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Show 638 INTERSTATE ADJUDICATIONS "19. This act shall become effective when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall, prior to July first, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-five, by statute, accept the terms and conditions of this act relating to the construction, the payment of land damages, costs and expenses, and the payment of taxes to municipalities on land acquired for the aforesaid purposes, and shall concur in the revocation of the compact of April 26, 1783, to the extent provided in the preceding section." Pennsylvania's response to this offer will be found in its Act of June 30, 1955 (Purdon's Pa. Stat. Ann., sees. 815.46 ff) : "Sec. 1. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby concurs with the State of New Jersey in revoking Paragraph First of the Compact between the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania dated the 26th dav of April, 1783 and ratified by the New Jersey Act of May 27, 1783 (P.L. 1783, Chapter XX, Second Sitting) and by the Pennsylvania Act of September 20, 1783 (2 Smith's Laws 77) entitled 'An Act to ratify and confirm an agreement, made between commissioners appointed by the legislature of the state of New Jersey and commissioners appointed by the legislature of the state of Penn- sylvania, for the purpose of settling the jurisdiction of the river Delaware, and islands within the same,' in so far as it would prevent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or any commission or other public body or municipality, singly or collectively designated by the General Assembly of this Commonwealth, from constructing and maintaining the dams and reservoirs specified in Chapter 443, Public Laws of 1953 of the State of New Jersey, which is hereinbefore set forth in full. "Sec. 2. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby accepts the terms and conditions of Chapter 443, Public Laws of 1953 of the State of New Jersey hereinbefore set forth, relating to the construction of the dams and reservoir specified in that act, the payment of land damages, costs and expenses, and the payment of taxes to municipali- ties of the State of New Jersey on land acquired in New Jersey for the purpose set forth in that act. "Sec. 3. Inasmuch as this act and Chapter 443, Public Laws of 1953 of the State of New Jersey, constitute an agreement between this Commonwealth and the State of New Jersey, the Governor is hereby authorized to apply, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vania, to the Congress of the United States for its consent and approval of such agreement." The New Jersey-Pennsylvania compact of 1783 cited in the above acts provided, among other things, that "the river Delaware * * * is and shall continue to be and remain a common highway, equally free and open for the use, benefit and advantage of the * * * contracting parties * * *." |