The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-06-28

are as follows First the absolute sale of 4OOO,-
600 acres Of the public domain OF the State 10
| responsible purchaser for the sum OF 100000 |
cash. Second, deeds are to be made for $50 600 |
acres upon the payment Of 100000, and 80 on |
until the last payment is made. Third, the sec |
ond payment of $500, 900 70 be made on the first |
| of September next the third payment ON the
first of November next and the last payment on
the first Of January next, so that the entire trans
action will be closed and all the payments made
during the present year. Fourth, the Board
keeps the lands on the market, so that sales at
the regular schedule prices will go on as hereto
fore. Fifth, the purchasers secure the right to
select from the lands donated to the State by the
Act of Congress of September %, 1850, not the
lands commonly known as the Internal Improve
ment lands, as some seem to have supposed
Sixth should the purchasers make default in any
| payment, the money paid in up TO the period Of
default is to be retained by the Board, and lands
conveyed TO them 10 the amount of payments
made al the regular schedule prices.
AS we have heretofore stated the sale has our
heartiest endorsement as financial transaction
in every way meeting the peculiar exigencies of
the case. Indeed, under all the circumstances
it is difficult 10 see how the Board could have
done otherwise to accomplish the purpose in
view. The debt against the Fund already
amounted to some 5000 900, and was constantly
increasing, in effect bearing compound interest
The expenses of litigation, added to the i6erest,
annually increased the debt, Notwithstanding the
large sales Of land and the application of the
proceeds to its payment. The natural and in
evitable result would have been the entire alb
sorption of the lands belonging to the Fund in
few years, leaving nothing for internal improve
ments.
Besides all this, the creditors cognizant OF
these facts, were preparing 10 apply to the courts
to have the entire Fund and all its interests turn
ed over TO them, or to have some five or six mil
lions of acres set apart and decided to them in
satisfaction of their claims Had the Trustees
remained quiet and allowed this to be done they
would have been justly subject to censure; but,
like business men, they set to work to save the
Fund from utter wreck. as merchant would do
by selling off portion of his stock {" at COST" to
liquidate pressing demand, the enforcement of
which would have been total ruin. They have
sold off portion of the property belonging to the
! Fund for an amount amply suficientto liquilate
all demands against it, and yet leave some g.
100000 or 100000 acres of the lands free of in.
cumbrance. TO be devoted to works of internal
improvement as originally contemplated in the
grant of the same to the State. In addition 10
this, when the Trustees shall have realized upon
their claims against the Jacksonville, Pensacola
and Mobile Railroad, now in judgment and in a
i fair way soon to become available, they will have
besides the proceeds of sales of lands, several
hundred thousand dollars in the hands of their
y Treasurer.
I The idea of selling off sufficient portion Of
the public lands to pay off the Indebtedness
against them is not new one, by any means
n Governor Searns administration labored to &C
Il complsh this end and mol less notable parsonage
e than Hon. Reverdy johnson of Maryland was
: appointed as the agent of the State to visit Eu
: rope and the great centres of capital in the
: North, with tile purpose of effecting a similar
a sale. Governor Drew, soon after he came into
Office, recognized The necessity of such method
e of freeing the fund.- and he appointed Mr.. Sam
uel A. Swami OF Fernandina, as the agent of The
n Board to negotiate sale. That gentleman also
X visited Europe and made frequent visits L
nSThfnRa sf S SE h b e9eVe fe ad did has 6eer
the great problem which has confronted each
q succeeding administration for many years past
and there has been no time when the State
, would not have been willing to set aside foul
n million acres of its domain for the purpose The
O matter had hung fire for so leng that the cred
n tors, seeing that the debt was being increased
i, rather than diminished, and the State covered
with projected railroads, all clamorous for land
grants had determined to appeal to the courts
: as above stated, for protection.
The present sale relieves all embarrassment
and saves the Fund. That it will result greatly
to the interest Of the State, there can be no pos
sible shadow of doubt. The purchasers are
already preparing 10 colonize the lands, and in a
very few years the taxable resources of the
State will possibly be doubled or more than
! enthusiastically very largely increased-so
that any one, even the most Ignorant can see that
taxation will be greatly reduced.
Not only will the remaining portion of the
lands, amounting to some 100000 or 9,OOO,-
> 900 acres, be free for use for purposes of in
ternal improvements, canals, railroads, &c, but
these new proprietors, recognizing the absolute
necessity for largely increased transportation IA
! cilities, in order to utilize their purchase. will
5 give every encouragement to The same Should
, the purchasing company desire to make use of
the lands acquired by this contract as basis for
the performance of their drainage operations in
, the Everglades, the certainty of the success
J of that great work will be more fully assured,
} and the State will thereby be benefited by the
addition of several millions of acres of reclaimed
lands subject TO purchase and entry by actual
| settlers.
After maturely considering the matter in all
its bearings, and watching every step of its
progress with anxious care, and with full
knowledge OF all the complications surrounding
the Fund and its exact condition. we give TO the
} result full and hearty endorsement, and feel
confident that Il will be mutually beneficial to
the people of the State and the purchasers. We
can now look with certainty for the early CON-
pletion Of our railroad system. and the rapid and
substantial development Of the entire State
We commend the contract, which will be
I found In another column, TO the careful perusal
and honest judgment of The people of the State,
believing that the universal and almost, IL not
quite, unanimous verdict will be In accordance
with our own unqualified appreciation of its
| probable results!
"A correspondent of the Ocala Banner says:
II have small place, IS acres of poor land and
= Il