30 	The Compact of 1785

out the consent of Congress . . . . , enter into any agreement
or compact with another state" extended only to future
agreements and could not prohibit one already in effect.

	"We are therefore of the opinion," continued Mr. Justice
	Field, "that the Compact continued in full force after the
	adoption of the Constitution, except so far as inconsistent
	with its provisions." Further, he said, after quoting the
	language by which both states affirmed the Compact in
	passing acts for the Arbitration Award of 1877, "there could
	not be a more solemn and conclusive recognition and asser
	tion-so far as the two states were concerned-of the con
	tinued existence and obligatory force of the compact than
	is contained in this language . . . ." When Congress gave
	its assent to the Award of 1877, "that consent taken in con
	nection with the conditions upon which the award was
	authorized, operated as an approval of the original Com
	pact, and its continuance in force under the sanction of
	Congress."

	J. Morris v. United States (1899). The Morris case was
	decided by the Supreme Court (174 U. S. 196) . It was a
	long and complicated case, involving title to the bed of
	the Potomac River opposite the District of Columbia and
	also the right of landowners in the District to build
	wharves along the shore. The question on the latter point
	was similar to that in the Potomac Steamboat Company
	case, in that a street had been constructed along the shore,
	separating the land in question from the water, with the
	landowner nevertheless claiming continued riparian rights.
	On this point it was decided, as in the earlier case. that
	riparian rights no longer were appurtenant to this land.

	The conflicting claims of title to the bed of the river
	went back on either side to the original grants to Lord
	Baltimore and Lord Culpepper. In tracing the long story
	of the boundary disputes along the Potomac River, the
	Court mentioned in passing that

a compact was entered into in 1785 between the two
states, whereby, through commissioners, a jurisdic-