State of California v. Southern Pac Co, 7

Citation39 L.Ed. 683,15 S.Ct. 591,157 U.S. 229
Decision Date18 March 1895
Docket NumberNo. 7,7
PartiesSTATE OF CALIFORNIA v. SOUTHERN PAC. CO
CourtUnited States Supreme Court

The state of California, by its attorney general, by leave of court, exhibited its bill in equity in this court against the Southern Pacific Company, a corporation and citizen of Kentucky, on November 6, 1893; and an amended bill of complaint was filed on like leave, and with the consent of the defendant, March 5, 1894. The amended bill averred that the state of California was admitted into the Union under an act of congress approved September 9, 1850, with certain specified boundaries, and it was alleged that said boundaries embraced all the soil of the beds of the Bay of San Francisco, and all the arms of that bay, including what was known as 'San Antonio Creek,' sometimes called 'San Antonio Estuary'; that the state, upon its admission into the Union, acquired and continued to retain jurisdiction over the soil of the beds of said bay, including San Antonio creek, and absolute title to the same, subject only to the right of the United States of supervision over the navigable waters of the bay so far as necessary in exercising its right to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states; and that the state, thus possessing the sovereign power over the Bay of San Francisco and the San Antonio creek, and the beds thereof, had the right to protect and defend the same from infringement, and to sue for relief in respect of encroachment or infringement of its sovereign or proprietary rights therein.

The bill further alleged that certain lands, described by metes and bounds, and designated as tracts numbered first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, were situated in that part of the Bay of San Francisco which, together with San Antonio creek, constituted the harbor of the city of Oakland, in the county of Alameda; that the city of Oakland was situated upon that part of the bay which included said lands, and upon San Antonio creek; that all the lands numbered first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth were situated within the limits of the city of Oakland, and were formerly situated within the limits of what was the town of Oakland; that that portion of the tract of land numbered seventh, which was situated within the limits of the city of Oakland, was situated within the limits of the town of Oakland; that the lands, at the time the state was admitted into the Union, extended, and now continued to extend (except so far as the defendant, or parties under whom it claimed, had filled in portions of said land), to a considerable distance under the navigable waters of the Bay of San Francisco and of San Antonio creek, to ship channel in said navigable waters, and to a depth, at ordinary low tide, of 24 feet; that a large portion of the lands had always been constantly covered by said waters; that the residue of the lands had at all times been covered with navigable waters at ordinary high tide, except so far as the defendant and those under whom it claimed had filled in the same; that San Antonio creek was, and always had been, navigable, and the government had been and was expending large sums of money in improving the navigation of the creek and bay, as a harbor for the city of Oakland; and that the Bay of San Francisco was a tidal bay, and a large body of navigable water, connected with the Pacific Ocean.

It was further averred that he city of Oakland contained a population exceeding 60,000 inhabitants, which was constantly increasing; that said city fronted upon the tidal waters of the bay and of San Antonio creek, and the lands embraced a large portion of the shore of the bay and of the shores of the creek within the city, and embraced a large portion of the water front of the city, upon which landings, wharves, docks, piers, and other structures for the landing, loading, and unloading of vessels at said city could be constructed and maintained; that a large part of the water front of the lands was now required for the erection of wharves, docks, and piers for the use of vessels landing at the city, and the necessity for the use of additional portions of these shores and lands for the purpose aforesaid was constantly on the increase; that there were large portions of the lands and shores that were required for the termini of railroads hereafter seeking to enter the city of Oakland, and to obtain access to said navigable waters for the purpose of connecting with vessels navigating those waters, and of bringing ship and car together. The bill also stated that the city of San Francisco contained a population of 350,000, and was the largest city on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean, lying across the Bay of San Francisco, and opposite the city of Oakland, about a distance of four miles; that the interest of the cities of San Francisco and Oakland and the general public, and the convenience and necessities of commerce, both foreign and domestic, required that the control of the state over these lands, and its ownership thereof, should be enforced and maintained; that all the commodities and passengers transported between the city of San Francisco and other parts of California and the eastern and other portions of the United States were carried over these lands; that they were situated so as to practically control the harbor of the city of Oakland, and especially that part thereof used in forming a connection between the city of Oakland, by boats on the Bay of San Francisco and of San Antonio creek, with railroads extending eastward; and that the exclusive use and occupation of such land created a monopoly of any part thereof, and that the entry upon and use and occupation of the public domain to other parts of the state of California and the eastern portions of the United States.

The bill further averred that defendant claimed, as owner in fee, title and right adverse to the state in and to all the tracts of land described and numbered in the bill, and without the consent of the state, and without any right whatever, defendant and those under whom it claimed had taken possession of portions of said tracts numbered 1 and 5, and had filled in parts thereof, and had driven piles in other parts thereof, and had placed on said portions of land railroad tracks and buildings which greatly obstructed the navigation of said waters; that all of said tracks, buildings, and other structures were now being unlawfully maintainel by defendant under its claim; that defendant claimed and asserted exclusive control over the lands described in the bill, and prohibited all vessels, excepting its own, and such vessels as carried freight from the railroad of defendant, from landing upon any part of the shore embraced by these lands, that defendant denied the right of the state to exercise any control over any of these lands, or to authorize the construction of wharves or landings of any kind upon any part of them, or to regulate any wharf built upon said premises, and to collect tolls or wharfage for the use of any part of said premises: that but a small portion of these tracts of land were in the actual occupation or use of defendant, and no part of the tracts numbered 3, 6, and 7 was being occupied or used by defendant.

The bill alleged that the ground on which defendant based its claim was that under and by virtue of an act of the legislature of California entitled 'An act to incorporate the town of Oakland and to provide for the constru tion of wharves thereat,' approved May 4, 1852 (a copy of which act was annexed to the amended bill, and marked 'Exhibit A'), the state granted to the town of Oakland the title to the whole water front of that town,—that is to say, all the land lying within its corporate limits between high tide and ship channel, including the lands described in the bill; that the town of Oakland, under said act, had authority to grant and convey, and did grant and convey, by conveyance absolute and in fee, in 1852, to Horace W. Carpentier, all of the said water front of the town of Oakland; that, by mesne conveyances from him, defendant had become and was the owner in fee simple of the tracts numbered 2 and 4; and that, by leases made and delivered to it by persons claiming in fee under and by virtue of mesne conveyances from Carpentier, defendant had acquired and now held an estate for the term of 99 years from the 17th of February, 1885, in all the remaining lands and premises thereinbefore described. And it was further averred that the state did not by the act approved May 4, 1852, or otherwise, convey the water front, or any part thereof, to the town of Oakland, nor place the control of the same in the town, nor divest the state of its control over the water front, nor had the legislature of the state any power or authority to grant the lands to the town or any one, or to divest the state of its control thereof, and that the town did not grant or convey to Carpentier, and had no power or authority under the act of May 4, 1852, or otherwise, to grant or convey to him, any part of the water front of the town of Oakland, and that the said lands, at all times since the creation of the state of California, had been, and now were, held in trust by the state for the benefit of the state, and at all times had been, and now were, incapable of alienation to any person, or of being reduced to private ownership.

The bill then proceeded to set forth a number of other claims of defendant in and to the premises adverse to the title of the state, such as decrees to quiet title, conveyances under judgment sales, and sales for taxes, all of which were alleged, on various grounds, to be of no force or effect, as against the state; and it was averred that defendant had not, and never had, any estate, right, title, or interest in or to the lands, or premises, or any in or to the lands or premises, or any part thereof, or any right to the possession of any part thereof, and that the...

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