23 
Liability Act applied to vessels employed in navigation on Long 
Island Sound, and the Court held that it did. Neither in the argu- 
ments presented, nor in the decision of the Court, were there any 
allusions to the boundary agreement between New York and Con- 
necticut, or to their respective proprietary rights in the Sound. 
There is nothing in the decision, therefore, which should create any 
apprehension in the minds of oyster growers. It should not be for- 
gotten that this boundary line was not made in haste nor in ignor- 
ance of the facts or of the law. It had been a subject of dispute and 
legal controversy for many years. The gentlemen who were appointed 
to represent their respective States in its preparation were familiar 
with the history and the law of the subject; and above all they were 
distinguished for their great experience and ability as jurists and 
_ statesmen. After passing from their hands the agreement was sub- 
jected to the careful scrutiny of many of the best judicial minds of the 
country. It was approved by the Judiciary Committees, the Legisla- 
tures and the Governors of both States; and was finally examined by 
the Congressional Judiciary Committee, recommended for ratifica- 
tion, adopted by Congress and sanctioned by the President. An 
array of legislative talent like this in support of an agreement must 
impose absolute confidence in its legality and binding force. For 
the benefit of those interested in the subject, the act of ratification on 
the part of the United States, which recites the boundary agreement 
in full, is published in the appendix. 
The Commissioners take great pleasure in expressing their acknowl- 
edgments to Secretary Botsford and Engineer Bogart and his assist- 
ants for the fidelity and efficiency with which they have uniformly 
discharged their respective duties. 
The laws pertaining to the oyster industry passed at the last session, 
will be found appended. Attention is called to the fact that the 
boundary line separating State from town jurisdiction as reported by 
the Commissioners last year was changed in two places, one off Nor- 
walk and the other off Saybrook, and the true line as adopted and 
ratified by the State is found in Chapter CXXIII. of the session laws 
of 1882. — 
An inventory of the property now on hand, purchased by the Com- 
missioners for the purposes of their work, with the cost prices thereof, 
will be found in the appendix. 
The financial statement for the year ends with November 30, 1882, 
and is as follows : 
