The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-03-15
A BIG WATER STEAL


| OF The Sdlu MOIIlS Cdlldl anu OchhA1hS
Company and it's said lessee, that by
virtue Of authority conferred by said
charter or it's supplements the sa1c
companies have the right to dam uI
and store the waters of Green POND
and Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood
Lake, and to take and convey the sal d
waters, together with the waters OF the
Rockaway river and certain other
streams into and along the said canal,
which waters, and the right to take
and use the same. the said companies
propose to sell and dispose Of to other
corporations which are now or may
be hereafter engaged in supplying
water for municipal use;
And Whereas, 1t is deemed by the
legislature inexpedient that so great
a supply of potable waters shall be
monopolized by any private company
or companies, and the legislature is
unwilling to authorize the abandon.
ment of said canal and the devotion OF
the property and rights pertaining
| thereto to other public purposes, with.
out fully considering not only the in
terests OF said companies, but also
the general interests of the people Of
the State and the reverisonary rights
| VI PIlNdbO DlOPOAbJ OWAOAP - U@AN
lands and water rights which have
been acquired and held by said Morris
Canal and Banking Company, for the
use of said canal therefore,
Be it enacted by the Senate and
General Assembly of the State of
| New Jersey:
The Governor is hereby authorized
to appoint six commissioners, to be
known as the Morris canal commits
sioners, who shall examine into and
report upon the proposed abandon
ment of the Morris canal for naviga-
tion purposes and the proposed devo-
tion of the property of the Morris
Canal and Banking Company, or of
its lessee, the Lehigh Valley railroad
company, to other public uses; and
the said commissioners shall also
examine into and report upon the
lands, waters, water rights, rights of
flowage and diversion, riparian rights,
rights of way and other easements
and privileges which are held or
claimed by said companies or either
of them, and how and in what manner
the same were acquired and upon
what terms the same are held, and
whether any of the lands, property or
rights which were of the said Morris
Canal and Banking Company have
been sold or disposed of, and if so to
whom and in what manner; and what
powers and franchises have been
granted to said companies, or either of
them, and whether said powers and
franchises, or any of them, have be-
come exhausted or have been lost by
non user or lapse of time or otherwise +;
and whether it is just to the people of
the state and TO private property
owners that said canal or any part
thereof, should be Abandoned and
that said companies, or either of them,
should be permitted to retain the
property, rights, powers and fran
chises pertaining to said canal, or to
sell or dispose of the same to other
persons or corporations, so that the
same, or any of them, shall be devoted
to other public uses and also to ex-
anime into and report the fair value of
the canal and its appurtenancss and
the said property, rights and fran
chises, to the said companies, or
either of them, and also the fair value
thereof to this state; and whether
the said canal and it's appurtenances,
or any part thereof, if taken by the
| profitably operated as public high
way by charging reasonable tolls for
transportation thereon; and also what
supply of potable waters could be
gathered and distributed by means
of said canal, and from what sources
it could be drawn, having due regard
to the rights and interests of private
persons owning property adjacent to
fhO Of c11DfnIp and Xuhnfhnr
it is expedient for the state to own
or control the water supply of the
said canal and to use the same for the
purpose of supplying municipalities
with water on just and equitable
terms.
2. The said commissioners, or a
majority of them, are authorized to
employ counsel engineers, accountants,
stenographers and such clerical as
sistants as they may deem proper, and
to hold sittings at any place in this
State, and to send for persons and
under oath or otherwise; the said
commissioners shall receive for their
services such reasonable compensa-
ton as the governor shall fix and such
compensation, together with the ex-
ponsoe uooessdIAly luouIAou Ny suOH
commissioners, shall, when approved
by the Governor, be paid by the trea-
surer on the warrant of the comp
troller out of any funds especially
appropriated for that purpose.
The said commissioners shall per-
form and complete their duties under
this act as speedily as practicable,
and shall submit a report or reports
from time to time, together with
such suggestions andsrecommendations
as they may deem expedient, to the
next or any subsequent session of the
legislature.
a. This act shall take effect i'm