Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-12

sev copied from her. In measure, and nnu,
inc = falling OF in her revenues from wnet
,night have been expected ~ reasonnoie
car,ses seut q commissioner in 1854 TO exs
an,ine into the oyster-laws and system An9
methods of Connecticut, IL may be infcrIea
that Rhode Island has experienced some
diripution In her receipts. 49,. !.
In 1895 there was q sharp CRITICISM -
Connecticut on her methods ana Ino ~
ministration OF her laws.
Tho oyster-laws Of Rhode Island and New
Jersey are widely different from tnat Q,
Connecticut. and to me- appear 10 y'ei"
larger revenue. :. ..u.s .ftov
that of Connecticut. but differs from ~ ia
one radical feature, which would not lessen
the revenue but might add to the discon-
tent of the tongmen. 49,.
toms of our State (Maryland) are OF greater
value than the dry land, and they VIII souo
dyy support great and prosperous p0Pu-
lation. IL directly influences the weuato
of all OF us and our posterlty. Tor our
oyster-beds are our greatest sources y.
wealth. and upon them more than upon
our commerce or our manufacturers or our
farming-lands the future wealth. ana PIP
psrity of the State depend. The weaitn;
winch is within the reach of our people ana
their descendants from the oyster-grounds
of the State is great-almost beyond eA-
The same may and can be said OF the
ovster-lauds of Virginia. Here they are.
We have them They are richer IN MONEY
value than the goid-mlnes OF Calliorhia.
If the State were to enter upon wise
policy she would reap untold wealth from
Il. What is that wise policyt II.
IL would be indelicate tor me 10 lnui-
cate. INT II is not indicate for me to
suggest that to Governor Mckinney Dc
left the selection of an oyster-sheil com
missioner. who shall make study OF the
oyster-laws of all the States and report 10
the next Legislature the result OF his In
vestigations and tho reasons tor his recon-
mendations. r,.
That report would enable the Leeglsiai,,
ture to determine whether they ,wouIo sen
or lease the natural beds TO any one; IL
not. whether they would sell or lease the
suitable underground; if lease, whether
1t should be q perpetual lease, conditioned
on cultivation with reversion TO the state
when that ceased. or for a term Of years,
and IL for years. whether the term should
be long or short. and whether or not there
should or should not be limit IN the nup,,
Der of acres that should be SOLD or ieaseo
TO any one individual. Herein nes .no
difference in the policy OF the States re-
ferred to. some having one and some an
other. and what is wisest and Is best is
matter for cool clear. deliberate deter
mination worked out in great part by the
actuaI experience of the States mentioned.
There was no policy and no law IN the
States named prior TO 1880 that was worth
a moments consideration, and those thab
were then adopted have been inodlIeu ny
exnerience. and what the State ought to
do is TO avail herself of the very last light
that has been thrown on this subject oy
either science or experience.
One thing il certain-she has property
beneath her waters rom which she might
derive a princely revenue. The question
10 viii she do it? Or will she allow her
natural beds to be assailed by alien and DO,
nestle bands until they are extermlnated
rather than preserve them as the sranaries
of another. industry that can De pun up
to excel the minerals of her mountains,
the cattle of her plains. and the commerce
of her seas?
This question she will have to decide
very soon, or else it will not be worth con-
sidering, for the Increased and eyer-in.
creasing price for oysters-an advance OF
100 per cent. in the last few years-is an
evidence that the supply is being exhaust
ed. a fact made still more clear and IN
dubitable by the resort OF her citizens
TO the waters Of North Carolina for the
stock that the waters of Virginia no longer
afford, seeking to do to North CaroIin as
Connecticut did tous. Butwith North Caro-
lima aroused. hostile. and now protecting
her borders as she should. Virginia, driven
back to her own territory, will soon be IN
the condition of the reckless spendthrltt
who. with fortune all gone, has only the
poor consolation Of telling TO Others with
moist eyes and subdued breath OF the
wealth he once had and wasted.
That NAV be pathetic, but it Is not sensi-
BILE, and the true aud only way to prevent
the disaster is by wise laws TO protect the
poor remnant and let the God of the Seas
renlenish the stock, II. s. THOMAS.