The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-07-24

correspondent of Northern paper has
been going the rounds of the press under
the above caption. 1t contains such mac
curacies that it creates a very false i'm
preston as a whole, while it purports TO
give correct information received from
prominent public man (name withheld at
his own requestl of the State who was
met by the writer on a st. Johns river
steamer. and who furnished sand writer
with the loose statements and round
numbers usual in slap-dash interview mar
ratives by our special correspondent
The argument of the revelations of the
prominent public man." as exhibited by
his crude figures, was that the State OF
Florida had granted far more land than
the State owns" and had involved herself
in possible difficulties thereby The CORE
spondent asked chow much in excess of her
public lands are the grants" The ?. p. IN.
replied, wv ell, | should say 6, 900, 900, acres
but include among them the Disston pur
chase OF 1000 900 acres" Correspondent
asks, AN you give me the amount OF
lands granted and the corporations to
which they were granted, and the y. p. IN.
said, " can do it in round numbers only"
and proceeded TO state that the Pensacola
ana Atlantic road was built under
grants Of about 4,000,0 900 acres, and that
the jacksonville, Tampa and Key West
and Florida Southern roads called for
.,25o, 900 acres. These appropriations, with
the 8 Is, $40" acres per mile called for by
the charter of the International road, the
T. 7. III. assumed would bring up the
whole amount of land granted to $1,000
600 acres in excess OF the lands the State
had TO grant His figures are excessive:
For instance the Pensacola and Allan
tic road gets but about $3.50, 900 acres,
SIS, 900 acres Of alternate sections not be-
ing found and the International road
also will find itself short on alternate sec
tious. The 100000 acres "called for
by the roads making toward Tampa, with
the Is $40 acres per mile TO the Interna-
tional, constitute huge error, for OF
course each of the roads cannot get under
their charters the same lands granted to
aid railroad construction on that route
In this item the figures given are millions
in excess. As there are also. against the
.. .. ms 100000 deficit, between five
and six million acres of unsuryeyed land
As nearly a. can be estimated, mostly
south Of Okeechobee, We need scarcely
refer to lands that have been granted or
conveyed that are likely to be forfeited
back TO the State.
We have now to do with the "prom-
nent public man. expressed concern for
the good name and honor OF his State of
Florida. after having brought her by his
own round numbers into the question
abe position OF being liable, perhaps,
Tor that which she could not furnish He
should remember that when Legislatures
EVEN the latest--granted charters with
donations Of lands, the entire area of the
public domain was not known by survey,
and also that large grants previously
made were in provisional validity only,
and liable to lapse to the State for non
compliance with conditions So as il
would fully enurc to the grantees or not
numbers Of charters contained the follow
lng, or other proyiso to same effect
/rrrtled, That the State Of Florida
" shall not be in any way liable to make
up t" sald company any deficiency in the
acreage hereby conditionally granted, o.
so cure any defects in the title of the
" lands it now holds within the limits
"specfied, and that the said land grant il
"made also expressly subject to the full
satisfaction of all land grants previously
made to other corporations and not for
"feited"
Thus in the lack Of positive knowledge
a. to how much land the State had, and
how much might lapse to the State,
grants were made Of land = proyidin0
there IS tond for yoat, as incorporators
who took the chances distinctly under
stood. The grants being expressly con-
dItional, the p. p. III. need not distress
himself about the good name of his State,
or about her being liable for having
played big confidence game, as it were
millions Of acres "ante ON innocent
corporators. Everything was open for
their inspection when they came asking,
and if they accepted charter with clause
barring reclamation if they failed to re-
alize, it was their own risk. They have no
case against the State Besides, even if
a Legislature had tried to bind the State.
making her responsible for any deficiency,
it could not have done SO, as it is prohib-
tied by the Constitution.
during the war he Captain Dyke com
mandcd company of artillery, and At one time
had charge Of the famous Andersonvillc prison,
at lie titnn ht.I f.co L.,