STATE OF ARK. v. STATE OF TENN.(1940)
Messrs. Carl E. Bailey, of Little Rock, Ark., and D. Fred Taylor, Jr., of Osceola, Ark., for complainant.
Came on this cause to be heard upon the bill of complaint, the answer and cross-bill of the defendant thereto, the replication of the complainant to such answer and cross-bill, the Report of the Special Master heretofore filed in this cause, the exceptions filed thereto by the complainant and the argument of the parties when, after consideration thereof, the Court doth order, adjudge and decree as follows:
I. That the exceptions of complainant, State of Arkansas, to the Report of the Special Master herein are hereby overruled and said Report in all things is confirmed and approved.
II. That the complainant, State of Arkansas, is not entitled to recover of the defendant, State of Tennessee, the lands described in Count I of the complainant's bill but that the State of Tennessee, upon its answer and cross-bill is decreed to be entitled to exercise jurisdiction thereover. [ State of Ark. v. State of Tenn. 311 U.S. 1 (1940)
III. That the boundary between the State of Arkansas and State of Tennessee at the point opposite the lands described in Count I of the bill of complaint in this cause is hereby decreed to be the thalweg or channel of the Mississippi River as the same flowed on October 28, 1935, the date of the filing of the original bill herein.
IV. That the formation known as Bluegrass Towhead is expressly decreed to be under the jurisdiction and a part of the State of Tennessee.
V. That the boundary line between the two states at the points described in Count II of the bill of complaint is hereby decreed to run as follows:
VI. That W. H. Green of Covington, Tennessee, and O. W. Gauss of Osceola, Arkansas, be and they are hereby appointed Commissioners for the purpose of establishing the boundary above designated in connection with the lands described in Count II. The Commissioners, after first taking an oath to fully and impartially perform the duties required of them by this decree, will go upon the lands in question and designate the boundary herein fixed by the erection of at least four permanent station monuments of concrete or other durable material at angle points upon the line herein decreed to be the true boundary. In addition thereto, they will erect four monuments of like permanent character at points deemed by them to be not subject to erosion by the Mississippi River, as reference monuments, two referring to each terminus of the line herein decreed, which monuments shall be fixed by appropriate courses and distances from the terminal points of the line as herein decreed. The Commissioners herein named are authorized to procure such assistance as may be deemed necessary by them for the effective discharge of the functions herein imposed upon them. In the event of a disagreement between the two Commissioners, either party to the litigation may apply to the Court, if in session or to the Chief Justice thereof in vacation, for the appointment of a third Commissioner.
After completing their labors, the Commissioners will file with the Clerk of this Court a report setting forth [311 U.S. 1, 5] the performance of the duties as herein imposed and a schedule of their disbursements in the premises. Upon application to the Clerk of this Court, the Commissioners or either of them will be furnished with a copy of this decree as their authority for their actions in the premises.
All other matters are reserved until the coming in of the Report of the Commissioners.