Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-01
The Florida Annexation.

We make the following synopsis from
the Montgomery Mail, of the terms and
conditions agreed upon by the Commits
sioners appointed by Alabama and
Florida to arrange for the cession OF
West Florida to Alabama. The items
agreed upon are in substance as follows :
lst. Conveys to the State of Alabama
the country in the State of Florida lying
west of the Apalachicola river.
I'd. Conveys to the State of Alabama
all the public lands in West Florida,
which consists of what is known as Sem
mary lands, the sixteenth section lands,
and swamp and overlooked lands, amount
ing in round numbers to about 800, 900
acres. These lands the State of Alabama
takes, subject to the trust now imposed
upon them-which trusts are for the ben
eft of West Florida exclusively, for the
purpose of schools and internal i'm
provements. The State of Florida has
authority to appropriate these lands for
the purpose of the trust until the annex
alton is complete, and guarantees the
titles of the State of Alabama perfectly
free and unembArrassed.
81. The State of Alabama, upon the
contamination of annexation, executes
it's bonds to the State of Florida for
81 ,000, 900, payable within thirty years,
at eight per cent interest. he
4lh. The officers Of West Florida retain
their offices until the expiration Of their
terms.
9th. The Governors Of the two States,
shall, within sixty days after the assent
Of Congress is given to this transfer, issue
their proclamstions declaring that juris.
diction over the coded territory has been
transferred to the State Of Alabama.
9th. Relates to the jurisdiction of the
courts of West Florida, as it may be
effected by the laws Of Alabama.
7th. A railroad from the Apalaohicola
river to Pensacola, or TO some point on
the Montgomery and Mobile railroad,
shall be entitled to the benefit Of the en-
dorsement law OF the State of Alabama
($l6. 900 per mile).
S,h. The Savannah and Gulf railroad
shall rot receive permission from the
State of Alabama, within three years, to
pass across the coded territory
9th. This agreement has no force until
it shall have been ratified by competent
authority Of the States Of Alabama and
Florida, and by Congress.
Something over 200 600 Of the public
lands mentioned in the second item, are
swamp and over flowed lands and internal
improvement lands, which were carefully
selected, aud are said to be very valuable.
The State Of Florida receives five per
cent. of the proceeds Of all Government
lends within its borders This per cent.
upon the Government lands in West
Florida is transferred to Alabama.
Under an imperfect revenue law, the
revenue realized last year from the terri.
tory proposed to be ceded amounted to
$3l 900. A more perfect law would have
brought perhaps $4,000. But as il was,
the rate Of taxation Of Alabama being
higher than that OF Florida, the sum re-
allied under our laws would have been
about $3s, $50.
The area Of the counties Of West Flor
ida is about ten thousand square miles,
with shore line on the Gulf of Mexico
of about one hundred and eighty miles.
Their productions are cotton, corn, rice,
tobacco, sugar, molssses and lumber.
Besides Apalachicola bay, which is very
much like Mobile bay, there are three
other harbors Of note in West Florida,
viz: Pensacola, the mos, commodious on
the gull, and easy of approach and en-
trance by vessels drawing twenty-four
feet OF water; 81. Joseph and St. Andrews.
both excellent harbors, and accessible BY
vessels drawing sixteen feet.