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Judgment
These are appeals by the claimants against the decrees of the District Court of Godavari in Appeal Suits Nos. 591 and 593 of 1903 confirming
the decisions of the Forest Settlement Officer of Godavari in Claims Nos. 1 and 2 of 1902. These were claims by the Mallavarm and Nadavapalli
Estates, respectively, to land at the mouth of the Godavari which Government, by a Notification dated the 2nd December 1901, proposed to form
into a reserved forest. Both claims being intimately connected were dealt with by the lower appellate Court in one judgment, and in this Court the
same arguments were put forward on behalf of both sets of claimants. It was first con-tended that, as the appellants were in possession at the date
of the notification the lands should not have been notified as a reserved forest. This contention was properly dealt with and overruled by the Forest
Settlement Officer in paragraph 7 of his judgment in Claim No. 1. The appellant''s pleader did not attempt to argue the matter before us, but
contented himself with stating this objection.
It was further contended that the right of the Crown would be barred if the claimants succeeded in proving 12 years'' adverse possession prior
to the coming into force of the limitation section of Act IX of 1871 and if Madras Regulation II of 1802 applied to suits to enforce public rights.
The contention was based upon certain remarks in Secretary of State v. Vira Rayan ILR (1885) M. 175. The remarks are at pages 185 and 186
of the report and are as follows:
The clause of Act XV of 1877 which precluded the revivor of a right to sue barred was not confined to that Act but was extended to Act IX of
1871. The words are: ''All references to the Indian Limitation Act, 1871, shall be read as if made to thisAct, and nothing herein or in that Act
contained shall be deemed to revive any right to sue barred under that Act or under any enactment thereby repealed.'' Had this stood alone and
had we come to the conclusion that Regulation II of 1802, Section 18, applied to public rights, we should have agreed with the Judge that 12
years'' adverse possession would have barred the right of the Crown to sue. When these remarks were made it was apparently thought that
Regulation II of 1802 was repealed, by Act IX of 1871. Regulation II of 1802 was not repealed by Act IX of 1871. This was discovered in the
course of the argument before us and the contention was then dropped. We have, however, referred to the matter because it seemed desirable to
point out the misconception on which the remarks in Secretary of State v. Vira Rayan ILR (1885) M. 175 were based. It is now clear that if the
claimants had to establish a title by adverse possession they would have to prove such possession for 60 years before the notification.
The main portion of the land in dispute lies between Hope Island on the north and a channel called Neelarevu on the south. The District Judge
finds that the claimants have been in possession since 1882 of the portions of this tract claimed by each of them.
The District Judge has further found that this tract together with that portion of Yalakalatippa which is shown in Exhibit I, consists of islands
formed in the bed of the sea at the mouth of the Godavari. This finding is attacked, but there is, in our opinion, evidence to support it, and we must
accept it. No doubt the District Judge is possibly in error in assuming that Exhibit I, a map publised in 1842, correctly represents the outlines of the
coasts and adjacent islands in that year. The survey on which the map is based may reasonably be supposed to have been made some time before
1842, and between the survey and 1842 some changes in the outlines may have occurred. This possible error, however, in no way affects the
correctness of the finding now in question inasmuch as the finding applies to the portion of Yalakalatippa shown in Exhibit I as well as to the land
subsequently formed.
The District Judge has next found that the title to the islands in question originally vested in the Crown. It is admitted before us that all the islands
were formed within 3 miles of the main land. The rule of English law is that islands arising out of the sea belong prima facie to the Crown-vide the
Law of Waters, Cousin and Forbes, 2nd Edition, page 31. In the absence of local usage or statutory enactment to the contrary he same rule would
apply in British India-vide Secretary of State for India v. Kadirikutty ILR (1890) 13 M. 369. It is argued, however, that the rule of English Law
abovementioned no longer holds good owing to the decision in Reg. v. Keyn. (1876) 2 Ex. D. 63 The reason generally given for the rule is that the
King is the owner of the soil beneath the sea. Since the case of Reg. v. Keyn (1876) 2 Ex. D. 63 this reason can apparently no longer be resorted
to in support of this rule. But that circumstance by itself is no reason why the ancient rule should not continue to be followed. If it were necessary to
find support for the rule it could, no doubt, be found in the well established rule of the common law of this part of India that waste land which is not
the property of an individual or a community belongs to the Government, or it may be correct to regard the title of the Crown as similar to the title
by Escheat as suggested in Secretary of State for India v. Kadirikutty ILR (1865) M. 175 with reference to the observations of the Privy Council
in The Collector of Masulipatam v. Cavaly Venkata Narrainappa (1860) 8 M.I.A. 500"" private ownership not existing, the State must be owner as
ultimate lord.
The District Judge then holds that as the title was originally in the Crown the claimants must prove adverse possession for 60 years. Here the
District Judge is clearly wrong. Though the title was originally in the Crown, still, as the possession of the claimants for 20 years prior to the
notification is found, it rests upon the Crown to prove that it has a subsisting title by showing that the possession of the claimants commenced or
became adverse within the period of limitation, i.e., within 60 years before the notification.-Secretary of State v. Vira Rayan ILR (1865) M. 175;
Secretary of State for India v. Bavotti Haji (1860) 8 M.I.A. 500 The Secretary of State for India v. Kota Bapanamma Garu ILR (1892) M. 315.
As the several islands were formed gradually and probably appeared and became capable of occupation at different times, it may be that there is
proof that some, if not all, of them came into existence as land capable of occupation within 60 years prior to the notification. In the case of such
land the title of the Crown must be a subsisting title. In the case of lands which came into existence as land capable of occupation more than 60
years prior to the notification, the Crown must show by evidence that it had a subsisting title at some time within that period.
We must, therefore, ask the District Judge to retain a finding as to whether the Crown has a subsisting title to the whole or any portions of the
claim land lying between Hope Island on the north and Neelarevu on the south.
Further evidence on both sides on this question may be adduced before the District Judge as the true point in issue was not correctly understood
by the parties at the trial. The finding should be returned within five months from date of the receipt of this order, and ten days will be allowed for
filing objections.
The remaining land in dispute consists of the plots B and C in the plan Exhibit II. As to these plots the finding of the District Judge is that they
arose as islands out of the sea subsequent to 1842, and we are of opinion that there is evidence to support the finding. The plots thus came into
existence within 60 years of the notification. The title to them was originally with the Crown and there has not been sufficient time for that title to be
lost. The claim with regard to these plots was therefore rightly rejected.
In compliance with the above order, the District Judge submitted the following
FINDING :-"" 1 find that the Crown has no subsisting title to the whole or any portion of the claim land lying between Hope Island on the north
and Neelarevu on the south.
These second appeals coming on for final hearing after the return of the above finding, the Court delivered the following
We accept the finding and allow the claim to the lands dealt with in this finding. The decrees of the Courts below will be modified accordingly.
The appellant in S.A. No. 1935 of 1904 will get full costs throughout.
In S.A. No. 1434 of 1904 the appellant has succeeded in part only. Each party will pay and receive proportionate costs.