The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-03-01


Charles /, King of England, &C.,
granted unto Cecelius. Baron Of
Baltimore, a charter giving to him
dominion over the territories de-
scribed in it, and made him COVER
nor oyer the colony afterwards
planted there with succession to his
heirs at law. Under this charter,
possession was taken by the grantee
and jurisdiction exercised there
under until the revolution, when
Maryland became sovereign State
and a member of the American
Union, and all the rights proprie-
tary, as well as political previously
granted under the charter, became
vested in the State of Maryland.
Virginia by her first constitution
as free State (June 80, 1776) dis
claimed all rights of property, iur-
iSdiction and government over the
territories contained within the
charters of Maryland and other
colonies IN these words viz: THE
territories contained within the
charters erecting the colonies of
Maryland, Pennsylvania, North and
South Carolina. are hereby coded,
released, forever confirmed, to the
people of those colonies respectively
with all the rights of property, jur-
isdiction and government and ali
other rights whatsoever which
might at any time heretofore have
been claimed by Virginia except
free navigation and use of the rivers
Potomac and Pokomoke with the
property of the Virginia shores or
streams bordering on either of the
said rivers and all improvements
which Rave been or shall be made
therein.
The frat constitutional conven-
ton Of Maryland October, 17763
adopted the following resolution:
"Resolved, unanimously, that 1t is
the opinion of the convention that
the State of Virginia hath not any
right or title to any of the territory,
bays, rivers or waters included in
the charter granted by his majesty,
Charles l, to Cecllius Calvert,
Baron of Baltimore"
That both the States Of Mary
land and Virginia thus admitted
that they were bound by the Kings
charter to Lord Baltimore, and con-
fcssed 1T to be the only original
measure descriptive of their terri
tory.
The State Of Maryland further
represents unto your Honors that
the original boundaries of the
Province Of Maryland are clearly
laid down in the aforesaid charter
which created it. These are the
fortieth parallel Of north latitude,
meridian line running south to
the first or most distant fountain Of
the Potomac, thence proceeding
southwark to the further or western
bank OF that river and following
that bank to spealfic point at the
mouth Of the river where it de-
bauches into the Chesapeake thence
by straight line across the bay to
Watkins Point and onward to the
ocean, and thence by the ocean and
Delaware bay and river to the For
tieth parallel.
All Of which appears from a copy
Of the original charter filed as part
Of this bill commencing at page six
Of the appendix hereto. At the
time Of and after the revolution,
Maryland claimed her western
boundary under the charter which
had never been revoked or broken,
and this claim has never been in
any way waived, filed or compro-
missed. This claim has been to the
South Branch Of the Potomac as
the farthe.t source of the Potomac.
The State of Maryland further
represents unto your Honors that
from 1885 down to the period Of
the civil war in 1861, various efforts
were made for the ascertalnment Of
the western boundary line between
the States of Maryland and Vir-
ginia, but without success, and in
the year 1861 the State of West
Virginia was created out of a part
of Virginia, and was admitted into
and became member of the Amer
lean Union, and in her boundaries
(which are designated by county
lines) are included those counties
in which the disputed territories
lies, and therefore the question of
the actual boundaries was left to be
settled between the States of Mary
land and West Virginia.
1t is further represented unto
your Honors that from 1868 down
to the present time various means
have been resorted to by the State
OF Maryland to have the controversy
with the State Of West virginia set
tied IN an amicable and equitable
manner, but all efforts in that di-
rectiOn have s1unallv foi1a6 ond 4bo