10 	The Compact o f 1785

and Pocomoke rivers, and the attachment of vessels for
debt.

	Legislative enactments which recognized and applied
	the Compact date from the fairly early 1800's, and in
	creased in both numbers and importance toward the latter
	part of the century. Thus, Resolution 44 of the Maryland
	Acts of 1816 required the appointment of two commission
	ers, to meet with similar persons from Virginia, to devise
	methods for protecting the fisheries in the Potomac River
	from damage by steam vessels, concluding that "the same,
	if concurred in by the respective legislatures of Maryland
	and Virginia, shall be binding on the citizens thereof."

	Similarly, ch. 32 of the Virginia Acts of 1818, which
	made it unlawful to take oysters out of that Common
	wealth, had a qualifying section that nothing therein
	should prevent "the taking and transporting of oysters
	as heretofore from the waters of the Patowmac and Poco
	moke, where those rivers are common territory to the
	States of Maryland and Virginia."

	The same qualification was in ch. 24 of the Maryland
	Acts of 1820, which prohibited the taking or exporting of
	oysters by persons who had not resided in Maryland for
	at least twelve months.

	Likewise, this qualifying section was added to ch. 40 of
	the Virginia Acts of 1820, which amended the Act of 1818
	mentioned above. Another in this series of acts was ch.
	84 of the Virginia Acts of 1832, which permitted only resi
	dents of Virginia to take oysters, "except in such rivers
	and in such portions thereof as are common property to
	this and some other state."

	Another example of Virginia's recognition of the Com
	pact was in ch. 71 of 1843, which prohibited any master or
	owner of a vessel using the Potomac from voluntarily
	and maliciously violating the Compact, by molesting or
	hindering fisheries in certain ways.