Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-07-22
The boundary Question.

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The Maryland legislative committee
70 confer with the Virginia legislative
committee on the question Of free fish
cry in the Potomac river and Pocomoke
sound, and on a concurrent oyster Gull
low, returned Wednesday night from
their meeting and conference with the
Virginia committee. Together the
committee had gone all over the waters
and inspected them thoroughly, and
considerable oratory had been expend-
ed to win over members from one side
to the other. The joint committees
separated at Old Point Comfort.
The Joint committees arrived at no
| definite conclusions, and sub-commit-
tees composed of members from both
State committees were appointed on
the two questions, viz: Pocomoke
sound and The Gull law while the joint
committee will pass upon the Potomac
river question. These committees are
to meet and again come to some con-
clusion, if possible, and report to the
Joint State committees, which meet in
Washington on November %. The re-
ports of the subcommittee will then
be adopted.
The Maryland committee feel quite
certain that they will be able to get
the proper culling law. This has been
nearly definitely determined. In es-
sence the new law will be similar to
the culling law passed by the last Mary
land legislature, which provides under
heavy penalties for the culling OF the
oysters on natural rock or bed, and
that no oysters measuring less than two
and half inches from hinge to mouth
shall be carried to market. The only
point of difference is i'll regard to the
beginning and ending Of the dredging
and longing seasons, and this, it is
thought, can bcrcadily arranged. There
is now no Gull law applicable to the Po
tomac river, and the beds there are be-
ing ruthlessly destroyed.
Another point under consideration
was the question Of fishery in the Poto-
mac river. The Virginia committee
ask that the river be divided byan imagi
nary line into halves, the northern
side to be used exclusively by Mary
land oystermcn, and the southern by
Nirginians At present both States
have the right of common fishery, each
going 10 tie land borders of the other
State. In this the Virginia committee
is assisted by Messrs. Wilkinson and
Combs, of the Maryland committee,
The two latter gentlemen advocate the
drawing of the line UP the Potomac
from Point Lookout to Piney Point.
This would be acceptable to Virginia,
but it is strongly opposed by
lIessrs. Hayes and Sans, who claim
that the State has already given away
more than she should OF the right to
fishery in her waters, and that the ced
ing of the common right Of fishery in
the Potomac river to Virginia was Il
piece of great generosity, that warrants
some concessions now FROM that State.
They base their arguments on strong
and tena5lc grounds of equity and law,
and will fight for this TO the last.
The next point is the right to a COM
mon fishery in the Pocomoke Sound.
This caused the great discussion before
the Joint committees, and the solution
seems yet faron. The State Of Virginia
since 1884 has claimed an absolute right
of fishery in half Of the Pocomokc
Sound and has claimed common right
with Maryland in the Other half. Mary
land disputes her right to this and
claims a common light in the entire Pc
comoke Sound.
The subcommittee will get to work
at once. Senator Hayes, chairman Of
the joint subcommittee on the POGO
Inolic, has called his committee to meet
on August q, when the sound is to be
again inspected and final decision
reached before the separation Of the
committee. The subcommittee en- the
culling law, Of which Senator Hayes is
also chairman, has lot appointed day
to meet, but it will probably be shortly
after the meeting ofthc Pocomokc com
mittee. The reports ofthe sub-commit-
tees will, it is thought, be conclusive
and final rs 10 the action of the joint
committees.-Baliimore AmericdR.