Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-09-30
OYSTER QUESTION.
The Matter to be Taken to the Supreme
Court.

CRIsF1ELD, Md. Sept. 96.-The
citizens of Annamessex have held q
mass meeting and decided to carry
the Pocomoke oyster fishing rights
case to the Supreme Court of the
United States. They have appealed
to Governor Brown to help them in
the matter, and to have State
police boat in Pocomoke sound to
protect Maryland fishermen against
the Virginia officials. The meeting
adopted the following:
''That the rights now claimed by
MARYLAND in Pocomoke sound OF fish
ing and clustering privileges, and the
right of concurrent legislation OF the
subjects, were secured to us in the
compact of 1885, and this compact
arose out of claim based on the
original charter of the actual owner
ship of the territory of the Pocomoke,
which claim our forefathers have
uniformly maintained from the found
ing of the State until now.
"That the history of the contro-
yersy relating to the Poconoke Is a
story involving the unjust wrestling
by false surveying of q large portion
of her territory between Watkins
Point and the seaside, which is
authoritatively declared TO be the
rightful property OF Maryland ny
the arbitrators in 1877, and which
territory Virginia has unJustly re-
tanned and still retains.
THAT the compact of 17S5 was
make under the eye Of General Wash
ington and at Mt. Vernon. and was
intended to concede to both States
equal privileges in the disputed water
in Potomac and Pocomoke rivers.
That Maryland has lived up to the
letter and the spirit of that compact
ever since and has conceded equal
privileges in the mighty Potomac,
which Maryland owns exclusively,
from that time to the present. But
on the other hand, ever since 1870 an
attempt has been made by Virginia
to deprive US of equal rights in the
comparatively insignificant POGO
moke. resulting in the loss of lives
and much property to us.
ssThat Watkins Point is the end of
the main marsh of Annamessex at
Cedar Straits, and the true line, bar
ring the fraud and the opposition
heretofore alluded to, runs thence by
a due east line to the Atlantic ocean,
giving to Maryland in truth and just
ness the larger part of the disputed
waters and vast tract of valuable
land, now in the wrongful possession
of Virginia.
1--WE therefore refuse to abide by
the decision of Judges Golf and
Hughes and declare our intention to
appeal to the Supreme Court of the
United States, an impartial tribunal,
for review of the decision just rem
dered, and we believe that this
tribunal will vindicate the views and
the conduct of Maryland in this mat
ter for more than .2Q0syears past.
Resolved, Thataa committee OF
five citizens, consisting OF Noah z.
Sterling, A. Lincoln Dryden, &. t.
Atkinson, Sidney r. Riggin and
Cornelius W. Sterling, be, and here
by are, appointed by this meeting,
and are authorized to convey these
our sentiments to Governor Brown
and to urge him to take such steps
as may be necessary to obtain the
decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States on this momentous
question
Resolved, That Governor Brown
be requested to place sloop in POGO
moke sound to protect Maryland
citizens from the arrogance iand OPP
preston of the Virginia State fishery
force"