The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-06-10
-NfWa.
BlOxh ham amd DisstOm.

We had thought the Disston land sale was thor
oughly understood by the people of Florida but
of our correspondents. who is both intelligent
and minded, seems SO ignorant this subject
that may be pardoned for presenting some old
facts In the first place, the United States bought
Florida, that the public land primarily belonged
to the nation Upon the admission of the State
into the Union, on March Sd, 1S45 the general gov
ment made to it grant OF n half million acres for
purposes of internal improvements and for these
purposes alone On September 2Sth, 1850 Con
gross made further grant of all the overfowed
lands in the State made unit thereby for cultiya.
ton these last to be subject to disposal by the
Legislature, provided that the proceeds as far as
necessary should be applied to the reclamation of
those lands. 1t will be seen that the state held
these lands subject to expressed conditions the
two grants comprised something over fifteen mil
lions of acres.
BY the act approved January 6, 1855, a Board of
Trustees was appointed by the Florida legislature
and certain lines for railroads and a canal desig
mated AS the special internal improvement" 10
which the proceeds from these lands to be de-
voted. The Trustees were authorized to endorse
bonds for these roads, and did 80.
terest remained unpaid, and the coupons were sold
as low as twenty-five and thirty cents, although
they were receivable in payment tor land. The
roads failed TO pay and the Trustees sold them
This left due $723 175 bearing annual interest Of
$50, 552 and each coupon it matured also would
bear interest. Then there was costly litigation
fees &c. that the Legislature of 1851 found the
deb 10 be sos 074 o. We then see that the
annual sales Of lands under Republican rule and
four years of Drews administration had failed TO
pay the accruing interest, and the sum was being
compounded at a fearful rate I" Observer" will
readily that only few years Of this would wipe
the property of the books that the State must ind
a speedy remedy and unload; could any poor
lift the weight:
To do this the State sold four million acres of
the swamp lands" OF these, three and q half
million were TO be taken in bodies of ten thousand
acres, and half a million in bodies Of six hundred
and forty acres, to be selected after the first had
bern taken. The Trustees had offered land in bodies
of five thousand acres for fifty cents in vain Dss
ton paid twenty five. and took larger tracts. No
acquainted with the lands will think tt is lew
price But the annual sales barely paid tne-third
the annual interest and if something were lot done
that case q large debt would be left the State in
addition to the loss of the land. At least one rich
man was waiting this opportunity to deprive
the poor man of the public domain" Mr. Disston
made his first payment of half a million almost en-
tirely in currency; only fifteen thousand was paid
in coupons and these he bought at ninety cents on
the dollar
Now how was the poor man wronged? Each settler
was allowed till January l, 1888, to perfect Claim
at State prices and Hamilton Disston has always
shown consderate regard TO their rights Was not
this enough? We claim that Bloxham's sale cleared
away an otherwise ncurable clog on the continued
progress of the State that by the sacrifice OF part
Of the public domain a heavy mortgage at ruinous
interest was cancelled and the State gained clear
title to the remainder. Any business man can see
that this course is exactly the one he wouli have
pursued in private Transaction but if" Observer"
i not eatlsneu we VIII give Nun Iurtner 1ac!s and
figures.
We have heard the present administration also
censured for giving much land TO railroads The
grants may have exceeded the necessity of the case
hut we should not judge hastily. The lands were
held in trust by the State for purposes Of internal
improvement-not owned in fee. Each road takes
alternate sections and doubles, nay qua drupes the
value Of the Others. This alone would show how
important these lines to the future of our State
The Disston purchase advertised the State az Moth
ing else could do the railroads showed visitors our
country Now that we have climbed up, shalt we
kick at the ladder BY which mounted after
the the people of Alabama and Mississippi
offered alternate quarter sections TO actual sett ers
In this private citizens did matter of individual
interest, what the State of Florida has done as pub
lie policy.
This is of the things /" Bloxham has done
over and above" the work of Gov. Drew. OF this
the Democracy is justly proud, and this Disst on
sale is part Of the record upon which our party will
confidently appeal to the people Of Florids in the
election Of 1874