The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-29
FLoRIDA's LEGISLATURE.
Gave Away More Land Than the
 State Possessed.

| Tallahassee Special.
 | The trustees of the Internal Improve ment Fund of Florida find themselves in quite a predicament. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad and other roads | are suing them for several million acres | of land, granted the different companies | for the construction of railroads in this | State by the Legislatures of the past. The Louisville and Nashville claims 100000 acres, the P. and A. wants 5000 900 and other roads want millions more.
 The Stat only owns about 100000 of acres of swamp and overfiowed lands in the Everglades, and this the trustees re- fuse to give up, claiming that the Legis- lature had no right for the construction of railroad in another part. The Legisla- lures in the past have been very liberal in granting lands to the railroads. All told, the State has received in the neigh borhood of 10000, ,000 acres of swamp and overfiowed land from the United States Government. This has been filtered away until only 100000 acres remain in the Everglades.
 Millions Given Away.
 In 1850 all the swamp and overfiowed lands patented to the State by the United States Government was patented to the trustees of the Internal Improvement As- sociation, to be used exclusively for drain age and internal Improvements. Millions and millions of acres have been given away to the railroads, and not any of the lands have been drained. Railroads were given from 5000 to 5000 acres per mile, until the Legislature granted many mill lionns more than the State ever owned
 The land in the Everglades was only recently patented to the State, yet the railroads demanded that this be turned over to them. The trustees refuse to com ply with these demands, claiming that what now remains of the once vast do- mains of the State can only be used for the purpose for which 1t was originally patented to the State. The courts will be called upon to settle the controversy.
 Recent Liberality.
 In order to show the liberality displayed by the average Legislature of Florida, the action of the last Assembly may be taken as a fair sample. That body passed a law granting to the St. Andrews. Quincy and Northern Railroad small tract of 5000 acres for each mile of road to be constructed This will call for about 750.- 00O acres. It made a similar grant to the Apalachicola and Northern Railroad. which will require another 750, 900 acres. It extended the time allowed for the con- struction and completion of the Florida Coast Line Canal and Construction Con- pany from St. Augustine to Biscayne Bay, and continued the land grant. It did the same thing for the Alafia, Manatee and Gulf Coast Railway.
 These four grants alone would take up the entire 100000 acres yet in pos- session of the State, and still the Legis- lature making them passed a lew requir- ing the trustees of the Internal Improve ment Fund to sell the swamp and over flowed lands belonging to the State, after all claims against 1t have been settled, and then turn the money over to the State Treasurer to be apportioned among the counties for the construction of hard surfaced roads.
 It would take 100000 or 5000, 900 more acres than the State now owns to settle these claims, and the trustees propose to use the Everglades for draining purposes alone, unless the court orders otherwise The litigation promises to last for years