The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-06-04
SWAMP LAND SELECTIONS.

atOrS ana Representatives III congress " ha'o
an investigation made, to ascertain ii The se'ec-
tons of land in the State, under the act OF Con-
gress of September %, 1850, had been legally
and properly made The resolution was vetoed
by the Governor, and the entire subject submit
ted to the Senate Committee on Public Lands
The committee was divided in sentiment, and
majority and minority reports were submitted
the majority report sustaining the Governor ana
the minority insisting upon the passage OF the
resolution.
These reports being submitted during the last
days of the session could not be discussed by
the Senate, and the subject matter died with the
Legislature. This we regret, as the report of the
minority, as spread upon the Journals, is so
erroneous and misleading that it should have
been ventilated. The minority report evil
IDENTIFY prepared by some outside party interested
in obscurng the reasons why the swamp lands
belonging to the State had been delayed in be-
ing patented.
1t was fortunate that the Governor interposcd
his veto. The resolution was not only nonsen-
scal but it was untrue in fact. 1t stated the
belief that the reason why said lands had not
been patented was because portions OF them
are not swamp and overlooked lands" Those
cOnversant with the facts know that the patents
were suspended for no such reason, and that
such statement is absolutely incorrect There
is on file letter from Senator Call, under date
OF November 10Th, 1885, to tie Commissioner OF
the General Land ONCE, asking that 10
further approvas be made until the subject
receive full investigation. The then Secretary
OF the Interior, Hon. L. q c. Lamar, suspended
further approvals And endorsed on Senator
Calls letter that he did it as within requesed.'
A copy of this letter to the Interior Department
was forwarded to Governor f. A Perry aud is
now in the archives of the Elk curve Depart
ment of the State. So The patents were stopped
by Senator Call and not because portions OF
them are not swamp and Overt flowed lands The
Legislature, alter knowing of this falselood in tie
resolution, could not have afforded 10 pass i, anG
a discussion o. the two reports woull have deve'-
oped this msstatement of fact
We say the resolution WAS n0nScn >Cal-anl
why? After Senator al h.l secured the stop
page OF all patents to the State he int" duced
resolution into the United Sttc> Senate
asking an investigation. y subcommittee
thorough investigation, having Scna OF Call
and numerous oher witnesses before it.
The report was made September %. 1888, and
ordered printed Sc: l.. 5. Senate r port, ~
22SS. That committee, the members of which
were chosen toI their qualifications and amiliar
ty with the subject, gave una imous repof,
against Senator CALI position. Now, we an,
after this matter had hern thoroughly inycsijg4-
ted by the committee al The L : Sen.'c. ana
reported on only last September. wuut i LOT
have bee the height u aiIslrli'v tor "a L ..i>-
ture to ask that same b IS !" bern another in
vestigaton without pro lucin- !, -ins'. particle
of new evidence to base the app ic ,ion lpon
Such resolution, ii introduced, would have
been silently ignored or lau5A-1 At bv the t.
). Senate. Fortunately We had al Executive
who saw the nnenvinbe position the State WAS
about TO be placed, and he had the nerve to
DO his duty, despite efforts to wlilewash a re
cord
We have said that the report Of The minority
OF the Committee OF the State Senate, as spread
upon the Journals, was erroneous and msltaA-
ing. No one can come Ia any Other conclusion
after investigating he incts. Compress. by the
ACT OF pember %, 1850 gave TO a number of
States. Florida included ali The swamp lands in
SAIL States. Under this act Florida selected
and had confirmed to her by the act IF Congress
OF March ;, 1857, nearly twelve million acres Of
land. This latter act OF Congress confirmed all
of said lands selected ut the time to The State.
whether in TACT swamp lands or no, :" SAWS The
United States Senate Committee. Other la,u.
hf,,li 4
IN the aggregate, hav. been approved and
patented 10 HE State
Now, LEI il be remembered and understood by
all, that the resolution vetoed bv tho, Governor
was NJ" To investigate any lands given MS bv tb,.
act of Congress OF Mach ), 1857, or that hal
been patented To the State. All admit that 3, IA,
those Ian Is are concerned, their status is IRE
vOcab!y fXel Even Senator Cali admits This in
his testimony before the U s Senate COMMITTEES
Then the resnlu ion could apply only 10 those
lands selected aud awaiting examination nv The
Interior Department prior Ia being patented
Indeed the minority report OF or STATE Srnsr
which We are ''ow considering saws plainly hat
The resolution relates Ia lands " 10 he pafenfed"
Then what is our surprise, in looking
over the testimony furnished in this m nor,
itv report, to tnl that it r-l,ies Ia bands
confirmed hv The act of 1857, or dIreadu
patented. What has evidence relating exclusively
t" lands long since confirmed to the State to do
with lands now under examination by The In
terror Department? Take the evidence OF Mr.
Akers which the minority copies so copiouslv
from. and II is in proof that it relates entirely to
lands long since approved Then what has his
evidence to do with lands yet to he confirmed.
why did this minority not also quote the cyi