Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-11-20

| tTacfed debate am wearisome delay, the per
| manent seat OF government was located In the
| tonac It may lot be amlss 70 state In this
connection that In answer to some fear aX-
pressed that some future Congress might re-
/ move the capital Mr.. Madison remarked that
6. he fla tered himself that some respect would
| be paid TO the public interest and
| THE PLIGHTED FAITH OF THE GOVERNMENT.
| The bill locating the seat OF government on
| the Potomac was passed July 2, 1890, by a vote
| Of 80 to 20. This was small majority, but
| even this would probably not have been secured
but for the combination OF the Potomac interest
with the interest In favor OF an assumption Of
the state debts By the general government
| The northern states were In favor OF this as
sumption; the southern states opposed to 1t.
Some OF the southern members agreed to change
their votes in favor OF assumption Ia consldera-
ton OF corresponding change OF votes on the
location on the Potomac. This contract was
performed. and the south won its first victory
In the location OF the National Capital.
THE INVENTION OF CONGRESSIONAL. Loa-RoLLING.
Mr.. Jefferson, in his correspondence, gives
the following account of this first 'Iog rolling"
scheme ever introduced to Congress:
''rhe great and tr5 ing question (the assump-
uOn OF the state de0'S) Was lost Ia the House of
representatives. So hign weie the feudS eX-
cited by this subject that on Its rejection b ISL
1ourned from day to day, without doing any
thing, the parties being too much out ofsGemper
to do business together. The eastern members
particularly, who. with Smith, from south
Carolina, were the principal gamblers 10 these
scenes, threatened secession ana disSo'Uf{on.
Hamilton was in despair. As was going to the
Presidents one day, met him 10 the streer. He
walked me backward and forward before the
Preside mt door for half an hour. He painted
patheucaiiy the temper into which the legisla-
! ture had been wrought; the disgust of those
who were called the creditor states: the danger
OF the secession of their members, and the
separation Of the states. lie observed
hot fhn ,Sot.-
ought to act In concert; that though
this question was not or my department (Stat y,
yet common duty should make tJ a c0nmol
concern; that the President was the center on
which all administrative questions ultimately
rested, and that all OF us should rally around
him, and support with Joint efforts measures
been lost by only g small majority, Is was
probable that an appeal from me to the judg-
ment and discretion OF some of my friends
might eject char ge In the vote and the
machine OF government, now suspended might
be again set 10 motion. l told him that was
really a stranger 10 the whole subject. aud not
finance adopted knew not how far this Was a
necessary sequence; that undoubtedly, II its
rejection endangered dissolution OF our
Union at this incpient stage. l should
consequences. to avert which all partial
and temporary evils should be yielded
the next day, and would invite another friend
or two, bring them into conference together.
| and thought it impossible that aSonable
| men, consulting together coOly could fail by
| some mutual sacrifices Of opinion 10 FORM a
compromise 9rhich lrds to Sdre the JrniOn The
| discussion took place. l could take no part ia
| it but an exhoI tatory one, because l was a
| stranger TO the circumstances which should
| govern Il. But 1t was finally agreed to that
| whatever importance had been attached to the
rejection OF this proposition the preservation Of
| the [ hiOn and OF concord among the states was
! more important, and that therefore 1t would be
| better that the vote OF rejection should be re-
| scinded, to effect which some members should
| change their votes. But 1t was observed
| that this pill would be- peculiarly bitter
| to the southern states, and that some
c0Hc0ntam measure should be adopted to
| SlrfeteH II a tGt'e to them. There had been a
proposition to fix the seat OF government either
at Philadelphia or at Georgetown on the Poto-
mac mac and it was thought that by giving it to
| Philadelphia for ten years and to Georgetown
| permanently afterwards, this might, as an
| anOdyne calm In some degree the ferment
! which might be excited by the other measure
! alone. So two of the Potomac members (White
and Lee, but White with a revulS1on OF stomach
almost cODVuisiye) agreed to change their votes,
and Hamilton undertook to carry the other
paa deng t tine ne had
agency Of Robert Morris with those OF the
Middle States. erected his side OF the agree
ment, and so the assumption was passed.
THE BELLIGERENTs DROP INTO POETRY.
Verses like the following, which appeared Ia
the papers Of the day, serve as an index to pub
ny sonian measures:
VIRGINIA TO MASSACHUSETTS.
Dear Sedgwick, give over the making of pother
About the Potomac, about the potomac.
You there shall smoke shoemack-you there shall
smoke sh0emack.
And you, Mr. Gerry, be not quite so merry
About COnococheague about Conococheague.
For your duh punning jeers, your mopes and your
fears
We care not fg-we care not fig.
1t is sir at Georgetown that you shall be set down
When there we'll assure YOU 81 Your hectic to cure
No i@SI of Your ran'ing-no more Of your rant
w Y9n .f, fairly outwtted you're fairly oatwtted
| WIN TINS Georgetown motion. q, dear, what
In the teeth you'll be twitted-in the teeth you'n
be tWitted,
You talk Of Your dying, with s1bs and with signing
But the north We'll cofnnd When 20 wa aan van
| home sound,
! And you shall smoke shoemack-and YOU shall
! smoke sGOemack,
MASSACHUSETTS TO VIRGINIA.
9e n9ddies how noozled perplexed. and BAN
booZled
Are We Of Potomac are We Of Potomac
1e had better be found at your home safe and sound
| smoking OF shotlnack-a smoking OF shoemack.
| The Union you'd sever for sake Of your river.
! Ana give ny assumption, and give up assumption.
Inert Nultt aitt there's Lee, ana there's MARY
Wise men Of all .,r,mption-wise men of all eunp-
! ton.
Then there's Daniel Carroll who looks like barrel
OF Catholic faith, sir,-Of Catholic faith sir,
| He swOre he was trne, but the bung, sir. it flew
And went OH in a breath, sir-weut oil in breath
| sir.
Virginia, give over the making of pother
About the Potomac, about the Potomac
/ For, although sou have got il, assump tion shall
rot 1t
! And smoke you like shoemack-and smoke Won
Ike shoeMack!
Thus Was finally settled question which had
been agitated for seven years, had consumed
more time, and given occasion 20 more motions
than any single measure that had ever occupied
the attention OF Congress.
The act provided that a district OF territory
not TO exceed ten miles square be located at
some place on the Potomac river between the
/ Eastern Branch and the Conococheague small
| stream eInpty1ng into the Potomac near VIII
Transport, Md. Three commisSioners-David
! Stewart, OF Virginia, Thomas Johnson and
| Daniel Carroll, OF Mary lapd-were appointed to
locate and survey the District, with further
powers TO purchase or accept such quantity OF
land on the eastern side or the Potomac as thu
President should approve, and upon this land 70
erect buildings suitable for the accommodation
or Congress- and to have them completed by
the first Monday In December. 1900. The COM
1nissloners employed Andrew Eliicott to survey