Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-01-26
CON G K ES S
or THE
u NJ TIE D S I 4 I E S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MONDAY, January Z.
DEBATE
On receding the District Of Columbia
continued. }

Mr.. Eppes. With the Gentleman from
Psnns yivania (Mr. Sm.hel coRsidsred the
question ofrecedins the territory OF CO.
lumbia as entirely sepera,e and district
from question TO remove the seat OF 60
yernment. He did not understand the
particular connection between .hs two ques.
lions. He believed that the seat 81 govern.
mcnt would be as permenanlly nxsS here,
if the jurisdiction of congress extend only
over the soil covered BY its pubic build.
inys, as If It smbrae d aay rumber OF
square miles. All that the natpnsi leg's
lsrure wants here is accommodation. As
S. mblcd at this place for the purpose of
general legislation, the exercise OF Local
sovereignty over lew square miles Is mel
ther ben hcial 70 the naIon nor N erestius
,o;eorg,ess. The rg h, OF ieg'lallon Tor
per, MS around Us wross local Interests
We Go no, feel r. unde's, n cannot at
taea ~ this spot he reprss.n a,i"es ct the
nation. The exercise OF this PUwer by
co .yress canno attach to ,h spot Inc na'
,,on ,:se.t. The pubic convenience anu
int, rs, fixed our government within tas
erri.ory, the pubic convenience and IN
trrest can alone continue 1t here. ihe
perm amen, seat of our government depends
not On III. 4 snt of cur powers over he
coun, around us, but on the will OF ths
nation Whs, nigh, b. the feelings OF o.
Their gentlemen on this subje { he aad 70
nests lion III d, lar,ng, tha. although he
was IN favor of reced ng the TERRITORY Of
Cnlur BIZ, he should never feel hilpsrlt an-
.hori,ed a, representative OF Virginia 10
vote for removal of the seat Of govern.
ment.
In She observations re should make on
this subject he was wiling TO pursue the
course taken by the gentleman trem Ma
rytand (Mr. Dxnuis) who had set oat
W. tn declaring that, he considered the re.
.eding the territory, as uneonsu'u''on&l
and i'm olit;c. HI would examine these
two gu, st,ou,, and hrs. the constitutions
ren OF congress To recede the territory
II the words of the constitution were, that
,sngree, shall exercise exclusive lsglsla.
ton over the territory, there would be no
doub, ba, tina. ike every other part OF toe
eonstiiu ion they mus, be obeyed. Wha;c-.
yer Inconvenience might attend the exrr-
else Of iii power hy congress, ii by me
words of the constitution it was positively
enjoinsd as a duty, we could not SHRINK
from us performance. The words OF the
cons ti,u,i.n are, that congress "shali
have power to exercise exclusive iegisla-
tisn in all Eases wha cever, over such dis
trct of ccHntrv, not exceeding ten miles
so,afe, as;may by cess on Of par'icu'aT
states bee oCne the seat Of the government
of the Uaitrd States Wha.do We un
der, and bv the wnrds shall have power
to exercise? Not that congress shsl
bu, tina, congress may, ererciss Excl ;siye
| p;sla,ion ever tbs dis,rie', precisely as
she may exc, Else any other II her delega'.
I'd Low rs. Ryts 6rss clause OF the 9Th
section Of tbs 6rs. article Of the constr u
ton. s,cgresr n al have power to lay and
collsc; tax~s, BY another clause to b,rrow
money, and by another clause various o.
thsr powers, wci,h certainly may or
NAV rot be exercised, without VIOLA
ton Of the constr ul,on as ter example,
If con eress was never 10 lay TAX, was
never 70 borrow money, was never to lay
an excise. or to pass unifera' law on the
subject of baukrup,cy il could not be con-
tended that the constitution was violated
because shs did not exercise these ppwers
I'VE, in all these cases the language OF the
constitution IS congress shall have pow
er." Nor did he suppose it congress
wer. never to exercise exclusive legisla.
ton over this territory, it could be con-
tended, the constitution was violated; be-
cause this power like all others given IN.
der the different clauses of the eighth sec
ton, may, or may no, be exercised ; as the
pablo sxingeneies shall require. Non. OF
the clauses are mandatory. The nation
al lepi stature il Ia every case lett to deter
mine whether the public good require.
the exercise Of particular power. II
then congress may never exercise th's
power, and net violate the constitution,
il follows tina, Tho actual exercise OF exc
elusive legislation over this territory, Is