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1776, when she surrendered other claims within the char-
ter limits of Maryland; but on the contrary she expressly
reserved "the property of the Virginia shores or strands
bordering on either of said rivers, (Potomac and Poco-
moke,) and all improvements which have or will be made
thereon." By the compact of 1785, Maryland assented to
this, and declared that 11 the citizens of each State respect-
ively shall have full property on the shores of Potomac
and adjoining their lands, with all emoluments and advan-
tages thereunto belongin, and the privilege of mating
and carrying out wharves and other improvements." We
are not authority for the construction of this compact, be-
cause nothing which concerns it is submitted to us; but
we cannot help being influenced by our conviction (Chan-
cellor Bland notwithstanding) that it applies to the whole
course of the river above the Great Falls as well as below.
t Taking all together'we consider it established that Virginia
has a proprietary right on the south shore to low-water
mark, and, appurtenant thereto, has a privilege to erect
any structures connected with the shore which may be
necessary to the full enjoyment of her riparian ownership,
and which shall not impede the free navigation or other
common use of the river as a public highway.
To that extent Virginia has shown her rights on the
river so clearly as to make them indisputable. Her efforts
to show that she acquired, or that Maryland lost, the isl-
ands or the bed of the river, in whole or in part, have been
less successful.
To throw a cloud on the title of Maryland to the south
half of the river the fact is proved that in 1685 the King
and Privy Council determined to issue a quo warranto
against the Proprietary of Maryland, " whereby the powers
of that charter and the government of that province might
be seized into the King's hands" for insisting on " a; pre-
tended right to the whole river of Potowmack" and for
other misdemeanors. This was a formidable threat, con-
sidering %vlrat a court the King's Bench was at that time;
but. it never was carried out, and we can infer from it only
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