Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-11-17
THE OPENING OF CONGRESS.
Review of the Colonial, Continental and
Federal Congresses

Washinton Post: The Forty-eighth Con-
gress will assemble as usual on the firstMon
day in December The first Federal Amer
lean Congress, under the constitution, was
held in New York, George Washington,
President, March 1889, and New York
was the first Federal capital. Philadelphia
was next made the capital in 1870 and
continued so for ten years. Washington
has been the capital since 1900. The
previous seats of government under the
Continental regime were as follows, the
dates being those of the opening sessions
of Congress: Philadelphia, September 5,
IVA; Baltimore, December 20, 1776; Phil
adelphia, March 4, IVY; Lancaster, Pa,
September 81, IVY; York, Pa, September
80, 1777; Philadelphia, July 9, 177S;
Princeton, n. j., June 80, 1888; Annapo-
lis, Nd, November 26, 1888; Trenton, n.
j., November l, 1884; New York, January
IL, 17S5, where the constitutional govern
ment was organized in 1879. The seat OF
government was removed to Washington
in 1900, and the first session of Congress
held there commencing on November 18th.
The permanent seat OF the Federal gov
ernment was fixed on the Potomac by an
act of Congress passed July Is, 1870. In
1791 the site was selected by Washington,
and commissioners were appointed to lay
out the city. AT the time of this location
the city was almost precisely in the geo.
graphical center between the northern
and southern limits OF the Union. 1t was
first called the Federal City" by Wash
ington, and was so printed in the records
of the time until September Z, 1871, when
the commissioners gave it its present
name. 1t was incorporated as q city by an
act of Congress, MAY 3, 1902. The
cornerstone of the Capitol was laid by
Washington, September is, 1893. The
present central structure dates from 1878
completed in 1920, and the extension or
wings from 1851, when they were dedi-
Gated by Daniel Webster. The first Capt.
tol building was destroyed by the British
army during the invasion of Washington
in 1914.
The First Continental Congress was
held in Philadelphia, in Carpenters Hall,
September 5, IVA, to protest against the
encroachments upon the rights OF the
colonies by the mother country. Twelve
colonies were represented, Georgia only
being the missing one. On May 10, 1715,
the Second Continental Congress convened
in Philadelphia, and during the session
of the Third Continental Congress in 1776,
on June 9TH, a resolution of independence
was introduced and was promulgated
on July 4th. A new constitution was
adopted in a convention OF States held in
New York September II, 1877, the same
was ratified in June, 1888, and the new
constitutional government was organized
March 4, 1889. Gen. Washington was in
augurated April Both, and the present De-
partment of State established July 9th OF
the same year. To go still further back
into history there was Colonial Congress
at Albany, n. Y, in the summer OF l754
when an attempt was made to confederate
tho pritich A anl0ninS Tho
ond Colonial Congress, consisting of dele
gates from nine colonies, met in 1865 to
resist the passage of the odious Grenville
stamp act. This Congress, however, as
sumed no powers of government. The OBJ.
| noXious law was repealed in 1866.