Evening journal., 1912-05-18

representing
interests.
It may be accepted as a fact that II the marsh
crs were so sure Of their title to that land under
water from the marsh bank to the bulkhead line
there would have been the so-called Bukhead law
Of 1901 no such provision as the following:
section 5.-That the land under the waters Of said
river within the limits aforesaid as hereinafter deter
mined the front of the oral holdings of said lit
toral propretos respectively. and between the bulkhead
line lines of solid filling. as shown and exhibited
the maps aforesaid, and the westerly bank of said
river designating the highwater mark thereof shall vest
in fec in said toral proprietors their heirs,
administrators and assigns respective
ly. and when suitable hulkhead shall have been
stced in front Of any of said oraI holdings Of any
OF said toral proprieors it shall be the duty Of the
Attorney General, upon satisfactory evidence 80 him
OF that fact and the tender to him of the reasonable
and necessary expenses OF preparing the conveyance
conveyances hereinafter named. to seasonably pre-
pare and OF the Secretary Of State 70 forthwith exc
cute under the seal of the State grant assuring to
said oral proprietors. respectively their heirs exec
uors administrators and assigns the lands
under water in front Of their respective lttora holdings
aforesaid between said bukhead line and the sald
river bank"
Let the taxpayers ask their councilmen why-if
that land already belongs waterfront owners.
regardless of the Bulkhead law its repealit should
be necessary for state 10 convey TO them when
a bukhead has been built and fiji made? Let them
also ask their Councimen why the State should make
"conveyances" and grants" Of land to persons who
say they already It?
But that is all The very agreement with the city
proposed by the wilmington ilty IelInlhdi NohpdhJ
and its associates contains confession that those
marsh owners know the title that land under water
vests in the State II that not true why should
this provision figure IN that proposed agreement
"TI The conveyances above mentioned shall be in
fee-smpe. conveying the sHme title and like rights
powers and privileges shall be covered by the deeds
TO be made to riparian owners under the provisions
Of The act Of tho General Assembly OF the State OF
Delaware, entitled IAN Act 10 Establish bukhead,
Wharf and Pier lines the Delaware river in front
OF the city Of Wilmington and Vicinity, approved
March s. A. d. 1901, being chapter 2 Volume ~. Laws
of Delaware The tracts of land No. l. No. ta) NO
3 (O No cl. and No above mentioned, snail ne
conveyed after tho conveyance to said companies from
the State Of Delaware as provided in said statute Ae,
the foregoing conditions In this paragraph mentoned
have been fulfilled the street beds above mentoneu IN
paragraph No shall be conveyed from time TO time as
occasion may require and on the demand OF the said
city"
out to tho bulkhead is to be conveyed by deed from
the state to the marsh owners and then little bit
of that State land is to be conveyed by those riparian
owners to the city, the strength Of those state
deeds And yet these marsh say that land under
water belongs them and that they are the ones who
are TO give it to the city In other words that pro-
vision of the proposed agreement Is confession that
they own no part Of that land and that until
the State deeds 30 them they cannot deed any part
of Il to the city Efforts may be made to amend that
provision and to make the confession less garing
No such step can remove however the confessioni
contained only in the proposed agreement as 1t was
given out by City Council but also in the Bulkhead
act itself that the marsh owners know the State owns
that land under and that they cannot do any
thing with or give part Of it TO the city until
the State has given them deeds for IT,
We are informed that realizing the bad effect OF that
confession the Wilmington Terminal Company and
It's associates seek to amend that part OF the
agreement and to stipulate that they will give title
TO the property proposed be given to the city, even
If the state should refuse do IT, The folly Of such
a provision as that in the face of the provisions
Of Bukhead Act and the proposed agreement must
be apparent all They might as well try to give
to the city the title to Fairmount Park in Philadei-
pha, because they promising to convey to the
city something they do not
Now is the time for the taxpayers TO act and to
demand imperatyevly from their Councilmen, no matter
whether they be Republicans Democrats, that no
binding action be taken by Council until this question
Of ownership that has been raised by the Wilmington
Terminal Company and its associates has been cleared
up and settled for all time The idea of the marsh
owners giving to the city State land to which they
will not hold title themselves until the State deeds it
and hundreds Of acres besides them, is such
outrageous proposition that the Wilmington taxpayers
will not countenance H.
Let IL be understood clearly that landowners do not
ask for deeds for land they know they already own.
And let IL also be clearly understood that the State
does NOT give deeds for land that It does not own.
If the taxpayers will keep those two important facts
i'm mind they will be the very heart of this river
front proposition that has been lauded by Councilman
Stover and others such evidence of the phan-
thropy Of the Wilmington Terminal Company and its
associates.