The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-30
THE ESTATE OF THE Corporation.

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THE ESTATE or THE C0RPOnaTlJA
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Has the City Governments n just Title TO Its
Lands and Possessions Gan Important
Task for the New Commission and q Grand
Chance for Endless Litigation-The Records
Of the Commission MISUNDERSTANDING
nary Entries and Historical Facts-The Mu-
nicipaI Authorities In the Ancient Roe Of
Rquatter sOvereIgns.
A heathen philosopher, In IN ESSAY on Honesty, =
ceunsesd his disciples take up nothing they hid not
laid down This ancient maxim, II practically applied,
would make great portion Of the property OF the world
change hands II would act like prodgious omec on
the city government OF New York for under its pera-
tons they would disgorgs into the laps Of the hful
ownen the proceeds Of part Of their real esfss TO
which thoy have no title, except that u SCATTER
sovereigns It. TO- however, no part OF Chrttian' .
duty 70 interfere with penents who have voluntarily
come TO the stool of repentance The Corporatfn So
Iected their own striving time few weeks sttce by
appointing commission, composed Of ssmabf gen.
tcmsn 10 make searching inquiry into their assumed
titles and right to tho lots now under their control IN
Various sections Of the Island This cannot be fairy
regarded q an oct Of csntron; II moro cxsmina-
ton Of conscience requiring the aid which We design
10 give cheerfuly In order 70 enable the nunic-
pal government 70 realize proper sense q ther
position, No may rata however, in all charity ths
under the English statute Of constructive fraud, whic,
provides against the possession Or contrl d
anything for which man cannot properir
account, every member Of the city government,
from hin Honor the Mayor to the most learnei
member Of The Counclmsn, might DO incarserasd
In the rombs and their possessions transferred 70 ts
care Of the Property Clerk OF the Police Commission
But qll got al gone" Ii proverb which may b A.
pied with force the Of the city goverlmeu
and n many claimants for DAMAGES growing out II
the squaing proponscs OF the city fathers they woun
probably under the stringent enacments Of immact
iats Legislature who made nothing out OF the raj.
roads, have make erratc levy On the costly Iron
THE COMMISSION.
We adverted In the HERALD TO the Commission At tie
time OF its appointment Its members are doubtless,
able 70 perform the task committed to their hands, blt
the work 10 Of . gigantic character. more In
portant duty, 10 FAR New York Ii concerned,
scarcely be conceived The resolution however uthor
ixng this vast labor fails TO provide for compensation TO
the gentlemen engaged IN y; and Y must be p.ted,
ordinary Jobs are regulated by tho Common Counfl II
Il to be hoped that the lack OF appropriation lead
the Commission 70 abandon the task rather than make
mere superficial inquiry into the subject The history
OF portion Of the city real estate il mythical Ind
claimant accidentally appeared with ground brig from
the Dutch government emitting his ancestor to sme Of
the lots hold by the Corporation city fathers could
only meet the with one OF their numerous esou-
lions II the question was to Dc decided oy antiquarian
research the Notwithstanding, Of course, all
sderaton Of the statute OF adverse possession you'd
como out triumphant from the contest and the onk way
the Corporation could itself would be BY oning
street in the neignborhood and assessing the (aring
claimant heavily Viewed In this light tho rerprt OF
the Commission should be based not on the mere pntcd
records which vague and indefinite, but OF the
actual psrusal Of tho early titles by which land was
acquired In New York. There doubtless many locu-
men nov y sn hsv ,houS ~
sought The old archives Of the State and State De-
partments should b ransacksd t the deeds now miss
or each farm or lot In colonial times should be correctly
reduced into English and the houses and fences which
Termed the boundaries OF each duly consdered for By
this mode the titles to various parcels Of land now held
in by the Corporation Or owned BY private citizens
conid b exhumed We do NOT give this programme in
s.SSs shs Importance ana vssinsss Of their sboss fol-
which NO appropriation made Such men ~ George
H Moore OF the Rhetorical Society Henry Dawson,
the Corporation Counsel, and the venerable Father
Valentine. who compose The Commission, arc amply
Of the character Of The iabors they have been
called to perform We would state however and every
candid ctissn win agree with Ms that their work win
Be incomplete they do NOT account BY title other
ely government Whss they make the necessary ar,
research shall expect 70 sse such paragraphs - thssa
xrrrcrrArsD urHsss or ruE coxnsuox.
"ot u the corner Of Centre and Chambers streets be-
longs by ground brief TO the Provost family held
has no title 70 this parcel except that Of possession
sParcs Of ground a the Junction Of PARK place and
Broadway. We nnd record Of grant Of farm ex
tending here belonging 70 Bayard; 10 described al
west q the swamp, which then located In Ferry
street. II 10 the oniy lot which answer the dcscrip
church This plo. has been sold 70 the United State,
government nj half IL value for Post once site The
city held by adverse possession up TO 1867"
sold during the Revolution 70 the Sons OF Liberty by
patriot named Isaac Sears The Corporation received
title from the SONS" We nnd 4. however. IN thei
~nA vxRac 0ot6 mora d
subject"
We might multiply these instances 70 show what vii
probably BE- character Of tho report but the allow
win sufAce. II Is in the power OF the Commission i
show what title the city has II any, 10 its real estate
and the duty should be performed regardless Of
quences If the city government should be remove,
from its high estate or wealth comparative insolvency.
BY the report act Of cheap justice viii b done 10 thu
right owners.
rnr oRIorSAL 1rnE oy LAND on THIS ISLAND
HoGmann, in his treatise upon the estate and right
Of the Corporation ~ propretors, expressed grea
est attention 10 the vast extent and great completely
the rights OF the Corporation OF New York and OF tn
interests subject 70 is rule no viii conclude that few
communities demand more comprehensive and clearly
defined system Of government" He might have adde's
that tho city government needed equally clear an,
definite record OF Ito titles to tho under IL
controls want which has not Jet been supplied. Hon
III cannot b questioned 1t this day that the right
discovery and occupation Of New Netherlands, and par
tculariy Of Manhavan Island, was in the Dutch, AM
that the claims Of the English were unfounded."
II should be remembered here that the city claims IL
properly BY virtue Of charten from the English gov
erno OF the Province, and the character Of its title
Hoffman, who the adviser Of the Corporation. 10 4
worth Mr. Broadhead the sminsns historian l. anothe
witness this fact Hoffman also fornes Is assertion
BY the following
m. SUPREME couxr on nm susncr
rhs doctrine rsco.nEsd BY the Supreme Court OF ths
United States that the title 70 possessions IN Amsrici
BY discovery and that the Indian tribes were 70
garded a. temporary occupants Of the SOIL sppli
cable 70 the Dutch government ~ the English
9 wheaton. Sos: 10 Peters o61.
rHn DUTCH uTLn CONFIRMED NJ rnR RroIIsn
From the year 1876 70 1874 when the English obaines
possceton of the island considerable number OF grant
Of land made By the Dutch government 70 ths
settlers for money and services Thoss grants
nrmcd BY the Ensah, and property 10 held By thsi
force and virtue 70 the present day will b admttes
that the tes Of a lands the island not thus granes
were vested In the OF Great Britain ih repre-
seutstivee the English governors: but glance tn