The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-12-27
Brooksvfle Crescent, Dec. 1Ol
catering Oat Improved Lands.

DEUuAbFuAc OfvDC5nt, IcC. AVI
Catering Dat Improved Lands.
Last Spring many Of our citizens residing on
State lands complied with the law requiring
them 10 give In their Improvements for taxation,
under pledge from the State that they would
be protected in their rights, and allowed TO buy
in their lands at State prices within twelve
months. or given twelve months notification of
application TO enter the lands by other parties.
Between the assessment and collection of
taxes there has been quite an interim, during
which 1t was impossible for the settler, who had
given in his improvements for assessment, 10
pay taxes on them, and receive receipts for such
payment from the collector.
Information teaches US that parties in Talla-
hassee, during this interim, have apparently tx
amined the tax books, and are now entering out
settled places ON State lands. One or two cases
have come TO our knowledge, where persons 50
situated, having given in their Improvements,
have been entered out by parties in Tallahassee.
This conveys strong suspicion that spectators.
are using the tax boOks To obtain Information by
which they are defrauding poor but honest peO-
pie of their hard labor. II Is the duty of the
State TO protect these settlers in their rights,
they having complied with the requirements of
the law, 50 far as they were able. II is hoped
that the officers Of the government at the capital
will take immediate steps 10 guard and defend
the interests of those VINO, by complying with
the demand OF the government, have made them
selves liable TO be defrauded by lantlsharks, lying
in wait 10 lay dishonest hands upon whatever
comes within reach of their greedy grasp. If
this Is not done, the act requiring the giving in
OF improvements will Cause incalculable harm
and misfortune Ia u class of our population, who
are honest, Woodworking, worthy citizens, but
limited In means. and who cannot afford TO be
unbushingly Iobbcd of their small possessions
which their own Industry has secured to them.
TOturn people out of house and home because
they have wiihingenuous integrity complied with
law, 10 atrocious injustice.
We have made inquiry at the Comp
troller's Office where the tax-books are
deposited, (which have only been received
within the past two months or thereabouts)
and find that only too persons have ex-
amined the books for the present year.
One of these was looking into his own
tax return from Alachua and Columbia
counties-the other was examining the
return of a person living in New York,
who was endeavoring to sell some land of
which he had long been the owner in this
State, as well as looking for a return of
land belonging, to himself in Manatee,
which had been sold for taxes. We are
assured that these are the only instances
in which the tax-books have been exam
ined since they were received, and it dis
poses of the statement of the Crescent
that "parties in Tallahassee are doing
this thing for the purpose of entering
out settled places on State lands"
We have heard of few persons in this
section who have entered land in South
Florida, but they have done so on their
own Judgment aud not after consulting
the tax-boOks. In one instance, TO which
the Crescent probably refers, the entry
was made on the 18th of October while
the tax-book from fernando was not re-
ceived at the Capitol until the I'd of
November. This entry was made from
the feld-notes in the U. s. Surveyor
Generals Office. In our opinion no per-
son should be allowed to enter out settler
who has given in his improvements for
taxation, neither do we believe that such
entering out" would be permitted at the
land Office if that department knew that
the land sought to be thus entered was
already occupied. But how 10 the land
Ofhce 70 know who are squatters on the
public lands i? The act which the CTes-
cent criticises is defective in that it does
not require any notice to be given to the
land ONCE that the Occupier has returned
bis improvements for taxation. The only
evidence Of this fact the law requires to
" furnished Is ! duplicate tax receipt
and Of course, as the CTescent says, dur
ing the interim between assessment and
the payment of taxes, the settler is liable
70 Be entered out without his fault, or
The fault Of the land department for that
matter, since the department does not
know who Is or who Is not squatter and
entitled 10 the benefit Of the law, and
cannot know until the tax receipt is for
Warded. This was . grave omission in
the law; and while We do not believe
hat|any good citizen would take advan-
tage Of il and knowingly enter out Set
tier, there ar persons no doubt who would
gladly do 20. Florida Is not wanting in
land sharks = Who win grab land wher-
ever shsy think there u something % b
isislt by Il ragasdlsas Of the rights Of
otkStn
n Csspgst aeys.
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