All questions and disputes touching the ownership, title, buoys, boundaries, ranges, extent or location of any shellfish grounds within the exclusive jurisdiction of the state may be referred to and settled by the Commissioner of Agriculture, who is empowered, on petition of any person interested therein, to summon all the parties in interest, so far as such parties may be made known to him, to appear before him at a time and place in the summons named, such summons to be signed by the commissioner or his authorized agent and served by him or such other person as said commissioner may direct; whereupon, at the time and place named, or at any other time and place to which the hearing may be from time to time adjourned, the petitioner shall file a sworn statement of the facts as claimed by him, to which any interested party may respond by filing a sworn counterstatement of the facts as claimed by him; and, after hearing all the parties interested, with their witnesses and counsel said commissioner shall make his decision in writing as soon as convenient thereafter, which decision shall be recorded in the books of record in his office, and the same shall be binding on all the parties in interest so summoned or appearing, unless on an appeal taken from such decision, in accordance with the provisions of § 4-183, except venue for such appeal shall be in the judicial district where the town is situated between whose meridian lines any portion of said grounds may be, such decision is reversed by said court.