Moline Water-Power Co. v. United States

20 Ct. Cl. 331, 1885 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 33, 1800 WL 1406
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedMay 11, 1885
DocketNo. 14518
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 20 Ct. Cl. 331 (Moline Water-Power Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moline Water-Power Co. v. United States, 20 Ct. Cl. 331, 1885 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 33, 1800 WL 1406 (cc 1885).

Opinion

Scofield, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court:

• By act of Congress of April 19, 1864 (13 Stat., 50), the Sec-, retary of War was directed “ to take and hold full, complete, and permanent possession, in behalf of the United States, of all the lands and shores of the island of Bock Island, * * * to be held and kept as a military reservation.”

The third section of the act authorized the appointment of commissioners to value the property so taken and report a plan of utilization.

In the act of June 27, 1866 (14 Stat., 75), among other provisions relative to said property, is an appropriation of $100,000 to secure water-power at the head of Bock Island.”

At that time the claimant was the owner of a valuable waterpower, with a dam and improvements, in the Mississippi Biver, opposite the island, on the Illinois side, and also the riparian owner of the lands ou the Illinois shore near to the waterpower.

Belative to this water-power the commissioners made the following recommendations, which were filed in the War Department :

[333]*333“First. The Moline Water-Power Company should convey to the United States the fee of the entire Moline water-power, and also grant to the United States the unrestricted use, in perpetuity, without charge, of so much of the bed of the river not already belonging to the United States as might be covered by the i>ool and wall necessary to develop the water-power and 10 feet outside of said wall, together with the right of access thereto from, the Illinois shore, at all times, for the purpose of constructing or of repairing said wall.
“ Second. The government to develop and maintain the power, so far as it could be done with the money theretofore appropriated and that whicli might thereafter be appropriated by Congress for that purpose.
“Third. The Moline Water-Power Company to have the use in perpetuity, free from all charge for rent or repairs, of one-fourth of the entire water-power developed, and also the right to rent for a specified time, at the rate of 50 cents per annum per square iuch of water-power, measured by the openings of watér-wheels, so much additional power as the Ordnance Department might deem expedient; and, further, that said company, its lessees or assigns, should have the right to place their wheels upon the 10 feet outside the wall, provided that the foundation of said wall should not thereby be disturbed nor the stability of the wall thereby endangered; and also, further, that the granting to the United States of the unrestricted use of the pool, the wall, and 10 feet outside the wall should not be so construed as in any manner to operate as a bar to the free use and occupation by said company, its lessees or assigns, of the same premises for all purposes connected with and incidental to the use of their portion of the water-power or such as might be leased by them, and such use should not interfere with or obstruct the United States in the free use of its portion of the water-power.
■ “Fourth. The works to be built by the government for the development of the power to be so arranged as to give to said company the free use of the power therein contemplated, to be used by said company, both as to the use of the fourth part, so far as might be practicable without impairing the power in use by the government to a disproportionate extent, and also to-the proposed power to be leased. The openings .in the dams intended for the use of the company to be of such size and in such position as said company might elect.
“ Fifth. Sixty thousand dollars of the then existing appro-priationHo be applied to the extension of the then stone dam on the Moline side, and $40,000 to the extension and repairs of the wing-dam and removal of such deposits as might be required for the extension and repairs of said wing-dam. That the use of the then existing water-power should not be unnecessarily obstructed during the construction of the proposed work, [334]*334nor should any rent be required until the improvement contemplated by the $100,000 appropriation should have been made.
“ Sixth. It was also further understood that neither occupant of said water-power should have the right to nor should allow others to obstruct either pool or water-way by sawdust or bark or other substances, to the detriment of the water-power or the sanitary condition of the vicinity.” -

March 2, 1867, Congress adopted the following joint resolution :

“ That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to carry into effect the recommendations of the commissioners appointed under acts of April 19, 1864, and June 27, 1866, relative to the Moline Water-Power Company and the water power at Rock Island, Illinois, as contained in the reports of said commissioners, and to make application for that purpose of the money heretofore appropriated for securing water-power at the head of Eock Island.” (14 Stat., 573.)

To “ carry into effect the recommendation of the commissioners,” the Secretary of War, August 20, 1867, entered into the contract sot forth in Exhibit A.

It will be observed that the commissioners recemmended that the claimant should transfer to the United States, with certain reservations, its entire water-power, and that “the government should develop and maintain the power, so far as it could be done with the money theretofore appropriated and that which might thereafter he appropriated by Congress for that purpose.”

In similar language the contract provides that “ the further development of said water-power, * * * together with the maintenance of that power, is to be done by the United States out of the appropriations applicable to those purposes and of any future appropriations that may be made applicable to the same.”

The only appropriation at that time applicable to this purpose was the $ 100,000 before mentioned. The third paragraph of the contract provides how that sum shall be expended, and no allegation is made that it was not expended as therein agreed.

All further development of the water-power was tq depend, by express agreement, upon future appropriations. The Secretary of War was not authorized by the joint resolution and the recommendations of the commissioners to bind Congress-to make future appropriations: nor did he undertake so to do.

[335]*335April 8,1869. tbe Secretary of War and claimant entered into another contract, which is set forth in Exhibit B. This contract, after reciting what had already been agreed upon between the parties, and that the government desired the right of way for a tail-race, and also the right to abut a dam against the claimant’s land, proceeded as follows :

“ Acting in the spirit of harmony and liberality toward the United States, the said Moline Water-Power Company hereby agrees to the following, viz:
“ 1st. That they will grant and cede to the Unitnd States the right of way over and through their land for said tail-race, which is to be of sufficient capacity for the purposes named, free of cost, and will also cede, free of cost, the right to abut a dam and wall against their land at two such points as the United States may select.
“2nd.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
20 Ct. Cl. 331, 1885 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 33, 1800 WL 1406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moline-water-power-co-v-united-states-cc-1885.