New-York tribune., 1899-08-24
RAHROADED AT ALBANY.
HISTORY OF THE RAMAPO CHARTER-NlAON
IT'S CHIEF SPONSOR-PASSED IN THE
RUSH OF A SESSIONS CLOSE.
fpY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TnInuNE.l

fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuSE.l
Albany. Aug 23-It is probable that most
| v,eorous attempt will be made by the people
| Of New-York next year to obtain from the Leg
| isleture a repeal Of the charter of the Ramapo
| Water Company. or at least to abridge the great
| privileges il has obtained Therefore II Is per-
! tinent 70 call attention to the interesting cir
| cumstance that II s Frederick Nixon
present Sneaker Of the Assembly, who intro
| duced the Ramapo Water bill in 1880. How u
happened that the promoters of the company
| thought & best to have gentleman from Chau-
| tsuous County introduce their bill is not known
| nor &c II known why Mr. Nixon had such
| hAnevoent interest in the welfare Of the people
| of Nev--York and was desirous that they should
have plenty Of water--at their own heavy ex-
pense Mr. Nixon is suave gentleman, ana VIII
doubtless give a smooth explanation OF MS
| connection with the scheme.
WHEN THE BILL APPEARED
The hill was introduced in the Assembly on
March Is. 1875 Avowedly its purpose was 70
| limit and define the powers Of the Ramapo
| Water Company" It little creature,
mere babe this bill in its original form; out
| il underwent a remarkable growth while II
was going through the Legislature expanding
under Mr. Nixons care into a very Goliath OF
q corporation II read as follows when intro
| duced on March Is. by Mr. Nixon
Section 1 The Ramapo Water Company.
| heretofore incorporated under Chaptet ~ %
| the Laws Of 1S4S. entitled An Act TO AuthorZe
| the Forma ton Of Corporations Tor ManuIdCt-
| uring Mining. Mechanical or Chemical fur
| poses" and the amendments thereto Dy Ger
| ti6cate of incorporation filed in the ONCE or
the Secretary of State the 14th day of Sep
| tember 1887 may acquire such lands ana Ma,-
ers along the watershed Of the Famap0' +rih',. E
| pus and Housatonic rivers and ther ulour
| taries as may be suitable for the purpose OF
accumulating and storing the waters tnereol'
| storine deducting selling furnishing and sup
| nlving water for mining, domesuc, rnanuldcIul-
| ing municipal and agricultural purposes 10
cities towns and villages and other corpor a.Iois
| end to persons that may lawfully contract
| therefor and may lease its ponds. lakes ana
reservoirs for term of years to any lndlvldual
or corporation for the purpose or cutting zee
| thereon provided however, that such company
| shall not SELL furnish supply or otner"lse al
! low the water power to be USED TOT rnanutao- ,.
turing or any other purpose as may De hoAlou9'
| DANGEROUS and offensive
| Sec Q This act shall take effect Immediately.
IN THE COMMITTEES POSSESSION.
| rb. III, mas committed on its introduction TO
the Committee on Internal Affairs. There was
| a. certain Appropriateness in this. since the
| chairman OF this committee was Assemblyman
| Cutler Of Rockland County: the Ramapo range
| extending through Rockland County The other
| members Of the Committee on Internal Afalrs
| were Assemblyman Snyder, of Schuyler County
| Van Keuren Of Ulster County; Rider. OF Otsego
| County; Brown Of Yates County; clark, OF On
| taro County; Keenholts, Of Albany County;
| vacheron, of Queens County; McNaughton Oh
| Saratoga County; Staley, of schoharie county
| and Norton, of Rensselaer, County
| The bill was in the possession OF the commit
! .oo an Internal Affairs until April IS when 1t
was reported favorably with most extensive
| amendments. and became a law precisely as IL
| was introduced by the Committee on Internal
| Affairs
II Is doubtful if many people knew OF the re-
| roarkabe charges made In 1t since II was Hlst
| introduced.
WHAT THE ASSEMBLY JOURNAL SAID.
rha Assembly Journal of April 16, 1898, says
Mr. Cutler. from the Committee on Internal
| Affairs to which referred the piid 1h'io
| duced by Mr. Nixon. Introductory NO; %, 5 en,
.HS az, Act to Limit and Define the Powers
| ~ the Ramapo Water Company reported IN
| favor of the passage OF the same WIFI 'ne i''
io%ing OWING Hna 3 after the word acquire in.
cert The words 'in the same manner specHiea "a
and ACQUIRED in and by an act en1itea An 60 -
| a. Authorize the Formation or RAILROAD CoI ,
| 10 Aueno I ard n Regulate the Same passed
| April 9 1880. the acts amenoa'orS t'eie'i 0
| supplemental thereto. . .ho ,,ords "De
conns and Horsatonic rivers ana insert the
lords land along such other watersheds. s.,,,o,
Page Q, line 4. strike out the words cues, a,,,,
towns and villages" and insert tne "oIu' any
| city town and village ana TO- 49,, suou-,,c.
'iS S,,La ont section and add the Following:
"cectIon 2 Said corporation before constructing
any parts of its works IN any anV proceedings
| for the condemnation of real properly theIeiI,
| shall make map Of the route adoPteu anu IN ~
lard 70 he taken by II in such county. Wnlcn
Hs la oan sbaIl be certified by the president and
| engineer of the corporation or a majority y. VI Vi
| the directors and shall file the same IN tne once
~ ,ba clerk OF the county through which the route
| oi - u ~ IN which the said lands are situated
| Said CORPORATION shall give written notce to al
| actuaI occupants Of lands so deslgHateu anu
| which have not been purchased oy OF sIHeI - ~
| y, 20 tba lime and place such map or maps were
| died Arv such occupant or the owner OF the t
| iand acerieved by the proposed iocdtion may
| ritb,r Nfteen days after receiving such nouce
give ten days written notice to sucn corporaIiot t
| end IN the owners or occupants or the lands 10
| be affected by any proposed alteration Oh tne t
| time and place Of an application 10 Jusute @ &c
| - The Sunreme Court in the judicial district IN
| which the lands are situated by petition GUY
| verified for the appointment or CommlssioneIs
| IN examine the lands so designated Ihe peu-
| .,or sbalI state the objections 10 the route
| designated shall designate the route TO wnleh
| a. ia nroposed to alter the same. and snail oe
accompanied with survey map anu pion's ~ =
| ~ the route designated by the corporation ana
| ~ the proposed alterations thereof and copies
| thereof shall be served upon the corporation ana
| such owners or deponents with the notice or
| - .nnlication The Justice may upon the
hearing of the application appoint DESIGNATED
| nersons one Of whom must be practlcai civil
| Engineer Commissioners to examine the route
nroposed by the corporation and the route TO
Which II s proposed to alter the same. and al
| ter the hearing the parties aff1rm the route
| or,g,naIIy designated adopt the proposed
oiteration thereof as may he consistent with
the lust rights Of all parties and the public. In
| Guiding the owners or occupants or the land
| nnon the proposed alteration but no alteration
| NJ the route shall be made except with the con.
! currence of the Commissioner who is a practical
| sngineer nor shall IL cause greater damage or
| injury or materially lengthep ths sefsse desig-