The daily gazette., 1883-02-10
THE BOARD OF TRADE.
A BILL TO PROVIDE FoR PORT
WARDENS.
TO PROTECT OUR NAVIGATION.
Meeting of the Board of Trade-FuI rext
Of an Important Bill Affecting the
Christiana.

The Board of Trade held a special meet
ing last night. President Jackson presided
and number Of leading citizens were pre-
sent.
Mr.. Cotton, chairman of the Committe,
on Legislation, reported the following bill
intended as an amendment to the charter O
the Board: An act to amend Chapter 452
Volume % of the Laws of Delaware.
Be u enacted by the Senate and House O
Representatives Of the State of Delaware IL
General Assembly met (two-thirds of eacl
branch concurring therein)
SECTION l. That sections 8 and Of Chap
ter 452, Volume 13 of the Laws of Delaware
be repealed and stricken out and that IL
lieu thereof the following be inserted, viz
SEC. 3. The said corporation shall at its
regular annual election for officers also elect
a Board of Port Wardens consisting of moi
less than three nor more than seven mem.
bers who shall hold office for the term Of
one year or until their successors be duly
elected. The jurisdiction of said Board Of
Port Wardens shall be deemed to extend
from the mouth Of the Christiana river ia
Newport on said river Christiana and the
shores thereof, from the mouth of the
Brandywine river to the Market street bridge
on the said river Brandywine and shores
thereof, and upon the Delaware river from
the northern boundary line of the State OF
Delaware to the northern limit of the city
of New Castle.
SEC. 4. 1t shall be the duty of said Board
| Of Port Wardens to survey, lay out, regu.
late, limit, describe and establish extension
lines for all bulkheads, piers and docks
within their jurisdiction as defined In the
| preceding section, which lines when so as
certained in accordance with the provisions
hereinafter contained shall be regarded as
arbitrary lines, beyond which no permanent
structures of any character whatsoever shall
be placed. In case any person shall tres
| pass beyond the lines SO ascertained and de-
| fined or shall disregard the same In the erec-
| ton, construction or location of any im-
| provement or structure, he shall forfeit and
| pay to the said corporation, "The Whining
| ton Board of Trade" the sum of 81 900 to
be recovered with costs of suit as debts of
| like amount are by law recovered. The
said fine when collected shall be paid over
less the costs and expenses of collecting the
same to the Treasurer of New Castle county
| for the general use and benefit of said
| county ana the said person, persons or cor
| porations SO trespassing or SO disregarding
said lines in the erection of any improve
ment or encroachments, as aforesaid, shall
within 90 days, ifthe Board of Port Wardens
| so direct, remove any and all such obstruc-
| tiOns at their own proper costs and expense,
or failing so to do, the said Board of Port
| Wardens may cause said improvements or
encroachments to be removed and to re-
cover the cost of such removal from the
property upon which such obstructions may
have been erected.
SEC. 5. The breadth of water front ap-
pertaining to each proprietor or owner of
| land on any of the river banks aforesaid
| shall be determined by said Board of Port
Wardens by protracting the lines of the land
to the line established as the limit to which
wharves may be extended, whenever the pro-
traction OF said lines would not result in
giving the said owner more, or to any other
property owner less, than his proportionate
share of frontage on the said wharf line,
and in case of conflict arising from the
divergence or conveyance of the lines of
private riparian property or the public
streets, the Board of Port Wardens are au-
thorized to settle the lines outside of low
water mark so that equal justice shall be
done to all concerned.
SEC. 8. To enable the Board of Port War
dens the better to establish said exterior and
bulkhead lines in accordance with Justice
and equity they shall employ competent
engineer and surveyor, with assistants, If
necessary, at cost not to exceed 81, 900 per
annum 10 carefully survey, locate, plot and
map out all such lines as are mentioned and
intended in preceding Section 4 of the act
And the said Board of Port WardeHs or a
majority of them shall make full return of
their said proceedings and determinations
| in the premises under their hands or a ma
| ority of them to the City Council of VIII
mington as soon as conveniently may be
after said lines are SO surveyed, located,
plotted, and mapped out by said engineer
and surveyor, and approved and adopted by
said Board or a majority of them. The said
returns shall be filed and preserved in the
office of the Clerk of City Council. The
said clerk shall also cause the said return to
be recorded in the Office for recording deeds
| in and for New Castle county. And the
record of the same or duly certified copy
thereof shall be competent evidence in all
courts of law and equity in this State.
Sec. Z. The compensation of such engi-
neer or surveyor and necessary assistants
shall be paid by the Treasurer Of New Castle
county upon certificate by the Board of Port
Wardens or a majority of them that the
same is according to the stipulations of their
contract and the service for which such
compensation is claimed has been duly per-
| formed.
SEC. 8. The above mentioned survey, plot
and return shall be completed within two
| (2) years from the passage of this act.
SEC. Q. Any person desiring to build,
head, wharf, dock or other improvement or
structure on or along any water front within
the above mentioned Jurisdiction of said
Board of Port Wardens shall first submit
proper drawings, plans, surveys and specii-
cations thereof, made by a competent engi-
neer and surveyor for the inspection, exami-
nation and approval of the same by the said
Board. The said Board of Port Wardens or
a majority of them shall have the right and
authority for sufficient cause to reject
said plans in whole or in part, or to alter,
amend or correct the same. Upon their ap
proval of said plans the said Board of Port
Ward ans or a majority of them shall at once
on the payment of the proper license fee
issue to said applicant license authorizing
and permitting the erection and construc
tion of the improvements described in said
plans and Specifications as approved by the
Wardens. The license fee shall be the sum
of ten (1O) dollars, which shall be paid by
said applicant to the Master Warden for the
use of the city of Wilmington, alterations in
the nature of repairs being excepted.
SEC. 10. Any person violating the proyi-
sions of the preceding section shall forfeit
and pay to the said corporation, "rhe VIII
mington Board of Trade" the sum of one
thousand dollars (s1 ,000), to be recovered
with costs to suit as debts of like amount
are recovered by law. The said fine when
so collected shall be paid over, less the costs
and expenses of collecting the same, to the
| Treasurer of New Castle county for the
general use and benefit of said county.
SEC. IL. The Board of Port Wardens or
any Of them shall, upon the application of
the master or owner of any vessel or the
shipper or consignee of any cargo coming
| f..A T.. H..