New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-06-06
STATE as. CITY-MADE LANDS.

To n. Editor Of The N Y Tribune
SIR: The Issue between appears to be narrowed
down TO two points. In your leader of June 4, yos
find no other answer to my letter in Fridays TRIBUNE
than upon these two points, and presume, therefore,
3 you assent TO all else.
As to the frst understand you TO contend that,
when the act Of 1903 gave the city authority to "fH
up alter amend any pU6iic siip it thereby au-
thorzed the running Of piers to any extent into the
river beyond the city's grant. The piers and slips
so by the law of 1903 consolidated in 1873 authorized
90 be amended were 'cithia the ctys grant. As late
1877 much of the ground inside of South and West
streets was untitled and the piers were extended ont
20 tOse streets and thus left untitled most of the slips
and lots INSIDE of those Streets and it to those
slips and lots that the law of 1893 and 1913 applied
The place where the long lire of stores stand be-
tween Washington and West streets, was then, in
lo21, open slips and sunken lots.
Besides, your argument, 10 be of any avail, must go
the length of contending that, when the law of 1898
consolidated with others in 1885, gave the city power
to - H up, AFTER or amend any pabic ShP IT was
not confined TO the legitimate purposes OF piers and
slips, but that the city might fill into tue river, solid
ground, 10 any extent, for uses other than for piers
and sps, and then claim title. Such construction, 1t
seems to me, hardly requii es an answer.
Your idea, therefore, that the law of 1903, was an
act of legislation mphedy asserting to the existence,
and authorizing the amendment Of piers aud slips, cut
side 81 the city grant is entirely uniounded.
AZ 10 the second point, your proposition Is that,
the State authorized the filling in Of sunken lots or
slips heS ond the city grant as it dd no the land
filed in became thereby, without other action, the
properly Of the city, and the title became thereby
transferred from the Slate to the city. Precisely acheH,
ii youi judgment, the title passed you 90 not say.
suppose your idea is that each load u was dumped,
worked transfer from State 20 city Of the title 10
curiesI ouding amount of land on which II rested.
The same argument applies to sunken lots, and sinks,
Ac., authorized b. the same section OF The same law
90 be filed in. This tmPlted passing OF ae title to
land is, think, quite new with you, and tnis sanitary
b-
8 mighty patent transferring large amounts and what
amounts only in the utys discretOnj Of real es-
tate from the state 10 the city. The Supreme Court
did not agree with you, when II sand The C0rp0ra-
ton can have 10 such right nasmucb as the land on
which the pier is erected was never granted TO them,
nor was The soil ulder tie water where the vessel
" ly for which this wharfage was paid. NJ tmPited
- rant as contained tie at u the LcgtSLQTc.
As in Your article you eier to the HarbOr Commits
eioneIs Jet me commend your attention the fol-
loving paragraphs, nom their report:
queuy hy The Of 1901 1913 recognized and confirmed
South and West street, the eat cleror streets OF the
g. s ~ Of Nv Yo,k has onihorized or nernttsd t6
deYot earth in the Hudson River between the termination
o. Dev aud Gesey streets. Tor about i35 deph and
fet width wet street thus deprived pot Of
49, IN tine center Uusne ty Thousand
,uDs SNORING. The ute to this land the area Of which
thousand doaTs IN me peone Of ne state aud sucn ds
may be- made OF It as the Legislature ii agfm
p SIS 10 your argument that The city aas 7 gal
rich, g push IFS piers into the Hudson aud Eat rivers
So far ss il chooses. even 10 the other sle because
YOU say man has legal right % build his house 70
lie rsCon would suggest that when yOu undertake
the interesting enterprise Of building yonr house to the
moeIi You must do It on your 01rH Lgad-yon cannot
do IL en- the land Of your neghbor, of the State. Yet
e,l claim By anai0gy, the right of the city 70 dock
across these rvers On hc Statc's t0nd slight dill
EreDoe you perceive. Beside, when you huiid 10 the
moon, YOU Must not darken your neig16ors ancient
Tplt; and when you get your house iinshed--s bare
on the earth and piuDace resting on the mocI-t
Viii not STIR So for the earth is suspected Of turning
round occasionally and the moon he sell is not KNOWN
n he entirely STATIONARY and Your house would tum-
be 50 that YOU could commence 1t over again. Not 80
in cooking tito the river. The land You make over
the SAFE laud is permanent, and stays forever The
two cases submit are not precisely smiiar ana the
illustration is 71O0aSh.Hf. l. /.