Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-24
MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA.
Suggestion for an Interstate Treaty snd
Board for Governing the Chesapeake.

Suggestion Tor nm Interstnte IrenH ~"
Board for Governing the Chesapeake
General Bradley T. Johnson writes 10
the Baltimore Sun as follows:
The warlike rumors from Tangier ana
Richmond would be ridiculous were II not
that they may lead to loss OF life by en-
couraging the combatants by a supposed
public sympathy. The cry for war Is
puerile and childish, and ought TO be ST.
fenced by the contempt of both States
The disputed question OF right OF Mary
landers TO take oysters I'm Pocomoke
Sou nj will be heard in the Supreme Court
OF the United States on March 9Th. There
never has been any claim OF right to take
them in Tangier Sound. in Virginia
waters. I suspect the Maryland oyster
men have been encouraged by local poll
tlcians To believe that they have some
sort OF claim in Tangier. and. therefore,
II would be peace-serving. law-abidinS
move IL the Governor would issue his
proclamation warning our people that they
must not trespass on Virginia territory.
There IL no necessity for going into
spasms over the point OF honor. We
Marylanders want to be right, and then
well take care OF our honor as we have
done these two centuries or more.
But this border fray emphasizes the ne
cesslty for an interstate arrangement such
az / have advocated heretofore. In lt1
the Virgina-Maryland compact was ne
gotiated by George Washington Edmund
Randolph. and James Madison for VIZ
ginIa. and by Thomas Johnson, Thomas
Stone Samuel Chase, and Daniel or 81.
Thomas Jenifer for Maryland. IL provided
that the Potomac and Pocomokc rivers
should be used in common by the people
of both States. and secured an inter-
change of commercial regulations be-
tween their ports.
II was the germ from which tho Con-
stitution OF the United States grew ana
is to-day the firm tie which binds the
States I'm comfy and friendship. There are
no such statesmen in either state as
those who negotiated this treaty. ana no
such regulations have been acquired III
either; but both States can furnish able.
brave. intelligent. and honest men VINO
can make a final settlement of all ques-
tions which now exist or which may here
after arise between their citizens.
In 1884 the Virginia Legislature, upon
proper representations. adopted law
regulating oystering in the Potomac. en-
acted by the Maryland Legislature with
out changing a letter In II, and the proper
men can now make a new treaty extend
Ing the operations OF the compact OF l7S5,
and which will preserve the peace and
perpetuate friendship forever
Thomas q. Hayes. on the part of Mary
land, and r. II. Carlwell, for Virginia,
can each associate with themselves two
or more coadjutors. and they will ar
range n treaty which will be satisfactory
TO both States. and when ratified by
Congress will be irrepealabie. 1hey can
create a board for the government OF the
Chesapeake to he selected by the two
States, this board to have power to make
and enforce police regulations over the
fisheries Of the Chesapeake and command
a proper police force to enforce them; to
regulate the time. place, and manner Of
taking fish. including oysters; TO issue
licenses and TO fix the price OF them; to
receive the fund raised by them and apply
II to the support Of the commission and
the police and the replenishment Of the
exhausted oyster-grounds; 70 define the
rights of the citizens Of each state 10
fish in the Potomac. the Pocomoke, Tan
eicr Sound, and the Chesapeake and its
tributaries. 70 secure the success OF
such "a negotiation we must have response
bllty. would. therefore, have one pleni-
potentiary on each side who should con-
troll. but who could appoint as assistants
as many as he pleased
Such an arrangement would be OF great
advantage to both States. but II would
prc-eminently inure 10 the benefit Of Bal
timOre, the great market Of the Chesa-
peake. and to whose prosperity the iishe-
res so largely contribute.