Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-10-25

The following nom the Albany Ar1s, T.
from The psn Of Q, ssataenaA who has held
high positions Under the 6overnment and
made the FederAl OeastitutAea . special study,
And has writtsn nuch and ably upon Ques-
uoos arising under 1t. Though retired from
pubhlc life and active pressssional dutass, ne
still takes great iptseess in whatever tends
to th proper anderstanding Of that great In
stru ment:
TAI Uneasy, restless and selfish men are a..
itat ing the removal Of the seat Of the Federal
Go VsrnDent % come dlslant point West Of its
prt sent location. Them Woald b some apol.
og for change IL better laws should be alter.
WI srds passed, or Ices corruption prevail
In Congress. or economy take the place OF
pI esent extravagance. But there can be no
Worx an lmprovemsst il sisher RESPECT. How
the millions npon mifiions Invested in wash
:ts. 1.s,Sn n pubic SSild,ns; and S,nsr inpsovs,
doubls their, cost cat present prtces) at some
other place has not been sho wn, n0f can Il
be. How any one but interested spectators is
TO be oenentted by the proposed change has
never been explained to the satisfaction Of the
common mind. The trainers Of the Constitu-
lion foresaw the advantages Of permanent
location Of the capital, aud Of oonferring upon
Congress exclusive legislative po wer over il.
They made provision for that purpose in these
words: Congress shall have power to exer.
else exclusive legSl6uO0 In ali cases VIVA ALSO.
ever over such district mot to exce~d ten
miles square) as may be by the cession OF par
uculsr States, and aocepted by Congress, be-
come he seat OF she Government Of the uaited
States" This power was folio wed by enc 40
exercise like authority. over all places pur.
chased by the coneent Of the Leeislature Of the
State In which the eame shall be, for the erec-
and other needfnl buildinss." This latter
power In no way relates 70 Locating The eeAs
Q. Gover.nsnt. Or l.gsiasiag over IL New
sests of Governmeat Congress authorized
General Washington to locate ten miles
square ON the Potomac, partly IN Maryland
ana partly m Nirsinia, and 70 select slte for
buildings needful for public business az the
actual capitol shoald - located. Maryland
and Virginia made ceeeions Of jurisdiction in
gress accepted under It. The City Of Waso-
InEton, in the District Of Celunbia, became
the seat OF government From that time mp
treated Il as the capital. rermansntiy and
conclusively fixed, and interests, - an an
limited extent, have grown mp around it In
M 1sii M fsitn that u wonld remain there forever. %
vandalism, il it were In the power OF Don gress
to 90 1t. But Oongress cannot exercise 90 de.
strucure power. It's authority Was limited
and Virginia. when that was done the
power delegated by the Constitution having
been once exercised became exhausted, and
couio NOT DC again eAereo. Ine power was
not continuous one to be again exercised
when Congress should choose to do 20, but
SPEC fic. and when once exercised 1t became, in
the language Of the law, fnnctEs c6Geto. and was
dead. Ne respectable lawyer, or Judge, will
dispute this maxim. The retrocession 70 Vir-
ginIa was q mere uullity. Congress had no
power TO cede back what II had accepted under
an express provision Of the Consultation. In
its acceptance. Congress exhausted Its whole
power to acquire a seat for the Federal Govern
ment Should it now pass law 70 remove it
from its present location It would b o nuility
1t could not again acq uire elsewhere what the
people now have, q seat Of Government located
py the Father OF his Country, and rendered
spectators, bat will never consent 10 indulge
them in selling the cid seat OF Government,
with Its magnificent buildings and improve
- . her i6irst Tor
gam, even IL the Constitution would permit it,
which h does not"