The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-21
Grounds,
The following is the act of the legislature

of Illinois on the subject:
An act Cedng to the United States of America
Jurisdiction over certain Lands IL the County of
Rock Island State of Illineis.
SECTION /, Be enacted by the people of the
state of Illinois, representedin the general assem-
bly, That jurisdiction over the island of Rock ISL
and and the small islands contiguous thereto,
known as Benham's, Wilson's and Winnebago
islands, and their shores, taken and assigned by
the United States for the establishment Of an ar
senal and armOry, be and is hereby ceded to the
said United States: Pr0Uided, that the command
ing officer shall, on application of a competent
state officer. allow the execution of all civil and
criminal process issued under authority of the state
OF Illinois on said islands in the same way and
aforesaid.
Sc. Be it further enacted. That the islands
before named and the public buildings and other
property that may be thereon, shall forever here
after be exempted from ali state, county and NUM-
cipal taxation and assessment whatever so long as
the same shall be used by the United States as an
arsenal or armOry.
APPROVED February, 1867.
In an act passed the same year ceding
the jurisdiction over certain land in Cook
county, purchased by the United States
for the purpose of erecting thereon a
marine hospital, it is provided as follows:
p All civil and criminal process issued under
the authority Of this state by any of its ocers
pursuance Of law may be executed on said real
estate as II such jurisdiction had not been ceded
Neither the state or the city can make
any law, rule or regulation with regard tc
anything on the Island of Rock Island
Benham's Island, Winnebago Island, Will
sons Island or their shores The only re.
seryation to the state or city is that on ap
plication of competent officer elected OIL
appointed under the laws of this state
the commanding officer shall allow the ex,
cution of all civil or criminal process ISSUED
under authority or in pursuance of law il
this state.
But Col. Flagler has undoubted au
thority to exclude from the privileges o
the bridges all persons who abuse sale
privileges and it is certainly an abuse o
the privilege of free passage over thu
bridges to use that privilege for the pur
pose of unreasonable extortion or robbery
1t is an abuse of the free passage given BY
the United States to demand unreasonable
and unusual fare. If the hackmen are il
the habit Of carrying people between thu
two cities for 25 cents, it is an outrage t
charge travellers any more than Is cents
Hut. few if any travellers would probably
find any fault at SO cents for themselve.
and ordinary baggage-if they have extr;
baggage they would expect to pay LITTLE
more. Travellers are not unreasonable
they are willing to pay fair prices for fail
service; but when it comes to extortior
and robbery it is the duty Of our city au
thorities to step in and correct the abuse
Our authorities should make formal appli
cation to Col. Flagler, asking him to exer
else his authority to exclude, on report o
the chief of police, all hackmen from tn
use of the bridges who charge traveller
exhorbitant and unusual rates. Let then
net be permitted to use the United State
property to rob citizens of the Unite
States. 1t seems to us that Col. Flagle
owes it to the citizens of the country h
serves to protect them from extortion 0
ground of which he is placed in charge.