§ 31 — Cession during ownership by the United States and use for purposes thereof, with sundry reservations

§ 31. Cession during ownership by the United States and use for\npurposes thereof, with sundry reservations. Title and jurisdiction to\nthe following tracts or parcels of land has been ceded to the United\nStates upon condition that the jurisdiction so ceded should not prevent\nthe execution on such tracts or parcels of any process, civil or\ncriminal, issued under the authority of this state; nor the operation\nwithin the same of the laws of this state, or the ordinances of the\ncommon council of the city of New York, for the general regulation of\nthe civil police of such city, passed before the date of the deed of\ncession, and not incompatible with the purpose for which such cession\nwas made; and that the United States shall retain such use and\njurisdiction so long only as such tracts shall be used for the defense\nand safety of the city of New York:\n 1. In the city of New York. A tract of land and land under water, in\nthe city of New York, described in a deed dated May 6, 1808, as follows:\n"Beginning in the Hudson river at a point in the continuation of the\nsouth line of Hubert street, bearing N. 79Á 30' W., from the\nsoutheasterly corner of Hubert and West streets, distant 200 feet\nwesterly from the permanent line of West street, which said permanent\nline bears S. 10Á 15' W., from the southwesterly corner of the state\nprison wall; thence N. 10Á 15' E., parallel to the said permanent line,\n305 feet, to a point in the continuation of the north line of Laight\nstreet; thence N. 79Á 30' W., 300 feet into the Hudson river; thence S.\n10Á 15' W., 305 feet to a point in the continuation of the south line of\nHubert street aforesaid; thence S. 79Á 30' E., 300 feet, to the place of\nbeginning," acquired for the defense and safety of the city of New York.\n 2. In the city of New York. A tract of land or land under water in the\ncity of New York, described in a deed dated May 6, 1808, as follows:\n"Beginning at a point in the line of the present battery, six feet\nsoutherly of the most southern external angle formed by the main battery\nand the present bastion, which said point is 497 feet 11 inches on a\ncourse S. 36Á 20' W., from the southeasterly corner of the brick house\nsituate at the corner of Marketfield street and Broadway, now or lately\nbelonging to Robert Kennedy, and is also on a course S. 89Á 10' W., 264\nfeet 1 inch from the northwesterly corner of Bridge and State streets;\nthence N. 16Á 10' W., 310 feet; thence S. 64Á W., 500 feet; thence S.\n26Á E., 300 feet; thence N. 64Á E., 425 feet, to the place of beginning;\nall of which courses are to be run as the magnetic needle pointed on May\n6, 1808," acquired for the defense and safety of the city of New York.\n 3. In East river. A tract of land under water in East river at the\nWallabout bay, and adjoining the navy yard of the United States,\ndescribed in a deed dated April 3, 1810, as follows: "Beginning at the\nsoutherly end of the dam of the pond at the navy yard, at a point\ndesignated on the map or chart comprising a delineation of the said\nparcel of land hereunto annexed, by the letter A, from which point the\neasterly corner of the commander's house at the navy yard bears N. 29Á\n45' W., the steeple of the Reformed Dutch Church at Brooklyn bears S.\n62Á W., and the south corner of the dwelling-house of Jeremiah Johnson\nbears N. 80Á 25' E., and running from the said point designated as\naforesaid by the letter A, N. 52Á 30' E., 2,290 feet to a point from\nwhich the north corner of the dwelling-house of the said Jeremiah\nJohnson bears S. 70Á 30' E., designated by the letter B, in the said map\nor chart, and running from the said last-mentioned point N. 7Á E., 1,580\nfeet, to a point from which the southwest corner of Thompson's house on\nthe Long Island shore bears N. 76Á 45' E., the steeple of the Reformed\nDutch Church in Brooklyn bears S. 48Á 25' W., and the steeple of St.\nPaul's Church in the city of New York bears N. 79Á W., and designated in\nthe said map or chart by the letter C; and running from the said\nlast-mentioned point S. 70Á W., 2,480 feet to the north corner of the\nnavy yard, designated in the said map or chart by the letter D; and\nthence southerly along the navy yard to the place of beginning; all\nwhich courses and bearings are taken as the magnetic needle pointed on\nApril 3, 1810," acquired for the defense and safety of the city of New\nYork.\n The free and common use of the waters not appropriated by the United\nStates for wharves or fortifications to the eastward of the navy yard of\nthe United States and the westward of the east boundary line of the land\nabove described, is reserved to the people of this state.\n