Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1927-10-01
conference WILL
PASS RESOLUTION
States Rights Doctrine Set
Forth by Senator Pittman
Will Be Adopted by Den
YER Conference.

Inc oldlSS NNlbhtS iCoOANeAOA
Offered by Senator Key Pittman
at the seven-state Colorado River
conference being held at Denver,
meets the approval Of the dele
gates of all the states except
California. The latter state,
while not openly opposing the prin-
ciples set forth in the resolution.
is fearful of its effect upon the
course of negotiations in the Con
ference il it shan be adopted be
fore an agreement is reached.
BY common consent action on
the resolution has been postponed
during the course Of negotiations,
but 1t is the clear understanding
that 1t will be passed before the
Conference finally adjourns.
Following is the text of the
resolution as reported back by
the committee to which it was
referred:
Resolution offered by Senator
Key Pittman on behalf of the
Nevada Commission to the Con-
ference of Governors and the Com
ln,3sioners of the Colorado Basin
States in session at Denver Col
orado, August 20, 1927.
WHEREAS, 1t is the settled law
of this country, that the owner
ship of and dominion and SOW
erignty over lands covered by
navigabIe waters within the limits
of the several states Of the hnion
belong to the respective states
within which they are found, with
the consequent right to use or dis
pose of any portion thereof, when
that can be done without sub
stantial impairment of the inter-
ests of the public i'm the waters,
and subject always to the para
mount right of Congress to con-
troll their navigation so far as
may be necessary for the regula-
ton of commerce with foreign
nations and among the states, and
whereas:
1t is the settled law of this
country that subject TO the settle
ment of controversies between
them by interstate compact, or de
cision of the Supreme Court of
the United States and subject al
ways to the paramount right of
Congress to control the navigation
of navigable streams 80 far as may
be necessary for the regulation
Of commerce with foreign nations
and among the states, the ex-
elusive sovereignty over all of the
waters within the limits of the
several states belong to the res
pectiva states within which they
are found, and the sovereignty
over waters constituting the boun-
Diary between two states is equal
in each of such respective states,
and whereas:
1t is the sense of this confer
ence that the exercise by the
Unit ID States Government of the
delegated constitutional authority
to control navigation for the reg
uLation of interstate and foreign
comerce does not confer upon such
government the use of waters for
any either purposes which are not
plainly adapted to that end, and
does not diveSt the states Of their
sovereignty over such waters for
any other purpose that will not
interfere with navigation:
THEREFORE,, BE 1T RESOLV-
ED, That it is the sense of this
duly authorized and appointed
conference of governors and the
commissioners Of tine States of
Arizona, California, Colorado, New
Mexico, Nevada. Utah and Wyom-
ing, constituting the Colorado
River Basin States, assembled at
Denver, Colorado, this 23d day of
September, 1927, that:
The rights OF the states under
such settled law shall be main
tanned.
The states have a legal right to
demand and receive compensation
for the use Of their lands and
waters except from the United
States for the use of such lands
and waters to regulate interstate
and foreign commerce.
The state or states upon whose
land a dam and reservoir is built
by the United States Government,
or whose waters are used in con-
nection with a dam built by the
United States Government to gen.
crate hydro electric energy are en-
titled to the preferred. right to
acquire the hydro-electric energy
SO generated or to acquire the use
of such dam and reservoir for the
generation of hydro-electric ener-
gy, upon undertaking to pay to the
United States Government the
charges that may be made, for
such hydro-electric energy or for
the use Of such dam and reservoir
to amortize the government in
yestment, together with interest
thereon, or in hen thereof agree
upon any other method OF COM
pensation for the use of their
waters
We. the undersigned Committee,
to which has been referred the
foregoing Resolution, as presented
to the Conference on August 29.
1927, by Senator Key Pittman,
having adopted certain amend
ments unanimously which are now
incorporated therein, we recon-
mend that the Resolution set out
above be adopted
KEY PITTMAN.
FRANCIS c. WILSON.
VIM. r. WALLACE.