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A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.

THE LOCATION OF THE CAPITAL.

DURING the Revolutionary War the Congress of the Confederation held its sessions generally at Philadelphia, then the most important city in the country. The exigencies of war sometimes forced it to withdraw to other places, but as soon as the danger had passed it returned. At the close of the War the question of a permanent Seat of Government at once arose. The discussion of the subject was carried on with considerable acrimony, and the conflicting claims of the various sections of the country seemed irreconcilable. Now one place, now another, was chosen, only to be set aside at a subsequent meeting, and the final determination seemed as far off as ever. New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Trenton, Georgetown, the banks of the Delaware above Philadelphia-all were more or less favored at one time or another.

Meantime, the Congress of the Confederation was going from bad to worse. From the nature of its constitution it was an unwieldy body, besides having no power to enforce its decrees or requisitions. The close of the War released the States from the fear of a common enemy, and gave full play to mutual jealousy and dislike of any superior power. The attendance at Congress fell off, there being often difficulty in obtaining a quorum. No respect was paid to its deliberations; in fact, it was once compelled to withdraw from Philadelphia on account of its sessions having been interrupted by a mob which the city authorities made no attempt to suppress.

It was evident that something must be done to check the growing tendency toward the dismemberment of the Confederation. A convention of delegates from the several States met at Philadelphia in 1787, "in order to form a more perfect union," and there formulated and submitted to the people the draft of the Constitution of the United States. As the question of the National Capital was still unsettled, it was left to the determination of the first Congress under the new Government, power being given "to exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States."*

The First Congress of the United States met at New York, March 4, 1789, but on account of the non-arrival of some of its members, it was not ready

*Constitution of the United States. Art. I., Sec. 8.

for business until a month later. The struggle over the site for the Capital was at once renewed. The claims of many places, among them New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Trenton, Carlisle, Harrisburg, Germantown, Lancaster, Alexandria, Georgetown, and others, were put forward and urged with the greatest zeal by different members. Sectional jealousy had much to do with the dispute. The Eastern members would not agree to a site in the South, preferring New York to any other place, while the Southern members declared the Potomac site was the most suitable in every respect. It seemed impossible for Congress to arrive at any decision, notwithstanding that several States had made liberal offers. New York had provided fine accommodations for Congress and the Executive; Maryland had passed an Act offering to cede any district that Congress might desire; Virginia had passed a similar Act.

The conflict seemed at one time likely to end in the selection of a Pennsylvania site, at Germantown. The Senate passed an Act authorizing that location. This was agreed to by the House, but with the proviso that the Pennsylvania laws should, for a time, continue in force. This brought the bill again before the Senate, and, as there remained but forty-eight hours of the session, the whole matter was postponed until the next session.

The second session of the First Congress began January 4, 1790. Necessary public business took up much of the time, and the Capital question was not considered until May. No mention of the Pennsylvania site was made, but a bill was introduced into the Senate and favorably reported by the Committee locating the Capital on the Potomac. President Washington was known to be strongly in its favor. As a young surveyor he had noticed a spot on the eastern bank, some six miles above Alexandria, which was peculiarly well adapted to the needs of a great city, and he used all his influence in urging its selection. The Southern members were unanimously in its favor, but those of the Middle and Eastern States were opposed.

When the bill came before the Senate, June 28, 1790, locating the Seat of Government" on the River Potomac, at some space between the mouths of the Eastern Branch and the Conococheague," all the Southern members voted for it, and they had the support of the two Senators from Pennsylvania, and of one from New Hampshire, the vote standing sixteen yeas to nine nays.

The bill came before the House July 9, 1790, and although a strong attempt was made to substitute Baltimore, it was passed as it came from the Senate. The Southern members had the assistance of the votes of some Pennsylvania and New Jersey members, the vote standing thirty-two yeas to twenty-nine nays. The Act located the Capital at Philadelphia until 1800, when the permanent Capital should be established on the Potomac.

Thomas Jefferson has given what may be called the "inside history" of the passage of the bill, and it reveals a delicate piece of legislative strategy, not to say "log-rolling." At the same time that the bill was before Congress, Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, was trying to pass his famous funding bill. It provided for the assumption by the Federal Govern

ment of the war debts of the various States. Most of the claims affected were held by constituents of the Eastern members, who gave it strong support, while the Southern members were vehemently opposed to it. On the two bills, therefore, the positions and interests of the members from the two sections were exactly interchanged. A compromise was effected, and both bills passed.

Jefferson gives an account of how this was done. In his diary he writes: "I proposed to Hamilton to dine with me, and I would invite another friend or two and bring them into conference together, and I thought it impossible that reasonable men consulting together coolly could fail, by some mutual sacrifices of opinion, to form a compromise which was to save the Union. The discussion took place. It was finally agreed that, whatever importance had been attached to the rejection of the funding proposition, the preservation of the Union and of concord among the States was more important, and that therefore it would be better that the vote of rejection should be rescinded, to effect which some members should change their votes. But it was observed that this pill would be peculiarly bitter to the Southern States, and that some concomitant measure should be adopted to sweeten it a little to them. There had been before propositions to fix the Seat of Government either at Philadelphia or at Georgetown on the Potomac; and it was thought by giving it to Philadelphia for ten years, and to Georgetown permanently afterwards, this might act as an anodyne, and calm in some measure the ferment which might be excited by the other measure alone. So two of the Potomac members agreed to change their votes, and Hamilton undertook to carry the other point. In doing this the influence he had established over the Eastern members effected his side of the engagement, and so the Assumption was passed."

Jefferson is generally believed to have been the originator of this scheme, and it is owing to his sagacity that the two bills, which were causing so much trouble, were passed, and a threatened dissolution of the new-made Union prevented.

The "Act for establishing the temporary and permanent Seat of the Government of the United States" was passed by Congress July 9, 1790, and is as follows:

"SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That a district of territory not exceeding ten miles square, to be located as hereafter directed, on the River Potomac, at some space between the mouths of the Eastern Branch and Conococheague, be, and the same is hereby accepted for the permanent Seat of the Government of the United States: Provided, nevertheless, that the operation of the laws of the State within such district shall not be affected by this acceptance until the time fixed for the removal of the Government thereto, and until Congress shall otherwise by law provide.

"SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the President of the United States be authorized to appoint, and, by supplying vacancies happening from refusals to act or other causes, to keep in appointment as long as may be

necessary, three Commissioners, who, or any two of whom, shall, under the direction of the President, survey, and by proper metes and bounds define and limit a district of territory under the limitations above mentioned; and the district so defined, limited and located shall be deemed the district accepted by this Act for the permanent Seat of the Government of the United States.

"SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the said Commissioners, or any two of them, shall have power to purchase or accept such quantity of land on the eastern side of the said river within the said district as the President shall deem proper for the use of the United States, and according to such plans as the President shall approve said Commissioners, or any two of them, shall prior to the first Monday in December, in the year one thousand eight hundred, provide suitable buildings for the accommodation of Congress, and of the President, and for the public offices of the Government of the United States.

"SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That for defraying the expense of such purchases and buildings, the President of the United States be authorized and requested to accept grants of money.

"SEC. 5. And be it enacted, That prior to the first Monday in December next, all offices attached to the Seat of Government of the United States shall be removed to, and until the first Monday in December, in the year one thousand eight hundred, shall remain at the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, at which place the session of Congress next ensuing the present shall be held.

"SEC. 6. And be it enacted, That on the said first Monday in December, in the year one thousand eight hundred, the Seat of the Government of the United States shall by virtue of this Act be transferred to the district and place aforesaid, and all offices attached to the said Seat of Government shall accordingly be removed thereto by their respective holders, and shall, after the said day, cease to be exercised elsewhere; and that the necessary expense of such removal shall be defrayed out of the duties on impost and tonnage, of which a sufficient sum is hereby appropriated.

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THE OWNERS AND THE COMMISSIONERS.

The earliest mention of territory of which the District of Columbia forms a part, was made in the writings of Captain John Smith, who made some explorations along the "Patawomeke," as he calls it. Subsequent explorers became quite enthusiastic over the great beauty and rare advantages of the country, and in 1663 a party of Scotch and Irish immigrants founded a settle

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ment in what is now the District. There is an old deed, bearing date of June 5, 1663, giving the boundaries of what is now Capitol Hill, a tract owned by Francis Pope, and called Rome. A small stream on the west was called the Tiber.

The settlement was small, and so far away from the towns on the seacoast, that it was but little known. The first town of any size was Belvoir, afterwards Alexandria, founded in 1748. It grew very rapidly, and, at one time, was thought likely to rival Baltimore in commercial importance. An unsuccessful effort was made to have Congress choose it as the site of the Capital, and the failure seems to have put a stop to further progress. It is now a quiet, sleepy old place with about fourteen thousand inhabitants.

Georgetown, in the western part of the District, was founded in 1751, although not incorporated until 1789. It was practically the site chosen, although the great public buildings were to be placed to the eastward.

By the Act of Congress, President Washington was directed to select the site within the prescribed limits and to appoint Commissioners to attend to all the details of the business. At his request, Congress amended the Act of July 16, 1790, so as to include the country around Alexandria. By the Act of July 9, 1846, this portion of the District, containing about thirty-six square miles, was retroceded to Virginia.

The proclamation, defining the site, was issued March 30, 1791, and was as follows:

"Beginning at Jones' Point, being the upper cape of Hunting Creek, in Virginia, and at an angle of forty-five degrees west of the north, and running in a direct line ten miles for the first line; then beginning again at the same Jones' Point and running another direct line at a right angle with the first; then from the terminations of the said first and second line, running two other direct lines of ten miles each, the one crossing the Eastern Branch and the other the Potomac, and meeting each other in a point."

The territory, therefore, formed a square containing one hundred square miles.

The Commissioners appointed by the President were General Thomas Johnson, Governor of Virginia; Hon. Daniel Carroll, one of the famous Maryland family; and Dr. David Stuart, of Virginia. All were well known. General Johnson had served through the Revolutionary War; Carroll was a member of Congress and a large landowner; Stuart was the best-known physician in Virginia, and was connected with the Washingtons through his marriage with the widow of John Parke Custis, the son of Mrs. Washington by her first husband.

The first boundary-stone was laid at Jones' Point April 15, 1791, with impressive Masonic ceremonies, naming the district the “Territory of Columbia," and giving to the Capital the name of "The City of Washington."

An admirable engineer and surveyor was found in Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a Frenchman, who came to the country in 1777 under Count D'Estaing. He afterwards held a commission in the American army for the

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