Members of the assembly are chosen for two years and senators for four years. The governor is elected for four years. He is required to be a qualified elector, and to have been a citizen of the United States nine years and of Florida three years next preceding the time of his election. A lieutenant governor is elected, whose term of office and eligibility are the same as those of the governor. The governor is assisted by a cabinet of administrative officers, consisting of a secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller, treasurer, surveyor general, superintendent of public instruction, adjutant general, and commissioner of immigration. These officers are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate, and hold office the same time as the governor, or until their successors shall be qualified. The governor is required to appoint in each county, with the consent of the senate, an assessor of taxes and collector of revenue, a county treasurer, county surveyor, superintendent of common schools, and five county commissioners, each of whom shall hold office for two years. Such officers are subject to removal by the governor, but only for wilful neglect of duty, a violation of the criminal laws of the state, or for incompetency.

The governor and cabinet constitute a board of commissioners of state institutions, with supervision of all matters connected therewith. The judicial power is vested in a supreme court, circuit courts, county courts, and justices of the peace. All judges are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate; justices of the peace are also appointed by the governor. The supreme court judges hold office for life or during good behavior; those of the circuit courts for eight and of the county courts for four years. The supreme court consists of a chief justice and two associates, and holds three terms annually in Tallahassee. There are seven circuit courts, each having one judge. In addition to the usual functions, the county courts have full 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 appointed 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 conferred 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 intention 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 constitution provides that "institutions for the benefit 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 established. 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, etc. 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 disbursements 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 printing, $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 Jacksonville, Mobile, and Pensacola railroad. In addition to this there was a floating debt of $224,827. The constitution requires the legislature 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 general 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 purposes; gifts by individuals, and the appropriations 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 purposes; 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 common school fund must be distributed among the several counties in proportion to the number of children between the ages of 4 and 21 years. Each county is required to raise annually by tax a sum not less than one half the amount apportioned for the common school fund.

Any school district neglecting to establish 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 support 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.