The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-28
THE TnEsD1spATcH RICHMOND VA THURSDAY AUGUST % 1918
MAY FIND SOLUTION
OF ANCIENT DISPUTE

that convention issued the call for the
convention which met at Philadelphia
in May. 1857, and framed the Consti-
tuition OF the United states. Genera.
Washington presided. and thus had the
satisfaction Of seeing the triumphant
conclusion OF the movement started
in his parior IN 1855.
At the Mount Vernon conference the
commissioners OH the part or Mary
land were Daniel Jenifer. Thomas stone
and Samuel Chase: on the part OF Nir-
sinia. George Mason and Alexander
Henderson. II has oesn frequently
said that the Maryland commissioners
were completed Outgentrai.d in the
conference, but the spi.it IN which
they met should be considered. Thay
had more on their minds than the set
Element OF the questions Immediately
before them
Moreover, II should he remembered
that at that time Virginia had con-
trolling position from her possession
of the capes of the Chesapeake. Mary
land commerce could not reach the
ocean save through Virginia waters. In
those circumstances. and IL view OF the
purposes of the Potomac Company, in
whose success both States were inter
ested. II is not surprising that the
Maryland commissioners should have
agreed that the Potomac should be n
the right of fishing In the river shall
be common and equally enjoyed by the
citizens Of both States
The Maryland commissioners have
| been blamed for not insisting upon
such equality OF privilege on behalf
of Maryland III Pocomoke and Tangier
Sounds which are trayersed BY the
boundary line between the two States
on the Eastern Shore. This is said to
have been a negligence. Virginia was
alert on the point, and ;he Virginia
act OF 1855 passed in pursuance OF the
compact, forbids citizens of Maryland
| from taking oysters in Poccmoke and
Tangicr Sounds. The conference was
not however, boundary line nego-
| tiation but its object was a CONNER
| cial treaty to secure freedom OF naviEa-
| ton. The Federal Constitution few
| years later made a clean sweep OF dim
| culties In this field. but AT the time
mount subject of interest. to which all
other matters were subordinated
Maryland RcstrnIncd.
When the long dispute between Mary
land and Virginia over the boundary
line was settled in 1877 by the award
decided that the dividing line between
| the two States is AT lowwater bark
| on the southern shore.
Thus the Potomac River Throughout,
its entire length between Virginia ant
! Maryland belongs wholly to Maryland
and yet Maryland is restrained by the
compact of 1885 from legislatinG in re
gard to fishing rights in the Potomac
except by the consent OF Virginia, a!
otherwise the law is practically void.
The result is that the Potomac River
had become a mo mans land" where
people may fish or oyster in season o.
out of season without liability, anC
when an illegal cargo of oysters Il
overhauled anywhere In the bay tn,
ready excuse may be offered that the.
come from the Potomac.
The joint committee, of which Sena
tor Linthicum is chairman. has the diff
fcult task OF negotiating a settlement
OF the question. The effort has beef
made before many times without an.
rra ctical result.
Hope of greater success now rest
chiefly on the fact that with the sprea
of oyster culture in Virginia it has nov
become desirable to that state also t
bring the oyster industry in the Poto
mac under legal control.