The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-08
GhtGtrteIIiqetreer
The West Virginia Boundary,

J, Faulkner to the Preston county Herald
in answer to repeated Inquiries in refer
ence to the Boundary Line question, Mr.
Faulkner gives it as his opinion thai
since the planting Of the Fairfax Stone
on the nth Of October, l74G, by the COM
missiOners duly empowered to ascertain
the first fountain OF the Potomac river,
that the initial point was established from
which the western boundary line Of
Maryland could without any difficulty be
ascertaincd, Virginia has always con
sidcrcd that point as definitely fixed, but
Maryland, not regarding herself as any
party to the proceeding under which this
point was ascGrtained, controverted the
binding effect Of that decision Of the king
in council, and asserted other claims
founded upon her own construction Of
the charter The territory granted 70
Lord Baltimore was within the limits Of
Virginia, and was the first example Of the
dsmemberment Of colony. Virginia
protested against this invasion Of her
chartered rights, and always held that the
grant OF Maryland was void, until the
commencement Of the revolutionary
struggles, when, she In that spirit Of mag
nanimity, which always so characterized
her, ccded to the colony OF Maryland the
territory contained within her charter,
with all the rights Of property and gov
crument which might at any time heretO-
lore have been claimed by Virginia, Tho
Smtcof Maryland was quite iorgetful Of
the generous conduct Of Virginia, and
shortly after the revolutionary strug-
gle asserted her right to a portion Of
territory embracing nearly half u
million acres Of land. This claim
she continued to assert from 1900.
Among the distinguished persons who
figured in her history, we notice the
names Of Charles Carroll, William,PiRk-
ncy Reverdy johnson, John ". L. Nc
Mahon and others. Encouraged by the
advice Of her lawyers, Maryland, about
the year 1882, fled a bill in the Supreme
Court, asserting right to the territory.
1t was at this time that the Legislature
took action upon it, and appointed Mr..
Faulkner as u commissioner to examine
into the claim, andvisit London II il were
deemed necessary. In the meantime all
the original grants Of the crown, with the
royal seals and signatures annexed, and
all the documents (which had resulted
from litigation ot:sixteen years, and
which conclusively established in our ia
yor, the point then In question between
Maryland and Virginia, were discovered
in trunk belonging to Lord Fairfax.
After the report was published and trans
mitted to the Governor, the evidence was
SO overwhelming that the claim
to the territory was utterly aban-
doned. In consequence, Commission
era were nt once appointed to meet and
adjust the line, but Maryland refusing,
the matter was laid over until 1852, when
Maryland recognized the Fairfax Stone
AS the beginning point and invited Com
missioners from Virginia to meet and
mark the line. This offer was accepted
by Virginia and in 1850 the line was run
by Mcdonald & Lee. Mr.. Fanlkncr's
letter contains list Of the monuments,
stakes, and their localities as taken from
Lieut.. Michlsrs report. t8Hs Il
The question, itany there be, in regard
to the boundary line, must now be be-
tween the States Of West Virginia and
Maryland. II any dispute should occur
in reference to this claim II could be
readily settled by reference to an act pass
ed by the State Of Virginia on the 9th of
March, 1888, entitled "An Act to settle
the Western limits Of -this State" &c.
There are many other pOihts Of interest
which time will not permit US to mention.