The record-union., 1891-12-22
U. S. SUPREME COURT.
DECISION AFFECTING LANDS IN
SAN FRANCISCO.
The Solitary Confinement of Prisoners
Condemned to Death Declared
Demonstrations.
Special to the RECORD UNION.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2l.-The United
States Supreme Court, in an opinion
written by Justice Lamar. to-day re-
versed the decision of the Supreme Court
of California in the case of Thomas
Knight VS.. The United Land Association
and Clinton c. Tripp. This case attracted
much attention on the Pacific Coast, and
concerns title to property in San Fran
cisco of great value. The effect of the
decision is to sustain the rulings of the
Interior Department. The case involved
controversy as to the line of the boundary
of the city OF San Francisco on the bar
| That city claimed as Successors of the
Mexican pueblo four square leagues of
land on the northern part OF the penin-
Sula, on which the city is situated 1t
presented claim TO the Board of Land
Commissioners created under an Act of
Congress of March 3, 1851, for its adiudi-
cation and confirmation. The board con-
tirmed it for portion of the land and
rejected it for the remainder. The case
was appealed to the United States Circuit
Court for the District of California Here
the claim OF the city was confirmed on
the 18th of May, 1865, for four square
leagues. The case was further appealed
to the supreme Court of the United
States, which in December, 1886, on
motion ofthe Attorney-General,d dismissed
the appeal, and a survey made of
the claim. The decree founded the claim
one the high-Water mark of the bay of
San Francisco as it existed July Z, 1866
A dispute arose as to where this line
should be run, whether it should follow
the high-water mark of the bay and cross
the mouths OF the creeks and estuaries
that run into the bay. or whether it should
follow up the banks Of these streams
The Interior Department held after re-
peated arguments that the line should fol-
low the high-water mark of the bay, and
cross the mouths of all creeks that run
! into it. The survey in conformation with
the decision was approved and patent
issued. Certain parties claiming land
along the creeks as marsh or tide lands
resisted enforcement; that the matter had
been in more or less legislation for some
years. This controversy was finally de-
cided by the decision of the court to-day
in accordance with the ruling of the In
terror Department, approving the survey
adopted by that department, and a patent
was issued thereon. This is said to end
the litigation, which lasted nearly thirty
nine years. The lands affected, though
originally tide lands, have been improved
and now form valuable part of the city
of San Francisco. Valuable riparian
rights are also involved.
The United States Supreme Court to-
day, in an opinion by Justice Gray,
affirmed the decision of the lower court
III the cases of Peter j. Claasen and Fred
erick Simonds, convicted of embezzle-
mcnt and "kiting" operations in connec-
ton with the Sixth National Bank of New
York. 1t is said that counsel for the
prisoners have under consideration the
advisability of an application for pardon.
The Supreme Court to-day affirmed the
decision of the lower court declaring the
provision IN the New York law providing
for solitary confinement of persons con-
demned to death, and other features, un-
constitutional. The legality of punish
ment of death by means of electricity
was not attacked.
The Supreme Court to-day advanced to
the second Monday in the next term
arguments in the suits involving title to
large amounts of property along and
under the lake in Chicago.
The United States Supreme Court adj
journed to-day over the Christmas holi-
DAYS