Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-10-21
COY. O,FERRALL,a REPLY.


the State of Maryland and Virginia has
caused fresh complications. The latest
phase of this apparently never-ending
question is war of words between
Governors Lowndes and O'Ferrall, and
the matter seems to be as far from set
Element as ever.
On October II Governor LoWndes ad
dressed a letter to The Governor ofVir-
ginia regarding the boundary line be-
tween the two States. to which the
Governor took the position that unless
Virginia Immediately took steps to-
ward cooperating with Maryland in
fixing the boundary line between the
two States in the Pocomoke sound and
river, it would be fixed by Gov.
Lowndes without the cooperation OF
Virginia. He wrote Gov. O'Ferrall
that unless the matter was attended to
at once he would cause the boundary
line, as laid down by the Black and
Jenkins award, to be located, and per-
manent beacons or lights placed there
on. Gov. O'Ferrsll has replied as follows:
Richmond, Va, October 16, 1897.
His Excellency Lloyd Lowndes, Gov
ernor OF Maryland, Annapolis, Md:
Dear Sir-Yours OF the l4th inst.
mailed 10th inst, was received by me
in due course of mail some hours after
had read it in morning paper.
Replying, l beg to say that in q let
ter of date June 2!6h, 1896, in reply to
communication from your Excellency,
I expressed my willingness to unite
with you in having buoys replaced in
the Pocomoke and Tangier sounds
along the boundary line between Mary
land and Virginia, at the same time
stating that it was believed that if the
buoys were replaced they would again
be destroyed by designing men, and
that it was insisted that there are land
objects which clearly indicate the line,
enabling any citizen of either State to
ascertain it by using ordinary precau.
ton. beg to say further that, in a
conference in May last with your rep
resentative, Col. Thomas S. Hodson, |
agreed, as soon as practicable, which [
thought would be at an early day, to
appoint commissioner on the part of
Virginia to act in concert with q com.
missioner on the part of Mary land,
whom you had already appointed, in
replacing the buoys at points where
they had previously been placed, the
expense to be equally divided between
the States. I have had no DISPOSE
ton to recede from the agreement men,
toned, but have met with some diff.
culties, and, as the guardian of Virgin
las interests, I have delayed the ap
pointment of commissioner for sGti-
Gent and satisfactory reasons.
Your letter of the 14th inst, as con
strue it, presents new question. 1t
seems to be your desire to run and re-.
locate the entire boundary line be-
tween Maryland and Virginia, and to
place beacons or other marks along the
line so run and located. If this is your
proposition 1 cannot assent to it. The
line is we'll established, and was ad.
Indicated by the Circuit Court of the
United States for the Eastern district
of Virginia in the case of Wharton vs..
Wise, Sheriff, &C., &C., and the decision
of that court was affirmed by the Su-
preme Court of the United States, and
I would not either directly or implied.
Iy consent to the reopening of the
boundary line question, which was in
dispute so long, but now, happily, set.
tied.
I hope I have misconstrued your
letter, and that the agreement of May
last can be carried out without further
delay, as I am now ready to appoint a
commissioner.
beg to say further that replacing
OF the buoys by either State without
the cooperation of the other would
possibly. if not probably, result in dis
agreeable complications.
If you proceed with your commission
er alone to replace the buoys and mark
the linz, and direct your officials, in
Guiding the officers of your State fishery
force, to observe the line thus To-
Gated and remarked, as you indi-
cate your purpose to do in your
letter of the 14th instant, it would
become my duty to issue instruc-
tions to the officers OF the oyster police
force of Virginia not to respect the line
thus "located and re Marked" if in
their opinion it did not represent the
true boundary line between Maryland
aud Virginia. assure you that Virginia
has no desire to encroach in any man
ner upon the rights OF her sister State,
and 1 feel assured that this feeling will
be fully reciprocated by Maryland. I,
therefore, in conclusion, again express
the hope that I have misconstrued your
purpose as set forth in your letter of
the IA h inst, and that the agreement
of May last can now be fulfilled to the
entire satisfaction of both of us. as the
executives of the two States so closely
allied in feeling and interest.
Awaiting your reply, am, with high.
est regards,
Your obedient servant,
CHAs. T. O'FERRALL,
Governor of Virginia.
Governor Lowndes, of Maryland, I'm.
der date of October 20, has addressed
the following letter to Gov. O'Ferrall
concerning the dispute:
I'm reply to your letter of the 10th
inst, l have to say that there has been
no intention whatever on the part of
Maryland to reopen the boundary ques-
ton.
"As stated in my previous CORE
spo adence, our desire has simply been
to replace the buoy and other marks
which have disappeared from that part
of the boundary line which runs
through Pocomoke sound and river.
I'm order to accomplish this it will
be necessary, of course, for compe.
tent civil engineer to find out where
Tho limo "a that lest aoraad IN and roti