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James Boyle says, "The act of z$z$, if acted under,
will be an abandonment of the rights of Maryland to
nearly an half a million acres of territory; it may be con-
sidered fortunate that the phraseology of the Virginia
and Maryland laws have essentially differed from each
other," The commissioners discovered that "the place
of beginning embraced a section of country about one
mile in width and thirty-six miles in length, which was
deemed too important to be abandoned unless under ex-
press instructions to that effect .53
A new method of adjustment was now attempted. The
offer made by the Maryland act of 18ig was closed by a
repealing act passed in z825 a¢ But in the following
year, March y, 1826, the Maryland Assembly passed a
number of resolutions for the appointment of commis-
sioners and the adjustment of her western limits. In
these resolutions it was provided that "in case of a dis-
agreement between the commissioners appointed on the
part of this State and on the part of the Commonwealth
of Virginia, the executive of this State shall request the
Governor of the State of Delaware for the time being to
appoint an umpire, who shall he vested with full powers
to settle and adjust the several matters in controversy."
Maryland pledged herself to abide by the award on con-
dition that Virginia did likewise. Some correspondence
between Governors Tyler and Kent followed, but the act
had no practical results 5s
Maryland did not despair of reaching a final ad-
justment and soon passed a more comprehensive
measure providing for a settlement of the difficulty.
Again, in this act of z832, Maryland proposed arbitra-
tion by the Governor of Delaware, and directed a select
committee of five to investigate and report concerning
the western and southern limits of the state.ae
0 Report of James Boyle on the boundary in i82q..
""Maryland Acts of Assembly," i8zq.-S, Ch. 195.
-' B. S. Pigman's report on the southern and western boundary,
1834. Appendices 22,23, Z¢
"" Maryland Laws," 1831.Res. ia6, z 28.
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