, 1869-01-28
THE LAKE. FRONT BILL.

TIE LAKE FRONT BILL.
ts= question Of c1ea'c5t intcres! a:
Springfield at the present time rel9tcs TO
The ownership OF the submerged lands On
1Lr east front ct the city of Chicago. We
predicted, two years sgo, that there would
scmc day be fierce contest over this
properly, and We then urged the Com
non Council! to take immediate stems to
Secure 1t 10 the city. We believed then,
a.d NC tclicve now, that il the city
su'AoFit!ss had conprchendcj, OF had
teen able TO comprehend. the subject, the
Il ltlo Ibis Va :li|c domain might have
tt6n scces.,!- Fail:1's Hl1bor and Dock
b:l' hst just .9y2 killed, and in the midst
Ct he II J'gna'i@n which tha. barefaced
sc2ems h7d cDgenderel the Legislature
"ss in rln1d 10 hare vested it iu the
city at once snd withon! question. Ea,
Eetliue was i ene. Senator Eastman in-
f1otueed h!1lto accomplish the objcc>.
lat il encountered sneers and jibes from
'tcsc who ought to have been most
zcalous and irdeiatigable in procuring lis
Tsssaee.
Alter lspsc Of two years (aui some
1srd ighline), the Council procured an
S;'st1act Of title to the shore, tending
Il disclose the riparian ownership. We
s.y fcHdtag to disclose it, tor all that was
ul:clo:Ld WAS color OF title inferred
dr3n certain acts Of the Canal Commss-
sinners, in 1855. Whether the title was
IL tile city, or in tho purchasers Of lois
ia Fractional Section Ii, OF in the Canal
TRUSTEES, could not be determined without
= iu1lcia! Investigation. It was shogn
pretty clearly that the title to tie shore
Inc, commonly Known as Lake Park,
WAS rct II II tte- Sts..cc; t..c; 5ccau:c tuc Lrris.
1s:u1c had once, q. least. by public oct,
1tcosfizcd il as n common appcrlatning
T." lie city OF Chicago. The riparian
ownership, it is we'll understood, has 8
most important benring on the adjust
1ncnt OF tltlr TO the outside property.
IhcIe has becu no decision In the
nltcd Siates Ceurls, SO fur as We know,
:4Tcu1ascly determining the rules {cxcept
:iF regards natural accrettop) which
Apply to an inland Eca like L1kr Mich;-
f&r. There have been decisions regard.
5r., 'hc land underneath the ocesn, where
The tide GIBBS and f,ws, and alsp con.
clrnlne inland rivers. II the rules gov-
cI0'ng inland rivers npply 10 Lake u .ch-
'tan, thcn the ripsrian owner IL the
o~uef U! the tee to the centre Of the lake,
although he caInot enter npnn ,.ud nos.
itss i! tn the prejudice Of nay,gA,ioo.
NAcccver the submcrgc,! land becomes
'nGjtcl to occupancy bis rights be omc
ac'tvc nrd paramount, and liz Is cuabicl
10 d.spohstss any opposing claimant.
About eighteen months ago the rcnrc-
iehtat,ycs III the Illinois Central, MlcAi-
t'nu c.ntEal and Chicago, Burlington &
een:IcY Na'lfoads proposed 10 The CON-
mon C,unc!l to buy the three blocks OF
III occupied land adjoining their tracks,
lying b2twecn Randolph and Monroe
streets. a portion OF t4is ground had
been dedicated to tut public by the agent
q the War Department who surveyed
:tEtl st'fd :he lots il Fort Dearborn Addi-
1l0p. Another PARTON had been r..
claimei irom tie Iake by gradual filling;
ar9 SILL another portion belonged to
'Frsttlon<l Section 15"-that il, to
e'c 'r*c laid out by the Canal Commis-
EioneTs in 1866. The railroad men pro.
l-sed TO tie committee Of the Council,
who we're appointed to confer With them,
1Aat if'ey would pay the city $s0O,0UO
III tit ground, or mere if it WAS wor n
:no1e; ttas they would accept qu!t-claim
aetd AID that they would cooperate with
zne city IN procuring from the S:atc and
1lt United States relilquishment to The
city Of all the right, title and interest Of
tie State and the United States, in and
20 1he ground known as Lake Park, and
The submerged land lying east Of the
EaEc- We th3Ek that this was & fair offer
IN every point of view. The ground
composing the three blocks has risen in
value yery considerably in consequence OF
the agitation regarding lis use tor
tie ert ction OF new passeu.
CTR depot, but at the time the ne.
Eotiatl'n commenced it was not worth
much more than SS00,O00. The railroad
ccnpaaics, however, distinctly stated
that ttey wanted to pay what the land
was Wnrth-that if it was worth more
Thar Ssou,0C0 they would psy more
No attention was paid to this offer ex-
cep: BY refusal on the part of the Coun-
Gil TO have anything TO Go with it. One
Alderman made himself conspicuous by
denouncing the railroads and declaring
III TIT Council Chamber that they hsJ
c.dcayored'to detraud the city by OBJ
tanning the land a. q gross undcrvalua-
ZION. All this before the Council had
h1ed ary value upon 1t at all, We
warned the public authorities then that
II they forced The railroads to 60 to
Sprlt eicld, ard provoked them to be-
Gene iEe'T eLemIes. the city would not
sta1d The ghost Ct chance. AID so II
st: Il. likely 10 turn out.
- al. rs Of the Legislature from ,ht
c7urtry districts, hearing the hubbub
AID leicg appealed to By the city on the
cne haln, and the railroads on the other
ssy to themselves: "1f tho State own!
"anytLing in that water, it is our bust
"rcSs to hold on TO it" In the midst O
lie controversy the Illinois Cen.ra
Ral'1oad steps II, and offers to pay tht
: ate seven per cent OF the gross receipt.
i1om ,bc water front, (for harbor pur
nises), if The States interest shall
tt conveyed to it. And here th
matter stands. There are some goo,
lawyers in the Central R1il1osd manage
Een1, and VIC Understand that they have
cohGoerce in being able to 1itigatc sue
cc:siully with the city f'r the title to th
properly, If they &C: their Law passed
We presume they will have q chance t
Try. The city can never psrt with il
ciHim to the outside harbor without
most determined struggle; and, as prt
l!nllrsry step, We conjnIe our represents
lives al Springfield TO use their utmoE
tnttavo1s to secure the passage OF ii
koilkerbockcr's bill.