Evening star., 1935-12-08

the report continued. ''that what was
known as 'Alexanders Island In the
territory involved was, In reality, a
complete, absolute island, completely
separated from the fast land of Viz
ginia.
Island Evidence Dismissed.
MANY maps were introduced by the
representatives Of the United States
which tended to show that this prop
erty was complete island. and equally
as many maps were introduced by the
representatives Of the Commonwealth
Of Virginia which tended to show that
the territory known as .Alexanders
Island was not an island, but pc
ninsula. ."
1T is the opinion Of the commission
that the question Of whether what
was known as 'Alexanders Island was
ever a complete island has received a
place in the testimony Of much greater
prominence than its Importance de-
serves. It Is Of minor consequence as
compared with the questions touching
the occupancy by Virginia proprietors,
the exercise Of sovereignty by the State
Of Virginia and the acquiescence in
and the acknowledgment by the Fed
eral Government Of virginia's right to
and over a strip Of land approximately
1000 feet wide between what is known
as the fast land in the Virginia up
lands and what Is known as the
island
"This strip Of land, which at one
time or another has, to great extent.
been a marsh, is claimed by the
United States Government as a part
Of the bed Of the Potomac River,
and to further that claim the Fed
eral Government has attempted to
prove that the channel Of the river
formerly split at this point and q
portion of it flowed. without inter
ruption, through this piece Of land
1000 feet wide.
virginia's Claim Sustained. :.
"The State of Virginia has denied
this and has asserted that this strip
Of land has never been a part Of the
bed Of the Potomac Eiver-never q
complete channel-and that between
Gravelly Creek and Shallow Greek, or
Reaches Run, there has been q COM
plete peninsula. firmly attached to the
Virginia .uplands.
after considering all of the volu-
minous evidence and all of the maps
produced by both sides to this con-
troversy, this commission is Of the
opinion that the great weight Of evi-
dence sustains the Virginia position
-. From all of the testimony and
all Of the exhibits filed and which
are made part Of these proceedings,
this commission is Of the opinion that
what is known as 'Alexanders Island
was, in reality, a peninsula and not q
complete island"
Reverting to the act Of retrocession,
the commission said: TT Is apparent
that the United States Government
returned to the State Of Virginia by
tie said act Of 1846 exactly what 1t
had acquired by the act Of 1871. The
evidence presented before the COM
mission does not indicate that the
United States Government, between
1871 and 1S46, took any action to in
dicate ownership over the property In
dispute. On the contrary. the evi-
dence is clear that the Alexanders
and their successors, who were the
successors to the Howsing patent, dur
ing this period Of time we're in COM
plete possession Of the property
Low-Water Case Cited.
The supreme Court case of Mary
land VS.. West Virginia, the commits
sion contended, is the only one
brought for the specific and direct
purpose Of determining the true
boundary line on the Virginia side
Of the Potomac River, and in that
case the Supreme Court directly and
unequivocably decided that the true
boundary was the low-water mark on
the Virginia shore"
The Government, the commission
explained. held that the decision Of
the court In the Maryland.West Vir-
ginia case Is not binding, because Of
decisions Of the court in the cases Of
Morris vs.. United States, Marine Rail-
way & Coal Co. vs. United States and