The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1910-05-20
and approved April II, 1910, is as fol

OF MISSISSIPPI to the west bank of the
Mississippi river, and giving the state
of Arkansas concurrent jurisdiction
with Mississippi over certain territory
Whereas, the criminal jurisdiction of
the state of Mississippi only extends
to, and follows the thread, or middle,
of the stream of the Mississippi river;
and,
Whereas, there are numerous crimes
committed in the Mississippi river and
her sister states on the west bank of
the river have no jurisdiction, and it
IS almost impossible to bring criminals
operating along either bank of said
river to justice; and,
Whereas, on the Goth day of Janu-
airy, 1909, the sixtieth congress passed
joint resolution consenting that the
states Of Mississippi and Arkansas ad-
judge and settle the jurisdiction to be
exercised by said states, respectively
over offenses arising over the violation
of the laws of said states upon the wat
ers of the Mississippi river; and,
Whereas, on the 31st day of May,
1909, the state of Arkansas passed an
act, extending its jurisdiction to the
east bank of the Mississippi river and
giving the state of Mississippi concur
rent jurisdiction with it over certain
territory, said act to be effective when
the state of Mississippi should pass a
similar act as to said territory; there
fore
Section l. Be it enacted by the leg
islature Of the state of Mississippi, tina
the criminal jurisdiction of the state
| IS hereby extended as follows:
Beginning at point on the Missis-
sippi river where the northern bound
| airy line of the state of Mississippi in
! tersects the thread or middle of the
stream of said river and extending due
west and along a line parallel with
and in extension of the northern bound
airy line of the state of Mississippi to
the west bank of said river, thence
south along said bank and following
| the meandering thereto the southern
| sas. thence east to the thread, or mid
| die of the stream of the said river.
| Sec 2 That the state of Mississippi
and her sister state, Arkansas, have
! concurrent criminal jurisdiction over
all the waters, islands, and territory
| lying opposite them and between the
! east and west banks of said river, and
! the north boundary line of the state
of Mississippi and the south boundary
line of the state of Arkansas, at their
intersection with the Mississippi river.
Sec g. That the counties of Missis-
sippi lying Immediately upon the Mis-
sippi river shall, respectively, have
and possess criminal jurisdiction with
the territory embraced by extending
their boundary lines which strike the
said river on a continuous and direct
course to the extreme western bank of
said river.
Sec f. That this act take effect
and be in force from and after it's pas
sage.
Approved April 18th, 1902
This act and the act of the state
of Arkansas, approved the 31st day of
May, 1909, therein referred to, were in
tended to, and do have the effect Of
extending the criminal law of the state
of Mississippi, and the criminal juris
diction of the Mississippi courts to that
part of the territory of Arkansas lying
between the thread of the stream Of
the Mississippi river, which is the boun
Diary line between the two states, ant
the west shore of the said stream.
1t is not necessary in this opinion
to enter into discussion of the reason!
moving the legislature of the states o.
Arkansas and Mississippi to enact thes
laws, nor for the reason for the join
resolution of the congress of the Unit
ed States, which authorized their en-
actment These reasons are well know
to all persons living in the countie
bordering on the Mississippi river. Be
fore the enactment of this law, the pro
! hibition law of Mississippi could no
be enforced along the Mississippi river