Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1906-05-28
PROPRIETORS (!
FIGURE IN IT.
Sale Of Land in New York HaThOr
Based on Deed Granted by
East Jersey Board.
CLAIMED BY 2 STATES.

Fred G. Wolbert, Jersey City auc-
tioneer, will offer for sale at No. AZ
Montgomery street, Jersey City, to-
morrow afternoon, Robbins Reef and
Oyster Island, which are in New
York bay, and which are also in the
First ward of Manhattan. The light
house on Robbins Reef is not for
sale, and the purchaser must respect
the right of the federal government
to- maintain the light thereon. Both
Oyster Island and Robbins Reef are
under water at high tide. The area
of the reef is seven and twenty-nine
one-hundredths of an acre. Oyster
Island contains sixteen and fifty
eight one-hundredths of an acre.
Sale of these sections of the First
ward of Manhattan is ordered by
Chancellor William ]. Magill, of the
New Jersey Court of Chancery, who
issued a writ of fieri facias in the
cause wherein Emma w. Cook and
Anne B. Cook are the complainants,
and William W. Weigley, Mary F.
Weigley, the New Jersey Terminal
Railway, the Atlantic Terminal Rail-
way, the International Docks railway,
and the International Docks Termin-
al railway are the defendants.
In advertising Robbins Reef and
Oyster Island for sale Charles H. w.
ms, a special master in the chancery
court of New jersey states that the
properties are 'in the bay or harbor
of New York, in the county of Hud-
son, and state of New Jersey" but
as a matter of fact the reef and is
land have been part of the First
ward of Manhattan since 1891. Early
in the nineteenth century New York
and New Jersey became involved in
dispute as to the jurisdiction of
the properties. A commission which
was appointed to settle the dispute de-
cided in favor of New York.
The New York authorities contend
ed that the word jurisdiction" in
cluded absolute control of property
rights, and this contention was up
held by the supreme court of New
York. The court of errors and ap-
peals of New York, however, set
aside the decision of the lower court,
and decided that the word 'juris-
diction" meant "police jurisdiction.
The case was then transferred to the
supreme court of the United States,
but was withdrawn before it came to
trial The law department of the
city of Bayonne recently declared
that the keeper of the Robbins Reef
light house was resident of Bay
onne and that he was entitled to vote
at the elections held in that city.
If Robbins Reef and Oyster Is
land are sold tomorrow, as advertis-
ed, in accordance with the order is
sued by Chancellor Magic. the dis
pute as to jurisdiction will be renew
ed in the state courts and in all prob
ability carried to the supreme court
of the United States. Both parcels
of land are on the New Jersey side of
New York bay and opposite Consta-
BILE Hook, where the immense plant
of the Standard Oil company is locat-
ed. The properties we're claimed by
the late Professor George Cook. who
was the geologist of the state of New
Jersey for many years, and who de-
clared that they were decided to him
by the Lords Proprietors in 1880.
The Proprietors obtained title to the
land from Lord Berkeley. The grant
was confirmed by the Duke of York,
who gave all of East Jersey, in
Guiding the islands and reefs in the
bay, to Lord Berkeley. The Duke of
York received title to the properties
from King Charles III. of England,
and conveyed them to the Lords
Proprietors on March IA, 1852.
During his lifetime Professor Cook
applied several times to the New
Jersey officials for permission to fill
in the submerged reef and island, but
his applications were rejected.