The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-02-14
Correspondence OF the Baltimore Patriot.
WASHINGTON, Jan 26.

WASHINGTON, Jan 26.
The great object of attraction here for a
whole week, has been the Hall of the Su-
preme Court, where the controversy be-
tween Rhode Island and Massachusetts
has been the subject Of discussion. As you
are n native Of The latter State may perhaps
take more interest in this matter than eau
be excited by mere arguments on question,
of law, however learnedly or eloquen,ly de-
Iivcred. Indeed. think the people ol
Massachusetts, If they understood the CLAN
that is made upon them, in its importance
and extent, would discover a little more
seusibili,y than has yet been evinced by
them on the subject.
The demand made by the State o
Rhode Island, and set forth IN very long
and particular detail, is, that q strip of land
on the con,ermino nous border Of the two
States, above FIVE miles wide at the wides,
part, and four miles at the narrowest, and
extending for twenty miles this being e.
quail to about eighty or ninety square miles
now possessed by Massachusetts, belongs
Of right to Rhode Island. On this territory
are, as was stated in the argument of the
case, not less than FIVE thousand inhabitants
and FIVE hundred thousand dollars worth OF
taxable property. If Rhode Island can
succeed, all this territory, property and the
people upon it, would cease TO be in Massn-
chu.eits, and would be ia the state Of
Rhode Island. The effect on the represen-
taiion in the next Congress, it has been sug-
gested, is the moving cause with Rhode Is-
land but beside this effect on Massacbu-
sets, which might, under a new ratio,
operate on her rights in the next Congress,
the whole arrangement of affairs in the dis
puted territory would he changed. Every
office from constable to representative
would be vacated. The municipal laws
now in force would be changed. and, MS
was remarked by the Attorney General of
Massachusetts, the Jomicil of these people
wosld be mnde us il they were serfs on the
Russian soil, or Polsnders transferred Mt
the will Of the copquerer.
1t is however probable that this would he
but the beginning Of trouble. II the juris-
dic,ion and sovereignty belongs to Rhode
Island, the land did in early times also
belong to her. Il belongs to her now, If IL
ever did belong to her-and il belongs to
her in virtue Of her character and capacity
ms a sovereign, to which no statute Of lin'i'
tntion or title by prescription cnn be plead
ed in bar. Il is very certain that the juris-
dictions and territory were in the early his
tory of the Colonies identical, and it is not
easy to sec how the one could be lost or
recovered, without losing or recovering the
other. Ii would take another process but
the result would he the same.
The course Of tIis arguments in the Su-
preme Court has opened the whole deba-
ieablc field of constitutional law and the
drier and more technical doctrines of juris-
dictions, process, writs of summons, at
tachmem and execution, mud the details Of
judicial powers in the principles Of action
and the forms Of address.
The hucsuation Of opinion in the auditory
has been very Observable. Esch speaker
in his turn seemed to carry the public sen.
timeut with him for the time.
The force of Mr.. Attorney General Aus
tins argument. with which the case begun,
was exered to break down the assumed
title Of the Complainant. under tho old
charter, set forth in the Bill, BY the oppos-
i;ion Of the Declaration Of Independence,
and the supposed repeal If the political
corporations established BY the eorseqoeu,