Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-05

city OF New York steamer OF hgn,
draft, yet seaworthy. and armed am al,
equipped her. She was named Accona.n;;
and. with the schooners Tangier anu
Pocomoke. already In service she was
kept on the State line in the souhns W" ~
/ ring the oyster season OF isss- -. ~ .ho
/ end OF that season. 10 save eNpsnSe, Wy
/ Pocomoke was retired until the cv'n
| mencemenf of the present season. when
she was again placed In cofnHlssIo,,'
/ Accomack and the Tangier. however ~
naming al their posts during the paS'
summer and all are now on u.N.. .tnco
I IL gives me pleasure TO state Una, IN. .
/ the Accomack was placed on tne iln' ~
/ depreciation of any consequence naS
| Cured | believe the appropriation "as
judicious. and that the streng eng ,sn esfect
/ our oyster police force has hah the ehsv,
/ of deterring non-residents from crossins
orr line defying our laws, anu pfeNihs
! upon our oyster-beds. as they had peeh
/ doing for many years. .o.
Tho officers commanding the steane,
I and schooners have been vigllant anu
/ faithful and Are worthy Of the h'Rhest
commentator
CAPTURED BOATS.
/ on the evening of the 10th day OF feb-
/ ruarv 1894. large number or oystti-
/ heats owned and manned by cl1IeiS
1 Of MARYLAND crossed into Virginia. IN
TanQier sound and, with arms. drove the
Virginia oyster-police schooner range
| from her post in said sound, ana tooh
possession
known as "Old Woman's Marsh. ana.
in defiance of law dredeed thereon LOT
oysters until they were driven out Dy
the oyster-police steamer CHESAPEAKE,
under orders from me. on the night OF
February 18Th. In the pursuit OF me M
rauding vessels the schooner Wilhelm
r. Price and the schooner g. w steven
son, belonging. respectively, 10 BenJd-
min r. Marsh and Edward Lowe resi-
dents Of the state of Maryland, wers
taken by the Chesapeake. III was alleeeu
that these boats had been pursued Dy
the Chesapeake into Maryland waters
and there captured. The General AS
sembly OF the State of Maryland, on
the 18th day Of February. 1884, passed
Joint resolution declaring that the act
was an invasion and violation OF IN
territory of Maryland. which could not De
passed by without notice ana reparduoil,
and. appointing a commirtee. who, IN
conjunction with the Governor of That
State were directed 10 call the attehtioh
OF the Governor and Legislature OF thIs
state 10 this violation OF the territory
of Maryland. and demand redress ana re-
paratiOn. The Joint resolution was laid De-
fore me by the committee ana py me
communicated 90 the General Assembly
of Virginia. WhereupOn a committee was
appointed by joint resolution adopted
March p 1885, to act jointly or separately
with a Ike commfttee. 10 be appointed
by the General Assembly of Maryland,
10 investigate and ascertain the facts IN
connection with the conflict between the
Chesapeake and dredging vessels. ana
the capture of the William T.. Price anu
g. W. Stevenson. and report the facts
ascerfained together with their con-
illusions. TO the Governor Of this Com
mOnwealth on the 10Th day of June. 1871.
the said committee made their report
80 me- setting forth that the evidence
was conflicting as to the exact locality
Of the capure of the said vessels. They
reported. further, that il clearly appeared
that the Chesapeake pursued the dfedS-
ing-fieet into Maryland waters, ana, aiter
an able and exhaustive discussion OF the
right of Virginia TO pursue INTO Maiyldhu
waters, they concluded that inasmuch as
the authorities Of that state had mol
Heretofore sefused TO eXtradite an oHend-
er against Nirginias laws, anu IL hot
appearing that the attention OF the au-
thOrf,ies Of Maryland had been called 10
the continuous incursions by residents OF
that State into Virginia waters NHsiilld
could not, AT the daie OF Inc cdp'ult,
claim the right of pursuit Iney iufthei
concluded that. under all the clrcum-
stances. and relying upon the run CO.
operation of the authorities OF MdiNla,u
with our own officers 10 prevent slihlidr
troubles i'm the future. suitable ackhoW-
f.lgmeut OF regret should be made To tho
Governor of Maryland. and recommended
thar the captured vessels be rendered 10
him copy of said report Is hereto APP
pended.
ths committee, on the 9Th of September
1891 / addressed letter TO his Excel
lency, Frank Brown. Governor OF Mary
land. a copy Of which. together with a
copy of his reply. will be found appended.
Since that time there has been no cause
of complaint upon the part OF virginia
and hope and believe We VIII IN the
future be relieved or the CONNECTS Whlch
for many years had been occurring IN
the Tangier and POcomoke SOUNDS, re-
sultng from the long-continued and per-
sistent depredatiOns upon our valuable
oyster-grOunds by residents OF Maryland
THE STATES OYsTER-LAWs.
The oyster-laws have been enforced as
far as possible. and the cOmmandaut Of
Hudgins is entitled TO special notlce
RE has been active and watchfui. fearless
and diligent, in the discharge OF his re
spOnsib.e duties. Violations are occur
ring often, but many NlOlatOrs nave peth
arrested and fined
In various instances inspectors nave
been deceived ana have ISSUED licenses
TO nOu-residents of the State. contrary,
of course. to law, and these impositions
are liable to occur al any time under the
existing statute In view OF TINS iacI
/ submit for your consideration the pro-
priety of so amending the statute as 10
REQUIRE all licenses TO be granted by the
Judges OF the respective county or city
courts. either in term time or vacation
instead of the inspectors, and that
record OF all licenses so granted be Kept
nv the clerks of the respective courts,
and that they be required to furnish the
proper Inspector with copy of each
order granting "A license and send quar-
terry certified list Of said licenses TO
the Auditor of Public Accounts, 10 be
used by the Auditor in settling with the
inspectors.
In has been alleged i'm few localities
that the survey of the natural beds did
not embrace all of the natural rocks.
and disputes have arisen between tong
men and lessees of grounds not included
in the survey. | must express the opin-
ion that the lines established are sub
stantally correct. They were designated
by Captain j. r. Baylor, most distin-
guished and competent offcer OF the
United States Coast and Geodetic Survey,
under the direction of commissioners APP
pointed by the courts of the respective
counties, and | have great faith in their
accuracy and there should be no inter-
ference with them unless there vas
palpable mistake made. and no harm can
result Care should be taken not l. set
bad precedent.
THE VOLUNTEER MILITIA.
Virginia has a volunteer militia force of
which she can be most justly proud. In
the future. as in the past. she will find
her soldiers ever "A bulWark against dan
ger, ever ready TO uphold the law. main
tain the peace, Vindicate the right, and
protect the humblest OF her citizens in
his guaranteed privileges. whenever the
| civil authority proves too weak. Tho
| militia is the sword arm of the Com
! monwealth." to be used cautiously, but
firmly. In vain will agitators and dis
turbers. and those with anarchstic ten
denotes seek to arouse a prejudice against
the volunteer soldiers of State. for they
/ are not hireings nor aliens but they
come from the people. ana, prompted only
| by patriotism, they enlist for the defence
| Of the people of their State and her
institutions.
Thrice proud can Virginia be of her
| volunteers for surely they have shown
| their devotion to her by maintaining and
| keeping up the efficiency OF their organi-
cations i'm spite of the meagre support
/ they have received from her. Last year
| ~. human and arfillorNmn re-