Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-26
TALLAHASSEE.

HIOHiuas Domaln-How and Where 1t
Has Gone-Faets and Figures-NothiRs
Lett Tor New Roads-The School Re-
port-A Good Document Education
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in all the DEPART
ments.
| TALLAHASSEE, Jan. A.-That Florida has
been dlsposing of the lands granted to her by
| the United states for the purpose of promoting
| works Of internal improvement with startling
| rapidity is shown in the accompanying state
ment. The facts contained therein were col
lected by committee appointed for that pur
! pose, and were revised and corrected by Mr..
Hugh A. Corley, most competent authority.
| 1t will be seen with what bound the various
enterprises that have obtained State aid leapt
into existence, and what wonderful progress
| has been made since the fetters that clogged
] the fund were removed
| glance at the statement shows that the
lands belonging to the State have not only been
| exhausted. but that there is an actual deficit
| OF nearly three millions of acres with a proba-
BILE deficit of several millions of acres in addi-
| ton.
| 5 The question very naturally arises. from
| what source will those railroads that have not
! yet been commenced, and those now APPLYING
| for charters, obtain the assistance they re-
quret II would seem that their prospects
were rather gloomy.
OF all the roads that have been commenced
| since the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the internal
PENSACOLA +
lantic is the only one that has been finished
But three miles OF this great ENTERPRISE re-
main to be completed.
Your readers will be much interested in the
lOlloWlng hgures connected with the present
condition of the internal improvement fund;
statement OF swamp lands owned by the
STATE OF Florida, and what may accrue to
the state, and of the lands sold and granted
to corporations up to January lst 1883:
AcreS.
Balance of swamp lands on hand Jan.
ri /, lSSS .12,754,s51
which the State gets one half, or . 100000
Total now owned and yet to accrue to
the state 49,, 80. .......... .l4.754S5l
Acres.
D Disston purchases ,.,,,........... 100000
Grant to Pensacola and Atlantic Rail-
road,16 miles constructed . 1900 600
sales 70 settlers .....-. .........-.....-. 26,69O
Okeech0bee drainage lands - I7SIO51
Florida Southern Railroad 400 miles
lISO miles built and in operation) 100000
Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West,
pdSo now constructing .............-. 100000
strncting ................ ......... 100000
GUS roads 1871 OO0
Total lands sold and granted ..... 17,6Ss ,7A
Deduct lands now owned and yet to
accFue AS ABOVE. IA, ,754, ,36l
And there is now a deficit of q94 9so
ADD to this the following railroads that are
chartered, and some of whom are i'm part con-
structed ana operating, and some in course of
construction that get every alternate section
and this deficit will be increased several mil
lion acres more: Atlantic, Gulf and West In
dla Transit -; East Florida Railroad Com
pany; Florida and Georgia; Green Cove
Spring and Melrose =; jacksonville St. Au-
gustine and Halifax -; Live Oak and Row
land Bluff ~; Monticello and Georgia. South
Florida Railroad ~; Seville and HaIifaX =:
Atlantic, st. Johns and Indian River; St
Johns and Lake Eustis Railroad; St Johns
and Halifax ~. Those marked with one are
in course of construction, and those with two
line.
The report of the Superintendent Of Public
instruction, Hon. Z. X. Foster Is a very graft
flying document. The number of public
schools has increased from l,l31 in 1879 to I326
in 1882, and the number 81 scholars from 3S,3I5
10 5l,945 during the same period. The report
IS accompanied by nine pages of statistical in
formation, giving a clear and comprehensive
account OF all the points appertaning to the
system, ana going to show a marked and
growing improvement in all its various de-
tails,
The following facts are gathered from the |
report: The principal of the school fund now
amounts to $685. 420 II, which is safely invested
with the exception of $39, ,436 46. The school |
lands reach the figures of 5SS, ,467 acres
Ihe sources OF revenue arise from the in
terest on the school fund, the one mill State
tax and the county tax, which cannot he less
than two and half or more than faur mills
The seminary fund is now sS7. 400, and the
Agricultural College fund is $l34 300 Two |
thousand dollars was donated by the Peabody
fund during the year 1881.
Mr., Foster recommends that the State tax
OF one mill be paid into the State Treasury
and apportioned in the same manner as Is The
interest on the school fund; also that a portion
OF the poll tax should he given to the fund.
and that law should be passed imposing a
penalty upon county officers who fail to re-
port In certain specified time the amount of |
fines collected. -
The Superintendent thinks that moderate
appropriation Tor holding teachers institutes
would be very beneficial, and that the estab-
hshment OF normal school would be of great
advantage.
He suggests mat the law be so modified as
to permit county superintendents to discharge |
teachers who are wanting ia moral charac-
ter, or for other good cause,
The want OF Uniformity in the text books is |
SUBJECT o. great annoyance, and can only be |
remedied, IN his opinion, by the passage of a
law requiring uniform State series. or bv |
rendering the county adoptions obligatory.
ana r permitting no change for fixed period.
The county superintendents should he re-
CURED 10 visit each school at least once dur
ing each session. and to spend one DAY at each
school. ~
He does not helioye in eonpulsorv educo-
Il N, but advocates the establishment of a re.
formatQry institution, where the idle yaQa-
BOND and dIssolute children of large cities and
ful members of society.
There'are now in the State one hundred and
nineteen deaf mutes, seventy eight of whom
are within the school age. These unfortn-
mates should be educated, and this could he
done by small appropriation, and hy the
counties to, which they belong, paying from
their school fund for their tuition
National aid for the education Of the future
voter Is warmly advocated in the report.
rms should be given, however, to develop and |
sustain the systems already established and
would be OF little value if placed under the |
national control. Otherwise it might canse
disagreement between the officials OF the State
ana General Government, and prove more
detrimental than beneficial, 7-''>
The report closes by congratulatinp the
people upon the general Improvement notice
able DE in 4, .he school interests Of the State.
ing by Mr.. Greeley, of DUYel, for the extension |
OF the corporate limits of the CITY of jackson |
vile VILE embraces the following boundaries: |
Beginning at point on the west shore of the
st. Johns river where the section line he
tween sections % and % of township south.
range 26 east, intersects the same: thence |
north nc along the line between sections % and !
", IA and 10, and " and II, all in township . |
south, ranas ~ east, to the half-mile post on |
the section line between sections 10 and II
aforesaid; thence east to the middle OF she st.
J1hn,s river; thence up the centre of the !
channel OF said river to an intersection with |
the range line between the ranges 26 and 81 |
east; thence south on said line to high water |
marx on the south shore of said river: thence |
up and along the margin of said river To |
Grassy Point; thence diagonally across said |
river to point 1000 feet south of the starting |
point;. thence north to the point of beSine9 |
ming. Ns'"'
The '.short CUT convention bill was reached |
In the Assembly to-day, Mr., Miller. of Marion
and Mr.. Blackwell, of Hamilton, in opposi,,
ton. Contrayy' 20 general expectation, it is /
now tk91ght that the debate will not occupy /
as mueh Time as was anticipated Messrs /
Mcclellan, Of Jackson, and Dougherty. Of /
olusla, VIII probably speak to-morroT. the /
former former favorinG. and the latter opposing the |
Mr.. Dell's bill for removing the State Houea
10 70 Gainesville, is one Of the special orders for
Lhe Dill relating TO Insolyent debtors was
defeated IA the Senate this morning.
The bill incorporating the Thomasville. Tai
lahassee and Gulf Railroad, and granting State
ald TO the extent Of fifteen thousand acres Der
mile, passed the Senate this morning bT a
handsome majority and now goes to the As
sembly. 40
Inc "eatner is charming. W. H.B.