to the aspect of the country, and partly also because it was first visited by