The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-05

finefs he introduces here in his own way; it was
for this reaion that lac had fid it never would be
called up, but ftand an eterna! obtacle in the
way of the required improvement.
Mr.. Sio0n reminded the committee OF an old
laying, the time prefent onlyis incur power, the
future we know not of. The time preient then
is the time to redrefs the grievances Of the fut
sering part of this community, and rs the citi-
zeDs Of Georgetown were really embarraiitd,
and their apprchen.ions excited OF greater oan-
ger, he hoped the committee would proceed
with the buhnefs.
Mr.. Stanford feldom troubled the Houfe
with any motion. But the alluded to By
his colleague (Rr. Spcaker) he mad brought for
ward from feHie of duty the reiterated aPpli-
cationsofthe inhabitants ditrietforiegiila-
tiveproviionshe had always liitcnedte with at
tenton, & he had no obie etionto proceeding inthe
diicuiion of the prefens bill, convinced that it
woulouly ferveto NEW the necefIity of rcceding
theterritory. Fromallthathadhther done,
h was apparent that they could not attempt to
accommodate one part of the diitr,ct without
drawing forth petitions againft the lame, from
another part counter petitions were conitant-
iy coming in he was willing 10 hear every
thing, but he did not believe the Houfe could j.
gree To anything and it was not to bewondcred
at when the inhabitants could not agree among
thernfelves, or if the Houfe agreed at this time
the caufeway pctitioners,it would be, he fuf-
peeted, TO do nothing in either cafe all this
tended TO evince the prcpriety of adopting the
rsfo.ution he had laid~on the table tc rcceGe the
territory to the itates OF Virginia and Maryland,
who would then have competent powers to graz
tify both parties, If they deemed it expcdient,
Of which he was convinced they were better
Judges than this or any future Congrefs were
ever likely to be.
The quettion on the committee riiing was ia
ken and loft, only IS members voting in the af-
hrinativc.
Mr., Macon then propelled to amend the bill
in fuch a way AS to provide for regulating the
ferries that might be eftablifl,ed acrofs the eaf-
tern part of tie ftream to the cauicway, and
applying the fund ariiing from the fame for the
pmpofe of keeping the GATEWAY iniepair.
Mr.. Leavi5 did not conceive it ufeful to travel
over the ground afiumed on a former location,
but would confinc himfelftoifate TO the commit
tee fome information he had acquired ince, in
rcfpett to the damage the eaaern branch or the
port of Alexandria was likely to fuitain, rs had
been aliedged. Before the year 7s4, the chan
mel on the weftern fide was 70 ihallow, that vcf-
fels only Of very ordinary bnrthen could PATS,
while on the Maryland Gde velIels of great
draft of water could eafly PATS up to George
town. The uncommon hard winter of 1854,
wa followed in the fpring by the greateA torrents
ever known in the Potomac, the bodies of ice
were ofimmenfe magnitude, and many of them
lodged upon the Gand, and under the rocks Of
its bed, priiing with force beyond all CREDIBLE
iey, it tore the rocks afunder, and preHed them
over into the new channel, occaioning rife of
90 or 10 feet on the Georgetown fhore. On
the Virginia fidc the torrent alto forced itfelf,
and deepened that channel, while il left vaff
quantity of mud, rocks and fand, in the eaf-
tern channel, which hasbeen conftantly accurnu-
lat;ng fince that period. The fituation of the
preient bar is at the meeting Of the two arms of
the river below the ifland, and docsnot permitthe
paiiage Of vehels over it drawing more than 2
feet water. The coufequeuce of this alteration
in the bed ofthe river below the illand ha, been
10 narrow the r;outh of the eaitern branch but
it had no cfcSt upon the harbour of Aie3andria.
This will icrve to explain what may be the eff
feet OF opening the old channel i'll the way pro-
pofed it may operate to widen the mouth of
the catern branch har6or, but it cannot lnurc
Alexandria.
With regard TO the objection fated by his
colleague MIR. Platter, in relation to the power
given to the corporation of Georgetown to tax
the additions to that town, he could allure the
committee that amott every perfon in George
town mad iigned the petition, and as no OBJ
lection had been made by any pcrfon concerned,
thnngh The hill hid heen Il lonr time before tine
Judgement OH the part of thofe who had not
hsned the petition, that they wiihed the nea-
fure might be adopted and CARRIED into execu-
ton.
He felt particularly iolicitous for the erc6ti-
on of this dam, as it regards the interehs Of the
citizens in the wefcrn parts of the ftates of Vir-
ginia, Maryland, and Fennfylyania. For if no
teps are taken TO improve the navigation below
Georgetown, the navigation will foon become
70 ihaiow rs not to permit ica veilels to come
to Georgetown to carry off the produce which
may defend by the Potomac and its improved
canals. The deftru6ton of Georgetown will
follow the lofs of the navigation, and The wet
ern farmers will Iofe choice of two rival mar.
kets.
While he was up lie would add few words
with refpeet to the right which Congrefs have
to IegiGatc on this fubjee. He differed entire
~ from thofe Of his colleagues, who held that
Cougrefs had no jurifdicton over the river Po-
tomac, becaufe it never was coded by Virginia.
The fate of Virginia ceded to her dividing line,
and It was immateriai whether that dividing
line was high water mark on her more, or the
middle of the channel for as Maryland has ce-
dcd all fhe had, fhe cedes up to the Virginia
ijIe wherever that may be. For he held it TO
be found law that you could not convey a body
OF territory without conveying all its appurte-
nances, unlcfs expressly rcfervcd, and neither
ftate had made a refcrvation Of any right, or
part Of any right. Suppofe A. and r. iheuld
hold two adjoining tracts of land, and A. fhould
fell TO G. all the tract he held, and B. mould al
r. III a ~ II n