The Republican., 1891-12-18
ToTLE THE BOUNDARY.
Attornek- General Whyte Makes a
Mcve--The Old Controversy Be-
tween MarS land and West Vlr-
QlAia Revived.

Rlhla Revived.
Attorney General Whyte appear
ed in the Supreme Court of the
United States, Monday and asked
leave to file bill of the State of
MARYLAND against the State of West
Virginia for the settlement of the
boundary line between the two
States, and petitioned the court for
the issue of subpoena to be serv-
ed on the proper officers Of the de-
fendant State. The question in
controversy, says the Baltimore
Sun, is one that has been long in
dispute. The original boundaries
of MARYLAND as laid down in the
charter we're:
The iortieth parellel of north
latitude, q meridian line running
south to the first or most distant
fountain Of the Potomac; thence
proceeding southwark to the farth-
er or western bank of the river,
and following that bank to a speci-
fed point at the mouth of the riv.
er; thence by a straight line across
the bay to Watkins point and on
wasd- to the ocean, and thence BY
t he sesaA and Delaware bay and
| river to the fortieth parallel.
The only one Of these courses
that was at all uncertain at the
time the charter was granted was
that of the extreme west. The
point at which the meridian line
was to begin had to remain unde-
termined until it should be found
which was the farthest source or
first fountain of the Potomac, in
other words, which Of the branches
of that river took its raise farthest
from its mouth. When the ques-
ton arose which Of the two great
branches which unite to form the
Potomac river was the longer,
Maryland not being represented in
the commission.
In 1853 Frederick, Lord Balti-
more, protested against this inva-
sion Of his TERRITORY and directed
Governor Horstio Sharpe to look
into the matter, and to open cor
respondence with Lord Fairfax
with a view to settlement of the
boundaries between Maryland and
Virginia information was obtained
to show that the South Branch
was the longer, but the outbreak OF
the French and Indian war in 1854
prevented further action.
The question WAS unsettled at
the outbreak of the revolution, but
IN her first constitution. adopted
July 20. 1776, Virginia confirmed
Maryland's claim. In 1885 and
1901 commissioners were appointed
ly the two States to adjust the
boundary, but nothing came OF
them euor of other commissions
afterSard appointed. In 1852
what vas known as MichIer's line
was to be the definite boundary
when ratified by the legislatures OF
both States. MARYLAND ratified the
line by an act passed March 6,
$50, but Virginia failed to do so.
The civil war and its results
changed the status of the question.
The State of West Virginia was
separated from Virginia, and in
the boundaries of the new State
was included the disputed territory,
The legislature of West Virginia
in 1868 authorized the Governor
to appoint a commission to ascer.
tain the line between that State
and Maryland. In 1886 the Mary.
land Legislature requested the Gov
ornor to call the attention of the
West Virginia authorities to Mich
ler's line previously surveyed.
The next year the West Virginia
Legislature confirmed M,chler's
line, but with conditions that could
not be accepted by Maryland,
In 1883 the question was again be.
fore the Legislature of Maryland,
and the Acknowledgement advised
that proceedings against West Vir.
ginia be begun in the Supreme
Court of the United states or that
the question be submitted to arbi.
traitors appointed by the States.
The bill filed by Attorney, Gen.
eral Whyte is printed. Recites IN
brief the long pending controversy
between Virginia (and, since the
war, West Vlrginia) and Maryland
about the exact line which bounds
the western limits of Maryland. II
recites the granting of the charter
to Lord Baltimore bv Charles l, in
1852, and gives the boundaries
therein described, ard shows Its
possession by Lord Baltimore and
| the jurisdiction exercised over it
down to the Revolution. when
Maryland became sovereign State
and member of the American
Union.
1t CLAIMS the same bounds for
I