The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-27
TO RECLAIM SOUTH Cove
0Neill's Resolutions for
Reviving the Wet
Basin Grant.
ALL THE MEMBERS WITH HIM.
A History of the Case and the Action
That VIII Now Be Taken
in the Matter.

Consequently there was no lobby.
The following resolution, however, in
troduced by Alderman O'Neill and, with
the exception of the vote of President AL
len, unan imously passed, shows that our
City Fathers, though shorn of much
power, have still the interest OF the city
at heart, and keenly feel the responsible
ity of their several positions. MI Allen
refused to vote on the resolution, because
it is to 90 before the Board of Finance, of
which he is a member. The adoption of
the resolution is an effort on the part OF
the Alderman to reclaim property at
South Cove. between Van Worst street
and Jersey avenue, that will add between
four and five million of dollars to the
value of city property, but which is at
present apparently in the NAV of the
Central Railroad Company.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Mr.. O'Neill's resolution reads as fol-
lows:-
Whereas, By the provisions of an act,
entitled AN act to cede to the Mayor ana
Common Council of Jersey City, certain
lands of the State now and heretofore I'M
der the tide waters of CommuuiDaw Bay,
and to establish a tide water basin ada
cent thereto approved April 4, 1877,
there was coded to the city lands under
the water in C~ommunipaw lying between
Van Worst street and Grove street. and
extending south from Morris street to the
north side of a proposed tide water basin,
and containing by said grant ten acres;
and
whereas, Said act provided further for
the establishment of Il tide water basin.
five hundred feet wide, extending from a
point west OF the line of Jersey avenue,
easterly to the waters OF the Hudson
River, which basin by said act, 1t is de-
clared, shall have the effect OF a contract
SO that the said eide water basin snail De
and remain such forever, but so that said
tide water basin shall be dredged and
kept In order without expense TO the
State, and
"Whereas. 1t was provided by said act
that the title so conveyed to the city by
the State was upon condition that the
city should pay to the State such sum of
money as the Board of Riparian Commits
~sioners of the State shall fix and deter
mine, and that said Commissioners
should file a man and description OF said
grant. duly certified copies of which map
and description are made by said act full
evidence of the title of the city to the
lands SO described and granted, end that
thereafter the city may I'LL up. reclaim
and make wharves of not exceeding two
thirds of the area of said lands, or may
lease the whole or any part for a term or
years, and
"Whereas, On December 8. 1872. the
Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution
accepting the grant and requesting the
Board or Finance to issue a bond for
$1,000, the sum fixed by the Riparian
commissioners of the State, which reso-
luton was vetoed bv Charles II. O'Neill,
the Mayor, on December 10, 1872, and
"Whereas, In answer to a resolution or
December 10, 1872, the Corporation Coun-
sci, William A. Lewis. presented an
-. 49, o,- = 1879 that he pnnrd
of Public Works possess the power under
the charter to build docks, whaves and
piers. ETC., and
Whereas, No further action wa had
until March z. 1885, when the Board OF
Public Works adopted a resolution &C
cepting the grant and requesting the
Board of Finance to issue a bond for one
thousand dollars to the State. which
boud was issued March 4, 1885. and paid
April 80, 1856. and
"Whereas, Because of such delay the
Board of Riparian Commissioners of the
State, disregarding the action of the city
and ignoring the act of the Legislature
made u new division of the property in
question Notwithstanding the fact THESE
same commissioners in their reports for
the years 1871 and 1872 called the atten-
tion of the Legislature to the TACT that
JERSEY City was without public docks
and recommended that u part of the
large basin laid out by the commissioners
in 1864 be conveyed to the Mayor and AL
dermen of Jersey City Tor public uses,
and
"Whereas, Recently the New Jersey
Central Railroad Company have laid rails
over the territory owned by the city and
have filed in in front thereof in direct
violation of law, and by reason Of neglect
on the part of the city or its officers this
valuable grant is rendered inaccessible to
our people and its purpose temporarily, if
not completely, destroyed; therefore
.'Resolved, That the Board of Aldermen
of Jersey City, as representatives OF the
people elected by their votes, do most
earnestly protest against any further de-
lay in the premises, and particularly
against such action as permits the loss to
the people of the grant of land and the
tide water basin mentioned in the fore
going preamble, and demand thai en-
croachments and reprisais by railroad
corporations on TINS particular properly
of the people shall cease.
"Resolved, That recognizing the fact tina
the multifarious public duties of the Cor
poration Counsel, coupled with n large
and successful private practice, do not
afford that official the time necessary to
devote specially to this particular case,
This Board does earnestly request the
Board Of Finance to select some counsel
Tor at law. TO employ him to assist the
CORPORATION Counsel and Attorney for
the purnose of commencing and prosecut-
ln2 vigorously u ACGoA HhNSSSoAhEo 30
are necessary to place the Mayor aud AL
dermen Of Jersey City, and the people in
full and complete possession of the land,
tidewater basin and all the rights, privi-
leges granted and conveyed by said act of
April 4, 1872.
aud resolutions be sent by the City Clerk
to the Board of Finance and the Board of
street and WatertCom mis- @ioner|."
%sALINGER AND o'NEILL AGREE
Mr.. Saiinger moved the adoption of
the resolution.
Mr.. O'NeiIl said, in part, that a certain
member of the Board of Trade first agi-
lated the question. He mad been asked
Inv that member to bring the subject be-
fore the Board of Aldermen, which WIS
the only Board that could be fairly set
down as the represe uJative Board of the
neople of the city. The Corporation
Counsel and the. Corporation Attorney,
he thought. had more on hand concerning
the citv's interests than they could prop
erly attend to.
.sThe Central Railroad Company" he
commended. ''has stolen and filled in about
three hundred feet under a right given
nv the Riparian Commission The city had
Maid the 81, 900 required. The 800 feet of
water front would make at least four
blocks, aud it had increased in value dur
ing the past twenty years to about S4,OOO.-
roo for piers. docks, tracks, etc. Unless
the people at present put Onward all their
enerries fifty years from now, new gener-