The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1905-05-20
Lake Tasse

The State Land Office is again
beng flooded with inquiries per,
tanning to the status of the dried
lake TaSse, or Spanish Lake. lands
in Iberia parlSh embraced within
the boundaries of several very
valuable Spanish grants Some
of thc biggest lawyers in the
state are graphing with the stu
alton, and thus far all appear to
be at sea az to the real status of
the land IN question From the
records of the State Land Office
nothing can be asctIiaInrd. The
present owners of he Spanish
grants referred to seem to think
that Spanish Lake land belongs
to the United State government.
and that the state Land Office.
therefore, has no jurisdiction over
the questions involved. Several
parties who are rndtavOTing to
secure the land claim that the
State is the owner and should
have survey made and proceed
to sell same, while another class
claim thai owning the land ada
cent to the dried lake, they are
protected by the law and princi-
Piles applying to riparian owner
ship, and a further contention by
some is that the land has never
been approved to the State by
Congress, and that therefore the
State can not dispose of same,
having no title. There is no doubt
but that the entire question will
be taken to the higher courts for
final judicial determination Sew
eral weeks ago Register Crandell
appointed a reputable surveyor,
under the provision OF Act No. S6
of 1904, to survey one of the
claims in said dried lake, but in
formation has reached the State
Capitol that the surveyor for some
reason has failed to proceed with
the work he recently engaged to
undertake, and the State Land
Office is now being besieged by
applicants for another surveyor,
but, of course, nothing will be
done until the present surveyor
will have been heard from. The
State register has done all that is
required Of his Office in the prem
ises. lie can not throw around
the official surveyor police prOtec-
ton, nor can he prevent the filing
of an injunction. In other words,
having done his duty he will now
"stand pat and peacefully await
the result the survey or an order
of court.
Chas. f.. Bauer, chief clerk in
the State Land Office, replying to
the correspondent, said in sub
stance.
wThe dried lands for former nav
igable lake do not come to the
State under congressional grants,
but belong to her under the III
herent right of sovereignty and
therefore no approval by the
general government to the State
is necessary, as is suggested by
some of the cOntendiDg parties
The general government will have
to do with any land which
may exist between the meander
and shore lines Of the lake formed
by the gradual recession of the
water since the survey and dispO
sltlon of the adjacent lands. This
question was conclnsiveIy settled
by the United States Supreme
Court in Hardin VS. Jordan, 14O
D. 81. AS regards the question
of riparian ownership in this
State, the Civil Code settles that,
and in my opinion the only way
in which the Spanish grantees or
their assigDees can successfully
assert any riparian to the land in
would be for them to
show that the land in question
was made by the recession of the
water prior to the admission OF
the State into the Union, when
the principle Of riparian owner.
ship under the common law would
necessarily have applied. But if
the riparian rights attached since
the admission of the State, her
laws alone must apply, and the