Title Page
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    Report of the comptroller
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~IEPOBT



COMPTROLLER OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA,

FM'( FISCA VFAN 1883.
BEI'I N N I N( JANUARY Y I ANDI EN)IN(4 DECEMBER 31.






















REPORT OF 'TH E COMPTROLLER.



COM 'RtOL I.Ei'S OFFICE,
'IALIAIIASSBEE~., ORlIDA, .aniary 1, 1884.

To Ilts Excellency Wi, I). Br. oxL M,
Governor o/ Florida :

SiR: I have the honor to present herewith my annual report,
ab required by law, for the tiseal year ending December 31st,




KEcKIIkIP AND ISNSB IR~S .EMHNI' A'l IIFiE STATE IRIEASUHY.

The following statement shows the financial transactions at
ihe State Treasmir oin account of (General Itfvenue and Gen-
eral and Special Sinkini Fund and: Interes, Taxes:
RECEI'PTf.


Balance Olt hanitd I.lil,tr 1st I ;.
'. in ;,mnceral Sinking iliund irn In-

Balance ol land in i, funeral ald Spe"cial Sinking Funul
Ian Itertb ''i\ Ac ri ili .........................
B.lalt c u h.ni d i In SI l o\(:Sinkii g n ........
G e tneri l I i l 1S ;i ............... .. ........ .
,nr l RS 1 ....... .....................
S ,'l ....... ................. .
.. .... .. . . . . . . .. .
..i n .a ..a ......... .. .. ..........
1S ; ; ..... ................... ..
i- ic o iT a .\ ........................ ..... ...... ..
Action Tax ..... ....... ..........................
Crim inal Pro .tc ltion -s i(oAts) ........ .............
Sale of Digesl and .aw .............................
Comn m mission Tax ....................................
H ire of C onvicts .............. .....................
General and Special Sinkin, Fund alid In[i:resi Taxeu-
AF ,eu sm ent I, .5 ..................................
1 1 1 .......... ........................
O10 .................................
1879 .......... .......................
18hi' ........... ....................
1I8i ...... ........................


(i I li '. :2












4(1) 01)
30,W0> 02-- $7s,24<) 41

14S,956 S:;











2,t1749 0)
405 00
I4, 0 7 9240



21 91
417 84
14 3:- $67,6586

$420,878 48












REPORT OF STATE TAXES ON) LANDS
solid orr Taxes and Bought in tor lihe State in the Year 1883, in the fil-
lowing Connties, as reported to the Comptroller's Office:


A lachu;. ...............
B aker..................
Bradford ...............
Brevard ...............
Calhoun................
Colum bia ..............
C lay ...................
D uval ..................
D ade .... .............
Escam bia ..............
Franklin ..............
Gadsden ...............
Hillsborough ...... ....
H ernando ..............
Holm es..... ..........
Hamilton..............
Jefferson ..............
Jackson................
L ev ...................
L eon ..................
Libertly..............


$2,148 08 Lafayette ...... ...... $.214
...... M arion ................. 225 1:;
135 77 Monroe................. 35 0;;
8 07, M adison................ (i9 12
...... nalee ...............
14 67 Nassan ................. 176 8
80 98 Orange.. ............ .. 182 41
1,947 71 Polk .................. .....
110 00 Putnam ................ :16 19
18 87 Suwanne( .............. 16 94
29 84 Sum ter................. :1 71
44 85 Santa Rosa ... ..... ...
39 60 St. Johns .............. .....
185: 36 Taylor.................. 12
...... Vol sia..... .......... .. 222 22
2 11 W akulla ............... :12 .5
34 85 W alton ................ ...
13 32 V:aslinl tonl ...........
r5 10
.. .. $7,255 it
'122 47


There has been $12,618.i79 received and paidii into the Sate 'lre :eisill
on account of redemption of Ian4l since Ja nulary 1st, 1882, viz:
In the year 1881. ...................................... $i,125 25,
In tIhe ear 1K8. ...................................... 6.,49:1 $12,1ilS ;
T'he table of assessments hereto attached shows a gratifying
increase in the taxable resomre s of thi State, aiind is an evidence
ot the steady ailvancemilent lo the material prosperity of the
people. Frolm 8: ,157 7, I in Is l ,t e taxable pros, e]'ty ()tl'lihe
Stallte has growI to ;. ,2) 4,8:! 1 in Isl : and it will Ile ale to
estimate that it will ct led l ,i.ll, ) flo the yeaIr t I s4. A
portion of' this increase (aiun ntling to, r4.7:.5,i!t)) is Iue to lhe
tact that, all railroad. prop,, ity now g,'oes ui.pan the lax books ,
an dliecoimes ain ailitional ,oillnre of revenue. Sin lce the last
report from this office, the lupe4stion so lonw in lolu)1, of the
liability otf certain railroads to taxation, has been settled l)by
the courts of last resort, anld Ihey are now rel irel1 to contri-
linte their part to tile support of the gov\ ernment.
IATE.t OF TA\ X \ l \.
It will he remembered that at the last session of the Legis-
lature it, was -i., -1,-' 1iy this department, and recommended<
in the AMessage ot your Excellency, that the rate of taxation
for State purposes be fixed at four mills for 1883 and 1884.
Notwithstanding the increase in the appropriations, which were
deemed to be proper by the Legislature, and a subsequent
sight decrease in the income from the occupation tax, the finan.,










cial condition of the State is suoh as to justify a further redue-
tion ill the rate of taxation for the year 1884, and as your EK
ccllcney has wisely directed, it is provided that a levy of only
three mills be niade the present year to meet the appropria-
tions, including tlhe interest on tll( public debt.
I ON DE) I 1,)EI
iHertrrinrt to the bonded debt statement, it will be seen that
more than half' of oiur indebtedness (Iby about *t100,0O00)
is held iln lie se\eracl funds of the State, leaving in outside
hands only -.i87,5t00. And it may be observed that this amount
old Ie even less tan it is were it is e nol that tihe high price
these securities bear, and their searcit.y in market, render it
difficult to, 1,ocure then at all, and making it necessary for the
Teasucrer to seek investments ii the blnds of other States, a.
will be seen by reference to his report. This additional evi-
dence ol te healthy financial co(ditioll of the State must be
raltif yint to ex cr i cit thin its borders.
(I 1,IE( 'I I(N oi'F I AX\ N s.
The vreIl i' e fio the vyea [2' hlias been collected with ulnu-
Altal piroimptness, and it is a pleasure to speak of' thie efficiency
with which the Collectors 1:1 lt, -'entralv diselkha ''ed the deli-
c,:te duties of their office. and the readiness ot the people in re.
spondillg to the demands upon 111them forI thle support of their
ovterime'.t. In tlhi', conne tioni it i N well to state that much
of thie past 1du taxes, represented iby tax sale certificates held
'or redem(ptlion, lhas tbeen paid, amoiunltiin, as is show\ 1 by lthe
table, to the si limn of ', 12 ;s.79 I or the tyeairs Iss1 l alt I s:l.
is E IS I \ G TA X IS,.
As a corre(' ct alld ellicei(t-t assessmen ol thie property sutibje
to taxationt i- the foiuiindation ol our revenue, and consequently
thie sttupporlt of tih irtaelinery of th)I e i ove rnm ent. it is of tih1
first imllortaite that those who arc enltruisted with the exercise
ol this irespilosibl)e duty should lie of soillnd judgment and g'ooti
bllillnes 'ilAiiitiealions. There is no more, important office iln
tlil State tihal tihat of Assessor of Taxesi And thle difficulties
which the\ ha\e to maee in t he discharge of their duties are
fully recog(liz-di in this department. A majority of the present
hincumbentl< have done their work in a creditable and satisfiaetory
taniiner; and it is hoped that those who have been less success-
ful will make greater efforts to come up to the requirements of
the law, and the demands of the responsible positions held by
them. Very' respectfully,
W. 1). 1AAINES, Compitroller







VAL E OF PIktROPERTVI, vi't, Groru*. nid Net lmoInik state 'raxe, Asaemixed ror thte Vear ISS3,
micliidini Licemje. anlid ioniUtt ot Atiction Tax.

GROSS ASSESSMENTT

COUNTI 1E.. I"',



Al

BI

(1

11


HE
11)
H A
IJA


IEI


11A0
\III




NIA
L)II]




TAY
ALA




WAI
IlL S il 1- MI 100J(%
I.*1 -, 4. -
XXAl I~i .1P Ir~~i( ( ~iii ]~1 r11 L. L .lllnll- h i 18,E ,)7'
AX AS L S I 14. II. 7).) .8 1)1.i.. I.,if) .tlbi 5.118
Add In i on eio In ,uw, I o 1I X..11, 0)


how AmikliTa1c, $164.SS


AVILLIdll 10. BARNES, Comuptroller.