New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-25
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
THAT BOUNDARY DECISION
THE WORK OF THE COMMISSIONERS WARMLY
DEFENDED AND APPROVED.

DEFENDED AND APPROVED.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Under the heading 81 Great Railroad job
your correspondent in last sundays Tribune does great
Injustice 10 the members of the New-fork and New
Jersey Joint boundary Commission, who have Just
completed 50 crcdtaby the arduous task OF agreeing
upon and definitely describing what is probably the most
important state boundary in the country. BY their
faithful work they have finally ended iIspme when
has lasted than century ei'd mas been tls CAUSE
Of costly litigation and bad feeling The impressions
given by the article I'm question are, rst that inc ap
pOntment of this commission was brought ABOUT w
certain great railroad corporations, and that the
Oystermen's dispute IN Raritan Bay was used as
pretext to this end second. that this commission mas
xed the line at position easterly than IL pre-
viousy occupied in the interests OF said corporations
and therefore. by Implication, under the influence
Of these corporations thirdly that the said corpora
tons succeeded I'm hOodwnking the Legislature OF our
state Governor and people generally, IN
Guiding the lastute Erastus Wiman and other staten
ISLANDERS, the great disadvantage of staten Island
and finally, that the NewJersey commissioners were
able entirely to ouwit and get the better of our own
commissioners
As to the first charge. it is not at all difficult for
any one 10 trace the causes which led 10 the appoint
ment of the commission Railroads had nothing to
do with the matter. Since 1899 the disputes of the
oystermen in Raritan Bay had led to action being
taken by the Legislatures for settlement of the line
by commi -sions at various times. but concerted
action could be secured until 17SG. when the ap
p0intment Of commission was authorized by the
Legislatures Of both states. By the language Of the
Joint resolution passed by the Legislature of New
Jersey this commission was TO locate and mark ont
The boundary line between the state of New Jersey
and the stare of New York in Raran Bay and
therefore, had nothing 10 do with the line through
New York Bay. The commission which fixed the
latter part OF the lire through Arthur KILL Kill Won
Kull WORK Bay and Hudson River was ap
pointed later. While the oyster trouble was the i'm
mediate cause of the appointment OF the Rer1tan BAY
Commission, all of these boundary commissions were
the outc0me Of persistent and continuous effort since
1870 on the part Of that devoted Jer,eyman, tho
lao Professor George II. Cook the state Geologlst
to have the State boundaries suitably defined The
first Of them wa, appointed in Is76 to determine the
northern boundary. The writer, in his q" PHYSICAL
Description of NcwIcrscy." published by the Geological
survey I'm I-,-. after a full history Of the state
boundaries had been given and discussed, pointed
ont the necessity Of commission To define at once
more closely the boundary through Hudson River
the Bay and the Kills. The commission was ap
pointed the following winter.
a, TO tho second charge, it has In part been
answered above. The line had previously been re
-arded a. lying In the middle OF the Bay, having
been 80 fixed by the commission Of lo33 For tho
history Of TIN, Inc, beg to refer again to my Phys
present commission could only interpret and define
more closely the agreement entered into Dy the COM
mission of f-33. When our New York commissioners
attempted 10 secure better terms they were met by
4 decision OF Tie Court Ci Appeals OF our own state
IN Nv. celebrated case Of the People
tho state Of New York the Central Railroad of
New,Jcr,cy, in $50. This decision conforming to
The agreement Of I-33 and 20 all precedent in like
cases. fixed the middle OF the Bay the boundary, and
forever set at rst any claim Of state to the So
allied jersey flats, judge Elmer. In the New Jersey
supreme Court ease. STATE -. Bdbc0ck Il Nro0m 2Jl'
in I-c3 lad decided similarly, and very clearly set
forth that to Nev--Nor given jurisdiction over
the Whole BAY aud river, in order that by this con
Dc,,ion New-Jcr,cy night secure property right
r,ach,u. 10 the middle of the river and Bay. should
tlc I. IIt &C. insisted ON that this commission itd
authority % - behind all previous decisions, thri
wee may remind your corr~p nd.nl thtt uu' W.uu
'p-n te question 'o To Nh.'Avr olae.n ISi'L i, -
rlong, t. NeW Jer-ry. cur sister state cOulu pos,
IDLY establish pretty sood caim 10 tta ya ,nlanu
through TIE original grant OF me DUKE Oh horh t,,
The Implication that the gentlemen composing this
commi-~ lon were influenced hy any railroad or othr
corporations by ANYTHING but the desire u 90 tea
important duty we'll. D, scarcely deserving OF nou .
opportunities Of ms position Wouh nav Ia1r iu Hor
millionaire long since. ne breath ol at'P'i,V" -
dared him in llie ana neyer "ii III u,au
rhen too, think it has been sum,lelON S"I Iva
that tie railroad corporations spoken 81 ,oi iIt
nothing TO gain hl the commission Inc an bh
In Auy way affecting tie title To- thc ANUS VIM i,
is claimed they wish 10 acquire, ana tne poCc
t,r.dirtinu over the same, had been settled years
Since. t- To the charge tAat Katsn wa, '' tha
ON the authorities and citizens OF TINS STATE iHe
,,ovcrnor recognized the interest OF staten lslahu III
flr matter by appointing Messr-. VI. W, haletlhe
and R"t.r, Moore two ont Of three Of the comml'-
sion to hook ont for her interests ana uic comm,
-i.rar. or the part Of New Jersey showed their III
tention to deal fairly by making Mr EdWanl /.
bowie another loyal staten ISLANDER thc Sc'lctd4s
,il,d Mn, to see that nothing detrimental Ia home
interest," should go uudetccted. Our remaining com
missioner. Lieutenant G.. e. Hams, OF the 'h.'ei
state, navy. lr.nr an accomplished hydroEraphtI'
th.rl.ify t,nv.r-lut with the harhOr, was especially
well qualified to guard the interests ot our 9,ntc,
I'm short an. one VINO will carefully study the sta'u,
then go over the line liked by them, VIII rcaIh VIC
,.,r,fn-i lam that both states most eNceNenty
Represented aud that every possible point Wa naqv
ly each side. any -ll1ht concessions uclhs HNuvl,S
m. oupu.t'r side at some other point. New ort
l,, l1-; ulthing to which she had any clam ana
Ner Jersey has only kept What New York had i2ls
since conceded t. nor Tor the purpose of securing
notice control over an Of the waters OF the river ana
iay. Tire result is only what was to be expected
from Tire personnel ot the commission
that the decision of this commission atects 0ly Ilo
l,r,pcrty rights of the respective states to lands under
,i-cr The right az police jurisdiction over all OF the
water, ard ovcr VOL, lnEt Is sun vested III on! on
m the u- is arcor table for the prevalent belief that
%,o, Yora owned tine ISLAND and reefs and part OF
the nat oil ay@nne lia1 the co't'' him. Devi n
and utilizing of Thu area would eventually place tho
liu. ON land and the result would be endless c0mpl-
,,tion IL il Is. tlc matter i now set at rest for
,.,,it &. {. VERMEULE
New York. Jan. 10, 1880.
AVAIUED RELIC IN DANGER.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
lin. Jl,ra ara some historical landmarks still