Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-25
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
An Interesting History.
BY ARROYO.


exercise e1clGsipe legislation in all cases what
soever over such District mot exceeding ten miles
square) as may by cession of particular states
and the acceptance OF Congress- become the seat
of the government"
The capital was placed in its present position
i79O. q stat 1907 The first Congress under the
present Constitution met In the City OF New
York and there the first President was tnaugu-
rated but 1t was generally conceded that this
city was to be but the temporary capital, and
that the permanent seat OF government must be
farther south. The question as to where the
permanent seat should be, was introduced very
early In the session, and the debates on the sub
ject excited great deal OF sectional animo5ity.
The first move In the matter was made by
the representatives Of VirginlaSyho In May 1879
presented resolutions Of the legislature, Offering
a district of ten miles square In any part of the
state that Congress might select Maryland and
New Jersey soon after made similar Offers GA
the 25th of August Mr. Maclay, OF Pennsylvania
presented in the Senate a draft OF a district OF
ten miles square, including the borough OF La
caster In Pennsylvania Mr. Maclay also m IN
toned Wright'S Ferry NOV called WrightsviIe)
on the SuSquehanna, Yorktown, Carlisle, Hlr
risburg Reading and Germantown all in Penn
sylvan1a, as good localities for the parnlnal;
seat OF government The papers were ori4fel
to lie on the table Mr.. Scott, OF Pennsylvania
offered in the House OF Representative AuyI5t
n, resolution that permanent re5ll.lG2
ought TO be fixed for the general govern n ut o.
the United States at some convenient Diltt as
near the center OF wealth, population All eX-
tent of territory as may be consistent with con-
venience to the navigation Of the Atlanta Ocntp.
and having due regard to the particular situa-
ton of the western country" Mr. Scott said he
conceived the moment favorable one for deter
mining the great question that had agitated the
minds OF the people for several years. We
might be assured. he said, that
CONGRESS NOW POSSESSED VIRTUE AND INNOCENCE
but it might be feared that this would not be the
case in the future They were now free from
faction and as devoid as possible OF party and
local vi,ws- 1t might happen that at a future
day, faction would compel the government to
IL ON some improper place, and one of two evils
would result from this either they would be
Obliged to remove after expending great sums OF
money on this imprudent establishment, or the
Union would be dissolved.
MIR. Liyermore, of New Hampshire said that
Congress was very comfortably situated already.
and neither the Legislature nor the citiZens of
New York had asked them to remove. 1t was
true that many other places appeared extremely
anxious to have Congress with them. Trenton,
Germantown, Carlisle, Lancaster. Yorktown and
Reading had sent abundance OF petitions setting
forth their advantages He was glad the inhabi-
tantS OF those places were 50 pleasantly stu lted,
and as it appeared by their papers they have
plenty of fish he hoped they would enjoy lem.
and If Congress should, at some future day re-
move to one of the places named, the members
would have the benefit OF these advantages also.
Mr.. jackson, OF Georgia said that upon this
subject depended the existence OF the union.
The place of the seat OF government was fmpor-
tant In every respect. 1t might be compared,
which the principles of life We're carried to the
eXtremites.
Mr. Sherman, of Connecticut, and others
urged that the motion should be postponed to
the next session, as Rhode Island and North
Carolina were still unrepreSented on the floor OF
the House, not having yet adopted the consti-
tuition. North Carolina was entitled TO six votes
and Rhode Island to one, and it was important
that their voices should be heard. The cont-
nent should be properly balanced Oh this great
occasion.
The House refused to postpone the subject for
so long time but laid it over until September
Sd, when another debate took place
The northern members urged that the capital
should be somewhere In the valley of the SIS
quehanna, and some of them named Wright'S
Ferry as the proper place, while others sug-
gested York, on the COdoru's Creek, a tributary
OF the Susquehanna. The Maryland members
insisted that the choice should not be confined
to that portion of the Susquehanna in Pennsyl-
vania, but that the valley Of that stream in
Maryland should be examined, and Peach Bot
tom In that state was named as good locality.
THE SOUTHERN CLAIM POR THE CAPITAL
The more southern members Insisted that the
line Of the SuSquehanna was neither the center
of territory, population nor wealth, that the
center of territory would fall nearer the POto-
mac, and as for population, while admitting that
the territory north Of the Susquehanna was
the most populOus and wealthy, yet population
was changeable factor, and from the far miller
climate OF the southern states they must SOD!
become more pOpulOus than the north. As for
wealth. 1t was said that, il this was 70 be Goa
sidered in the matter at ALL reasons existed for
rather placing the Capital near the poorest sec
ton OF the country, where the Inhabitants war,.
least able to travel long distances to reach taa
seat OF government Both hDrthern and south
ern members said that the West should be Goa
Sidefed in settling the question, and tha alyo.
Gates OF the SuSquehanna declared that riy.r
the best nav1gabe route to Fort Pitt now Pitts
burg, while those who favored the Potion a;seid
1t was navigable almost to its head from whelce
short and easy portage would reach the Oni).
Mr.. Ames, OF Mass, however, thought the West
had little to do with the question. The country
west of the Ohio was almost an unmeasurable
wilderness. When it would be settled, and how
it would be possible to govern 1t, were matter.
past calculation, but he considered it perfectly
the West might be. Probably it WORLD be- neni'
a hundred gears before the population beyond
the Alleghanies became considerable. Mr.. Lee,
of Va. moved to so amend the resolution as to
require the Capital to be on the north bank OF
the Potomac in Maryland. The motion was re-
Jected by ayes u, nays 20. Mr.. Winning, OF Della
ware, moved that 1t be placed at wilmington, In
Delaware. This was rejected by ayes -. nays
80. Mr.. BOudinot, OF New Jersey, moved that it
be on the Delaware river, within eight miles OF 1
Delaware Falls; Rejected, ayes T. nays 46. It
was finally resolved that the permanent seat of
the government OF the United States ought to BE-
at some convenient place
ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER SUSQUEHANNA,
and that until the necessary buildings were
erected the seat OF government ought to continue
in the city of New York. committee was
They reported bill September IA, which passed
the House September %, 1879, without ml:h
debate on the general subject, though some
attempts were made to change the temporary
seat OF government to Wilmington, in ID elaware
and to Philadelphia, In Pennsylvania. The vote
on the bill waS-ayeS 81, nays H. This bill came
back from the Senate with the clause respecting
the SuSquehauna stricken out, and an amend
ment inserted the effect OF Which would nave
been to make Germantown, near Philadelphia
the National Capital. This amendment the House
adopted after a short debate, By ayes 81. nays "a
but added a proviSo that nothing contliaad IN
the bill should be construed to affect the opera
ton OF the laws OF Pennsylvania within the DIS
trict OF ten miles square, which it was proposed
to cede and accept, until Congress should other
wise provide by law. The adoption OF this pro-
yiSo sent the bill back to the Senate, from
whence it never returned. Thus narrowly dill
the ancient borough OF Germantown escape
being made the Capital OF the United States.
BILL TO DETERMINE THE PERMANENT SEAT
Of Congress and the Government of the United
States was introduced in the Senate May 81, i.9O.
by Mr.. Butler. This bill directed that district
OF ten miles square at - be located by commits
sioners to be appointed by the President. Sew
eral efforts We're made to fill the blank with the
words 50 Baltimore" wilmington, DEL" &C.,
but these propositions were voted down, and the
blank was finally filled with the words: - On the
river Potomac, at some place between the
mouths OF the Eastern Branch and the Conn0yo-
chegue," In Maryland, and the bill passed the
Senate by ayes IA nayS IL, 1t was considered in