The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-06

autumn of 1870, when large nilmber o..
vessels and their crews were captured by the
Virginia authoritiesand taken To Drummond-
town, Va. wferetFie crews were imprisoned:
They having made their escape 70 Maryiann
before could fnferpose, and earnest tnreats
being made OF IN attempt by an organized
force to recapture the vessels, they were re-
moved to Norfolk and dismantled.
I Immediately communicated with ms EA-
cellency the Governor of Virginia, ana ne 10
the Virginia Legislature then IN session. .es :.
Although matters had been much comph-
Gated, and bad feeling engendered by tne
forcible escape from Jail and return to Mary
land, the Governor and Legislature generous
" responded to my appeal, restored tne yes
sells, and abandoned any further iegal Pro,
ceedings in these cases. In return, pledsed
the oystermen Of Maryland not TO cross Ihe
line which had been previously agreed upon
between Captains Davidson and LoVltt, the
Commanders of the State oyster police forces,
until the question could be examined by the
State commissioners. To the honor of these
ovsterman, am glad to say, I have heard OF
no infraction of this pledge Of mine, ana 1
have recently had the same, assurance foli
Governor Walker.
The State of Virginia appointed commls
sion of three of her most eminent .cltzens,
headed by Ex-Governor Wise, made an ap-
propriation to defray expenses, ana sent one
of the commission to England to obtain sucn
records as were necessary to estabilsn 'ne
claim of that State.
did not feel authorized to appoint an!
commissioners, but the General Assembly Oh
1868 having appointed such commissions
consisting of Acknowledgement Jones, doh-
orohles T, r., Waters, and William ). Ayde-
Iotte. and they not having reported results 10
the succeeding session of 1870, as seemed 10
have been contemplated by the net OF 1905,
rpnuested them to continue to represent the
State until the matter could be settled or the
T legislature convene. They have not re-
ported to me, but doubtless will to your non
orable bodies.
cannot too strongly urge upon you the
necessity of taking such steps rs your WIS
dom may suggest to settle at once and Tor
ever this vexed question. Nothing but the
considerable and concilatory course pursued
bv the authorities of the two States and The
perfect accord of friendship and sisterhood
which has always existed between Maryland
and Virginia, prevented serious outbreak
and probably much bloodshed on this occar
sion; and something must be done to pre-
vent recurrence of such incidents.
It is an act Of pleasure and of duty to eX-
press my thanks to the Governor OF virginia
for the manner in which he co0perated with
me in the temporary adjustment OF this M
portant question, and which doubtless had
much weight with the Virginia Legislature.
TIE DEBT OF MARYLAND-The aggregate
debts of the State, for which interest has to
be provided, were on the 30th Of September,
1871, s12.436, 1865. The State holds as an
offset. what are considered by the Comptrol-
er's report productive assets, ST,11S, 1854.
Leaving the State debt S4,71S, 265.74 greater
than her estimated productive assets.
But supposing that the State may lose
81 ,O0O,O estimated among her productive
assets, of the large sum due from accounting
officers, Incorporated institutions, &C., we
have this debt increased that amount.
TO cover this excess of say Sj,71S,265.74,
the State has present unproductive assets,
S20,577, 1886, or nearly four times the
amount of her debt above her productive in
vestments.
How sound the financial condition of the
State is will be seen when it is mentioned
that of these temporarily unproductive as
sets, $40, $50, 959.73 are in the bonds, stock,
and interest of the Chesapeake and ONO
canal, which, for nearly quarter OF CEN
tury having been looked upon as almost
| worthless, has shown by its returns within
the last two years that with similar results in
| the ensuing eleven, the State will begin to be
in the receipt of nearly if not quite half a
million of dollars yearly revenue from that
| source Governor B0,Cie's Message.