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<br />[ 11 ]
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<br />
<br />BRIEF OF T.AIV OF IXTERHTATE COMPACTK
<br />
<br />(Hubmitted by Helph E. Carpenter to Jndidary Committee
<br />of Hou"" of Repreoentath'ell, 61th Congret!l!, 1st S_ion, at Hear-
<br />ing on JUlie 4,1921, in re H. H. 6821.)
<br />
<br />POWERS OF STATES TO .ENTER INTO COMPAL'TS.
<br />
<br />Compacts 01' agreements between tbe States are recognized
<br />by Article T, .ection 10, varagl'aph 3, of the Constitntion of the
<br />United 8tnte8, whieh provides:
<br />
<br />"No State Rhall, without ('OIl8ent of Congress, * .. . enter
<br />into un." agrreuwnt or eOUlval't with another State. flo .. *u
<br />
<br />Interstate toutl'overRies and differences respecting bounda.
<br />riel'. tlRhpricR. pte., have bpen fJ'("(Juentl)' settlt.\d by interstate
<br />comjJuet.
<br />
<br />Amoll~ the many boundary disputes 80 settled may be men-
<br />tionea the follo\\'~ng': Virginia and Pennsylvania, 1780 (11 Pet.,
<br />20): Vh'~inia and Pf'nnsyl\"aniu. 1784 (:! Vall., 42;)J; Kentucky
<br />and TpnneH8ce, 1820 (11 Pet., 2(7) ; Virginia and Teunessee, 1802
<br />and 185H (1.!:~ C. H., 50:3, 511, 5H)}; Virginia aud ~laryland, 1785
<br />(15:1 1', H.. lij.>, 162),
<br />
<br />Of the eompuets between "Hates respeeting tl... 1akinf.\' of
<br />fish in rive~ fOl'Uling the boundary between the two diNl.lUtant
<br />Rtates may he rIlt'utjoned: \Vashillgtoll and Oregon, Columhia
<br />HiveI'; Maryland and Yirginia, Potomac River. (153 F. H, 155.)
<br />
<br />It is cUl'l'entl~. reported that rec'>ntly the States of New York
<br />and New ,lel'lle)' settled their harbor differenees by interstate
<br />compoct.
<br />
<br />'Vhile all eOlllpaets which ,,"ouI(l in any way involve the
<br />Ji"'ederal Oovprllllwnt 01' its jurisdietion, property, etc., must be
<br />mHde witll consent or approval of Congrt"~R in order to be hind.
<br />illg'. it has 1)(>('0 sngg-eAtell by the 811pl'f~me Court that rompads
<br />made between two ~Hatelil rPRpeeting' mattpi'R in whit'h the States
<br />alonp are' interested wig-ht he taken as hindill~ without consent
<br />01' appl'onll hy CongresR. (8tea.rn~ v. ~innr~ota 17B U. 8.,223,
<br />245; Virg'inia ,'. Tenne~see, 148 n. R., !)(};{; \Vharton v. 'Yiae~
<br />15:1 U, H., 155,)
<br />
<br />For a full discus,ioI\ r,,"peetin/( the rights of the Stutes to
<br />(->otpr into treaties or compa('tR, wi'th t~onsent of Congress, see
<br />Hhode Island y, Massuchusetts (12 Pet., 657, 725,731).
<br />
<br />In the eas" just eited the Supreme Court observed that when
<br />Gongref<8 has given its consent to two Statetl to enter into a
<br />compaet or agreement, "then the Stat.,. were in this respect re-
<br />
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