The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-02-15

Oar Ram Womd Interests.
3 Precaulion' Il . good word = % used with
reference 70 the plans 10 be adopted ~ the state
TO procure the construction Of roads % giving
aid, but whether IL h good word over me e1lso-
rial which appears IN the last issue cs me fig
that precautionn IL 10 be used, % the veteran
editor Of that excellent paper seems TO suggest,
for the purpose of giving aid only 70 the two
trunk lines provided for by the Internal I'm
prOvement act Of 1885, TO secure the construction
of which all the State lands were primarily
pledged" we think IL an exceedingly bad word.
The act OF 1855, az we understand, provided ior
the construction of "a line Of railroad ffom the
st. Johns River, 81 Jacksonville 70 the waters OF
Pensacola Bay, with an extension nom suitable
line from Amelia Island. on the Atlantic, to the
waters of Tampa Bay, in South Florida. 40
the construction of these two lines the FLOR
DIAN says, as We have quoted, the state ianas
were primarily pledged" These II calls !" the
two trunk lines provided for by the Internal Inn
provement act" 1t, therefore, advises that Mr.
Yulee shall again have monopoly OF franchise,
which is thing against which all OF South
Florida is warning
South Florida wants no more such trunk
lines" What that section wants Is railroad
placing it In easy and rapid communication with
with the markets of the United States Ii MT
Yulee as one of the representatives OF the trunk
line" idea of the Internal improvement act oil
1866, is again to have exclusive control OF fran
chises for The construction OF road through the
Peninsula of the State and the Internal Improve
ment lands, AFTER having been diseniangled, are,
for the second time, 10 be primarily pledged
for that purpose we can not see how the people
are getting any light.
We are, as much as anybody, opposed to
granting charters to railroad companies and CIV
ing large grants of land without careful exami-
of h0 Of
what they propose to do. We desire to see this
necessary improvement effected in the speediest
manner possible; and sor that reason We are
opposed TO the old truak line" idea of 1855.
We -wan ,anMence a, Ssl.e q SSoufnsssu RglA w
somewhere directly north and run directly south.
The trunk line" which commenced at Anne
liza Island has been commenced long lime and.
we are afraid, would remain in stGtu quo
The FIoRIDIAN said nothing about Mr.
Yulee," or advise that he shall again have a
monopoly of franchises" In fact, we made no
allusion 10 the franchises, nor does the 4,h sec
ton of the Internal Improvement Law allude to
franchises, and it is this section which desgnates
the main lines to be aided by the fund We
spoke only as to the importance to the sections
interested of completing the trunk lines provi-
ded for by that act, and advised caution on the
part of the Legislature in granting large bodies
of lands for projected roads which if constructed
would be of only local benefit and the grants to
which would tend TO defeat the building of the
main lines We need not remind our cotempo-
rary that there is limit to the capacity of the
land fund The area may be large, but fraction
only of the millions of acres constituting the
fund is comparatively of any material value as
subsidies. Manfestly then, every grant to other
| socalled Improvements to that extent diminishes
the prospect of completing the roads through
West and South Florida. Ii is observable, too,
that quite all The acts of incorporation asked for
call for large subsidies in addition to the alternate
sections for six miles both sides of their lines,
and this goes TO show that the enterprises are
| speculative rather than real-that is to saw the
lands granted are to constitute the capital and
that it is from these the works are to be con-
structed if indeed they ever are constructed, and
not from legitimate bona fde capital duly SUBJ
scribed by responsible parties.
| With respect TO the trunk lines" the FLOR
IDIAN said that 4" the best interests of the State
demand their completion while other lines,
whether lateral or independent, are only of CON-
| paratively local benefit and can afford to wait
Every act of incorporation granted, with subs-
dies attached beyond alternate sections, simply
adds 10 existing complications and postpones the
| giving to South and West Florida the facilities
their interests and the interests of the State de-
mand and require. Whole sections, like the
| country west of the Cha,tahoochee and south of
Gainesville or Ocala, are interested in the COM
! pletion of the system as to trunk lines and We
bold it 10 be of prime Importance, as already said,
that the Legislature shall so guard the public
lands as to make certain the construction Of
these roads, no matter what may become, for the
present, of other projected improvements. The
region between Escambia bay and the St. Johns
river is vitality concerned in the extension of the
j. p. NJ. road westward, while South Florida is
hindered in its development and progress for the
| want Of rapid facilities for reaching market II
il be true that the interest liabilities of the fund,
by the affirmation of the Bradley decree, are re-
duced to comparatively small figure, the pros
pect Of relieving the lands from the remaining
interest obligations is hopeful, and this furnishes
stronger reasons for caution on the part of the
Legislature against any action that may have
the least tendency towards defeating the COM
pletion Of improvements which are admitted 10
be of first consequence. Grants of land how
ever outside Of alternate sections, are worthless
until existing liens are extiuguished, and any
such grant only complicates matters and may
| prove q serious obstacle TO the building of the
| trunk lines when the liens are extinguShed"