The Senate received the following message from the House. House of Representatives,

Jan. 16, 1840.

Extract from the minutes.

Mr. Meacham, moved that a committee be appointed by the House, to meet the committee on the part of the Senate, to contract for the printing of the Laws of the present Session of the Legislative Council.

Said motion prevailed, and Messrs. Meacham, McRaeny and Irwin. were appointed said committee.

Attest.

JAMES H. GIBSON, Clerk. Mr. English, presented a petition, which was referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Mills, introduced the following Resolution viz:

Resolved, That the Secretary furnish for the use of the members of the Senate, one copy each of the papers of the city during the Session.

Which was twice read (the rule being waived) and adopted. Mr. Duval, from the committee on the Judiciary, offered the following bills without amendments, viz:

A bill to be entitled, "an Act to prevent Duelling.

An Act to determine the fees of certain officers in this Territory, and for other purposes.

A bill to be entitled, "an Act to prohibit the introduction of slaves into this Territory for traffic or sale.

• An Act to repeal an act, granting appeals and writs of error in criminal cases.

And an Act to amend the several acts concerning Notaries Publick.

Which report was received, and said bills made the order for Monday.

Mr. Wright, from the committee on Finance, made the following report.

The committee on Finance and Banks, to whom were referred the Resolutions of the Senate of the United States, passed Dec. 30, 1839, in relation to the Florida Banks, have the honor to report that the obtaining of the information required by said resolutions, seems to your committee to be exclusively an executive duty-The Journals of the Legislative Council from which most of the information sought for must be derived, are in the custody of the Secretary of the Territory, as are also the annual reports of the Banks, it is supposed that a thorough investigation of the affairs of the several Banks, now in operation in the Territory, will be made by the Legislative Council in the course of its present session; when this shall have been done, it is probable that much of the required information will be supplied. This investigation will however be the work of

time.

Your committee therefore ask to be discharged from the further consideranon of the subject.

Winch report was concurred in.

The Senate then adjourned until Monday 12 o'clock.

MONDAY, JAN. 20th, 1840.

The Senate met pursuant to adjournment, and the proceedings Friday were read.

On motion of Mr. Mills, the documents relative to the claim of Benjamin G. Thornton, against this Territory, introduced into the Legislative Council at its last session, were rered to the state of the Territory.

Mr. Dupont, agreeable to previous notice, asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill to be entitled "An Act to repeal an act to amend an act concerning Dower," which was read a first and second time by its teller, and referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. Wright gives notice that he will, on some future day, ask leave to introduce a hill to be entitled" An Act to increase the namber of Senators, and to lay off the Territory into Senatorial Dricts."

Mr. Hart gives notice that he will, on some future day, ask leave to introduce a bill to authorize Cyrus Briggs to build a ferry across Nassau river.

On motion, a bill to be entitled "An Act to prevent Duelling." was made the order of the day for Wednesday, and thirty copies ordered to be printed.

On motion of Mr. Wight, a bill to be entitled "An Act to determine the fees of certain officers in this Territory, and for other purposes," was laid on the table.

The Senate went into committee of the whole on a bill to be entiled" An Act to prohibit the introduction of slaves into this territory for traffic or sale," Mr. Hart in in the Chair. After somethine spent in its consultation, the committee rose and reported the bill as amended. which was concurred in.

The bill was read a third time by its teller, and ordered to be engrosse i, and made the order of the day for to-morrow.

The House of Representatives sent to the Senate the following message.

Which were read and laid on the table.

་

H. Excellener the Governor transmitted to the Senate the following message, viz:

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
Tallahassee, Jan. 20th' 1840.

To the Hon. the Senate of the Territory of Florida.
I respectiblly submit to you,

I. The account current of the Treasurer of Florida.
II. A report of the Treasurer respecting school funds.
III. A report from the Cashier of the Union Bank.

ROBERT RAYMOND REID. Which was read and fifty copies ordered to be printed, with the accompanying documents.

Document No. I was referred to the Comittee on Finance, No 2 to the committee on the State of the Territory, No. 3 to the committee on Finance and Banks.

A bill to be entitled "An Act to repeal an act granting appeals and writs of error in criminal cases," was read a third ime and passed, ordered that the titie be as above.

An Act to amend the several acts concerning notaries public, was read a third time and passed, ordered that the title be as above.

The Senate went into secret sesson on Executive business. The Senate then adjourned until to-morrow.

TUESDAY, JAN. 21, 1840.

The Senate met pursuant ot adjournment, and the proceedings of yesterday were read.

Mr. Walker, agreeable to previous notice, asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill, to be entitled "An Act to authorize the Judges of the Superior Courts to hold extra terms for the trial of criminal cases," which was read a first and second time, and referred to the committee on the judiciary.

Also, a bill to be entitled "An Act to alter and fix the time of holding the Superior Courts of Walton county:' which was read a first and second time by its teller, and made the order of the day for to-morrow.

Mr. Hawkins gives notice that he will, on some future day, introduce a bill in relation to attachments.

Mr. Berthelot, agreeable to previous notice, asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill to be entitled. "An act to provide against the suspension of specie yayments by the banks of this Territory, which was read a first time, and written copies ordered.

Mr. Wright, agreeable to previous notice, asked and obtained leave to introduce a bill to be entitled an "an act to increase the number of Senators, and to lay off the Territory into Senatorial Districts, which was read a first and second time, and

referred to the committee on the State of the Territory, and written copies ordered.

Mr. Berthelott presented the petition of J. A. L. Norman, which was read and referred to a select committee.

Messrs. Berthelot, Wright, and Hart were appointed said

committee.

Mr. DuVal, from the joint select committee of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Legislative Council of Florida, to which was referred the duty to contract for the printing of the Laws of the present session, report, that they have had be:ore them the proposals of three printers for the publication of the laws of the present session, and J. B. Webb is the lowest bidder by fifty cents on each page. The committee have, therefore, agreed to accept Mr. Webb's proposals, and will proceed to take bond and security from him to execute his contract according to the terms he has offered, and submit the same for approval to the Legislative Council, which report was received.

An engrossed bill, entitled an act to prohibit the introduction of slaves into this Territory for traffic or sale, was read a third time, and put on its final passage, when the yeas and nays were called for, by Messrs. Berthelot and Mills, and were Yeas-Messrs. DuVal, Dupont, Hawkins and Walker. 4. Nays-Messrs. President, Berthelot, English, Hart, Mills and Wright, 6.

So the bill was lost.

His Excellency, the Governor, transmitted to the Senate the following message:

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, TALLAHAS SEE. JAN. 21, 1840. To the Hon. the Senate of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida.

I respectfully transmit to you the statiment and report made to me by the Auditor of the Treasury Department, with the accompanying documents.

ROBERT RAYMOND REID. Which was read and referred to the committee on the State of the Territory, and fifty copies ordered to be printed.

On motion, the Senate went into secret session on executive business.

On motion, the doors were opened, when

The Senate then adjourned until to-morrow.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22, 1840.

The Senate met pursuant to adjournment, and the proceedings of yesterday were read.

A bill entitled "an act to prevent duelling," was made the order of the day for to-morrow.

An engrossed bill, eutitled "an act to alter and fix the time of holding the Superior Courts of Walton county, was read a third time and passed-ordered that the title be as above.

Resolutions of Mr. Wright, relative to the investigation into the affairs of the banks of this Territory, were read a second time, and made the order of the day for to-morrow,

A bill to provide against the suspension of specie payments by the banks of this Territory, was read and referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

His Excellency the Governor, transmitted to the Senate the foliowing message:

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Tallahassee, Jan. 21, 1840.

To the Honorable the Senate of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida.

I respectfully transmit a copy of a letter just received from the President of the Southern Life Insurance and Trust Company.

ROBERT RAYMOND REID. REPORT.

Since the last annual statement furnished to the Executive of Florida, the business of the company has necessarily been dimited, the capital contributed by the stockholders having been previously loaned on bond and mortgage, or employed in facilitating the operations of trade; the exchanges of the country having become greatly deranged, and a determination on the part of the Trustees to continue specie payments, or give exchange at moderate rates for its notes and obligations, renders it necessary to reduce its circulation, always small, to a very low point, consequently but few of its notes have been issued during the last year, and those generally in transactions calculated to produce funds that would redeem them to the satisfaction of the holder.

It has been found difficult to make collections of interest, or of discounted local paper, except in notes of non-specie paying banks, and there again have necessarily been used in affording the requisite aid to traie, at the offices of this company in West Florida. Had the non-specie paying Banks of the South generally resumed specie payments in the auton of 1839, as was anticipated, instead of being joined in their policy by such as had previously resumed, it was the intention of the Trustees to