Whealton, Maryland & Virginia Boundary Controversy, 1904,
msa_sc_5330_9_42
, Image No.: 33
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Whealton, Maryland & Virginia Boundary Controversy, 1904,
msa_sc_5330_9_42
, Image No.: 33
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31 The Maryland act of i$32 seems to have received no recognition from Virginia In the following year Virginia passed an act relating to boundary disputes, but no mention was made of Mary- land's offer.a8 Commissioners were directed to begin Virginia's boundary at the Fairfax Stone, and no pro- vision was made for arbitration. This measure was dis- courteous to Maryland as it practically ignored the offer of that state to make a friendly adjustment. Maryland did not hamper her commissioners by any specific instruc- tions under the act of i$3a, while Virginia's legislature designated the place where the boundary should begin and so left nothing open to investigation.- Maryland legislators felt keenly the force of the action taken by Virginia, and deep regret was expressed at the failure of all attempts to settle the dispute by friendly arbitra- tion. The next move was an appeal to law as The Attorney-General was directed to bring -a suit in the name of Maryland against Virginia in the Supreme Court of the United States in order that a "final legal adjust- ment and settlement of the southern and western bound- aries" might 'be obtained. Provision was made "that all °t The Virginia Assembly had often sought to collect data bear- ing on the dispute, and in 1832 resolutions were passed by that body directing the Governor to procure certain documents and tes- timony. Among the papers specified was a record of the " Decision of the case brought before George II anterior to the American Revolution by the proprietor of the Northern Neck and the proprie- tor of the western domain of Maryland, in a dispute touching the limits and boundaries of several letters patent granted by King Charles II and James II for land tying on both sides of the River Quiriough or Potomac." Acts of Virginia Assembly, i83t-2, ch. 6, cue, 186. Governor Floyd attempted to secure this testimony from the Brit- ish records, through the United States Minister at the Court of St. James. Mr. Charles J. Faulkner was appointed by the Governor as agent for Virginia, and he thereupon had an interview with President Jackson and Edward Livingstone, the Secretary of State. The effort was not successful. Samuel Kerchival's f' History of the Valley," Faulkner's Report. Also "Journa3 and Documents of Virginia House of Delegates," t832-3, Due. I, p. qo-3. ~ •' Acts of Virginia Assembly," 1832-3, ch. 32. ~° "yaws of Maryland," i$33-4, Res.. 8o.