THE REVISED GENERAL STATUTES OF FLORIDA. (Note. The numbers of Sections in parenthesis refer to the Section num ber of the General Statutes of 1906.) FIRST DIVISION GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE WHOLE REVISION, THE POLITICAL AND CIVIL ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE, AND SANITARY, POLICE, AND PUBLIC COMMERCIAL REGULA TIONS. TITLE I. GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE WHOLE REVISION. CHAPTER I. GENERAL PROVISIONS. of 1. (1) Definitions. In determining the meaning these Revised General Statutes, words importing the singular number may extend or be applied to several persons or things; words importing the plural number may be applied to one person or thing; words importing the masculine gender may be applied to that which is female or neuter; the word "person" may extend and be applied to a corporation; "writing" includes printing on paper; the terms "insane person" and "lunatic" include every idiot, non compos, lunatic, and insane person; the term "negro" includes every person having oneeighth or more negro blood; the terms "colored person" or "persons of color" or "colored." as applied to any person, have the same signification as is herein attached to "negro,' as aforesaid; the reference to any officer shall include any person authorized by law to perform the duties of such office, unless the context shows that such words were intended to be used in a more limited sense; and the requirements of an oath shall be deemed complied with by making affirmation in judicial form, and the word "oath" wherever used herein. includes such affirmation. TITLE II. THE STATE ORGANIZATION. CHAPTER I. CERTAIN BOUNDARIES, ASSENT TO TERMS OF ADMISSION INTO THE ARTICLE I. CERTAIN BOUNDARIES. Ch. 165. Acts 1848. Sec. 2. Resolution 2. (2.) Boundary between Florida and Alabama.-The line commencing on the Chattahoochee river near a place known as "Irwin's Mills," and running west to the Perdido, marked throughout by blazes on the trees, and also by mounds of earth thrown upon the line, at distances of one mile, more or less, from each other, and commonly known as the "Mound line" or "Ellicott's line," and by these names distinguished from another line above, running irregularly at different distances not exceeding one and a half miles from the "Mound line" and marked by blazes only, and known as the "Upper line," or "Coffee's line," is the boundary line between the States of Florida and Alabama. 3. (3.) Boundary between Florida and Georgia.-The line run and marked by B. F. Whitner, Jr., on the part of Florida, and G. J. Orr, on the part of Georgia, is the permanent boundary line between the States of Georgia and Florida. The survey of the boundary line as located by Orr and Whitner under the authority of the States of Georgia and Florida, having been adopted by the legislatures of the two states, as the true boundary line, and the same having been substantially ratified by Congress in 1872, that line is regarded as the settled boundary between the two states from the junction of the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers to Elliot's Mound on the St. Mary's River. Groover v Coffee, 19 Fla. 61. That "grants by a government de facto of parts of a disputed territory in its possession" are valid, and the rights to property so acquired "are respected and sacred." Ib. When a doubtful or disputed boundary is settled by agreement between the states and duly ratified, such agreement does not operate retrospectively so as to disturb titles to property. Coffee v Groover, 20 Fla. 64. ARTICLE 2. ASSENT TO TERMS OF ADMISSION INTO THE UNION, AND CONCES SIONS TO THE UNITED STATES. 4. (4.) Assent to terms of admission into the Union. Ch. 14 1845. The State of Florida assents as by the statute approved July 25, 1845, to the terms of admission of this State into the confederacy and union of the United States, and to the provisions of the acts of congress respecting the public lands of the United States in this State. 1, 1845. 5. (5.) United States authorized to acquire lands for cer- Ch. 25, Sec. tain purposes.-The United States are hereby authorized and empowered to purchase, acquire, hold, own, occupy and possess such lands within the limits of this State as they shall seek to occupy and hold as sites on which to erect and maintain forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings, or any of them, as contemplated and provided in the Constitution of the United States; such land to be acquired either by contract with owners, or in the manner hereinafter provided. 6. (6.) Condemnation of land when price not agreed upon.—If the officer or other agent employed by the United States to make such purchase and the owner of the land contemplated to be purchased, as aforesaid, cannot agree for the sale and purchase thereof, the same may be acquired by the United States by condemnation in the same manner as is hereinafter provided for condemnation of lands for other public purposes, and any officer or agent authorized by the United States may institute and conduct such proceedings in their behalf. 3, 1845. 7. (7.) Jurisdiction over such lands, how ceded to the Ch. 25. Sec. United States. Whenever the United States shall contract for, purchase or acquire any land within the limits of this State for the purposes aforesaid, in either of the modes above mentioned and provided, or shall hold for such purposes lands heretofore lawfully acquired or reserved therefor, and shall desire to acquire constitutional jurisdiction over such lands for said purposes, it shall be lawful for the Governor of this State, upon application made to him in writing on behalf of the United States for that purpose, accompanied by the proper evidence of said reservation, purchase, contract or acquisition of record, describing the land sought |