The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-11-05
ced her selections by the field notes of

embrace more than the exterior lines
of sections, and frequently only the
exterior lines of townships of six
miles square. They could give but
little idea of the quality of land in
the interior Of the township, and when
we reflect that the surveyor was paid
by the mile, We do not wonder that
he gave but little attention to the
quality even of these exterior lines.
Under this method Florida selected
nearly (l2,oOo,oOo) twelve million
acres. Every one knew that
three-fourths of this immense body
of land was actually high and dry,
and the Secretary of the Interior is
sued no patents to it under the
swamp act.
But our people were so clamorous
for railroads and other means of trans
portation that bill was introduced
in Congress to give us all these Sc
lected lands, whether wet or dry,
high or low, for purposes of securing
development that would invite i'm
migration. The bill passed on March
Sd, 1851, and under it Florida be-
came legitimately in possession of
nearly twelve million acres of land.
All were rejoiced-our Senators and
Congressman were covered with pub
lie plaudits for thus securing means
of giving US transportation.
Now when the swamp land selec-
tions are to be made political foot
ball, every affidavit that is given, if
traced down to actual description, is
based upon these lands given us by
Congress without reference to their
quality.
Selections by field notes prov
ing SO unsatisfactory, Mr.. Schurz,
when Secretary of the Interior, chang
ed the mode, and required agents of
the Department to view each forty
acres and report on the same. We
will wager that since that period not
500 acres can be found patented to
the State under the act of 1850 that
are not swamp and overtiowed, as
those terms have been judicially de-
termined, unless they were indemnity
lands.
Since the act of Congress of
1857, giving to the State nearly
Q2,0O0,O00) twelve million acres
of land, there has been patented to
the State under the act of 1850 only
about 100000 acres. See Commits
sioners' report of January lst, 1889.
AS to the 100000 acres con-
6rmed and given to us as high and
dry land under the act of Congress
of 1857, no sane man can question the
States complete right in law and
morals to the same. Congress gave
them to US just as it gave the half
million Internal Improvement lands
l. 10 dc f,,li
edge of their character. They were
given to the State for her develop
ment.
1t can be then only the 1000, 900
acres patented since, under the act of
1850, that there can be any ques-
ton about. OF this amount over
half, or 2,lO4,s9s.76 acres are now
held by the State, and subject
to sale to actual settlers at
twenty-five cents per acre-cheaper
than they could homestead it from
the United States Government, with
no delay OF hve years 10 secure title.
Certainly this is not an injury to the
settler, and the fact that the State
only sold about eight thousand acres
out of the entire amount, during the
past year, shows that it must be
swamp or otherwise deficient. In
deed, of these 1000, 900 acres patent
ed since the act of 1857, we know
of no complaint. The affidavits of
the men of "unquestioned veracity,
judgment and education" when
closely examined, refer to other
lands, or those confirmed under the
act of 1851. They do not touch the
lands secured under the swamp act
of 1850, or if so, only in few iso-
lated cases.
IL Il 4 III