Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-25
THIS TEN MILE SQUARE
Bitter Hostility to the Capital Site
Selected by Washington.
MANY AMENDMENTS OFFERED
But the Bill Finally Passed Congress-some
Historic Names of Those Who Have Been
in Both Branches of the National Legisla-
ture-How the Lawmakers Lived Long Ago

Written for The Evening Star
1t may interest the readers of THE STAR to
know how bitterly the proposition to make the
ten-rnile square the seat of government was
fought by those who opposed the locality rec
| commended by Washington. The bill locating
the "A district of territory not exceeding ten
miles square OH the Potomac between the
mouths of the Eastern branch and Conoco-
cheague" originated in the Senate and passed on
the LIST Of June, 1870. The vote on its passage
was IA to II, and in the House four different
propositions were made in the shape Of amend
ments: First. To substitute the Delaware
instead Of the Potonac-ayes %, noes
80. Second. "1n the state of Pennsylvania,
including Germantown'-aye %, noes 80.
Third. Between the Susquehanna and Po-
tomac"-ayes IS. noes SO. Fourth. 'State Of
Maryland, including Baltimore"-aye rs, noes
"a. The vote on the final passage Of the bill
was 80 to 29: The act was approved by the
President July g. $780, The name Of the city
was formally given in letter from the COM
missioners addressed to Maj. LEnfant on the
9th OF September, 1871. saying: I'VE have agreed
that the federal district shall be called The
Territory OF Columbia and the federal city
the city OF Washington" The commissioners
were Messrs johnson, Stewart and Carroll.
There are some most interesting letters in
this history Mr.. Glover has loaned me relating
to the city OF Washington; one from Mr.. Jeffer-
SUI II scncmc OF Mr.. DlOuSet TO
build a whole street in the new city. and rec
ommending the building at once of the broad one
(Pennsylvania avenue) leading from the Presi-
dents house to the Capitol; another letter
from Mr.. Jefferson recommending the build
ing OF q national monument in the CITY and
recommending Ceracci, the artist, who proposed
to erect an equestrian statue of Washington.
Mr.. Jefferson indorses an idea Of Mr.. Lee OR.
H. for an appropriation of number of lots to
raise the money for the erection of this monu-
ment
A letter from Washington introducing Mr..
James Hoban as an architect to the commits
sloners and their reply, dated Georgetown, 10th
OF July, 1892. notifying the President that they
had contracted with Mr.. Hoban for his serv-
ices by the year at 800 guineas: his draft and
attention may be confined to the palace OF
extended 10 other objects they may choose"
and that they had that morning gone with Mr..
Hoban to the site of the palace. that he
might lay out the foundation, the plan being
much less than Maj or l. Enfant's design" This
letter Is signed Thomas johnson and Dan Car
roll, DR.. Stewards absence being occasioned by
uneasiness at the state Of his family"
SOME HISTORIC NAMES.
am indebted to your correspondent who
corrects my error in the article Of Saturday, the
l1th. meant to have said OF those in the
Iwenty-eighth Congress when Mr.. Hamlin en-
tered it in 1913 only three remain, Mr..
winthrop, Mr.. Hamilton Fish and Gen.
NAAhShoA' AAo cNSHts VI Ulo lulTty-slAtu
Congress are SO familiar to me and
OF such national importance that l wonder
1 could have made the mistake. In the
History Of the Ten-mile Square the list of
the Senate and House OF Representatives con-
talns the names which have passe d into history.
Lew Woodbury., afterward Secretary Of the
Navy and one of the justices of the Supreme
Court; DAME, Webster, Theodore Frelinghuy-
sen, John NJ. Clayton, John Tyler. Robt. Y.
Hayne, John Forsyth. Judge Bibb, Hugh l.;
INT Enl1v
Thomas II. Benton were in the Senate. In
the House Of Representatives were John
Anderson. afterward resident of Washington,
and George Evans from Maine John Davis and
Edward Everett and John Varnum from Massa-
chusetts, Churchill &. Cambreling, Michael
Hoffman, Ambrose Spencer. Gulian c. VAR
planck from New YORK, James Buchanan and
Thomas Hartley Crawford, afterward Judge Of
our Criminal Court; Chauncey Forward,
whose son was Secretary Of the Treasury
under Tyler. and Joel B. Sutherland
Of Philadelphia represented Pennsylvania;
Clement Dorsey, Benjamin c. Howard.
Col. George c. Washington. afterward resi-
dent OF Georgetown, were representatives, from
Maryland. and Vim. s. Archer. Philip p. Bar
bour judge of the Supreme Court Gen. Charles
Fenton Mercer, Andrew Stevenson and John
Talliaferro and Thomas Loyal from Virginia;
Abraham Rencher. who died only few years
ago Augustus II. Shepherd and Lewis Williams
from North Carolina; George McDufie and
WARREN H. DdVlb from SOutn CHfOIna James
III. Wayne, subsequently Judge of the Supreme
Court, and Richard II. Wide the poet, whose
lines, MY life is like the summer rose" will res
cue his name from oblivion, were representatives
from Georgia. From Kentucky, Col. Richard
III. johnson, afterward Vice President; Gov.
Letcher and Charles A. Wickcliffe, afterward
Postmaster General. John Bell David Crockett,
Cave Johnson ard James h. Polk represented
Tennessee. From Ohio came Gen. Vance. sam
uel Vinton (Nrs. Dahlgrens father and Elisha
Whittlesey, afterward and for many years
auditor of the Post Office Department. From
Alabama, c. C. Clay and Dixon II. Lewis, the
largest man who ever sat in Congress- The
delegates from Michigan, Arkansas and Florida
were John Biddle, A. II. Sewer and Joseph NJ
White. John c: Calhoun presided over the
Stevenson Speaker of the House, and Matthew
st. Clair Clark clerk Of the House.
MEMBERS AND SENATOR'S BOARDED.
In that day members and Senators formed in
messes, boarded at the different hotels or
boarding houses, the names Of which bring up
the long past. Mrs. Ball, opposite Brown 8
Hotel, where l have seen Mr.. Crockett often
sitting in front Of the house with other NJ. C.'s
who boarded there. Letourno's, opposite the
Buildings; Mrs. Peyton's, corner AZ
street and the avenue; Dowson's row,
on Capitol Hill since bought by the
government. The hotels Of that period
Mr.. ElIlOIt mentions at some len6tn-GadSDy 9,
Jesse Browns, Williamson's and the Mansion
House, kept by Frederick Barnard. The rear
addition recently demolished to mako modern
improvements to the Metropolitan was Just
finished at this time. Mr.. Elliott says Of this
improvement or addition: 1T consists of an
edifce eighty-six feet long, thirty-six wide and
four stories high. The basement contains. be-
sides kitchen and other domestic arrange
ments, dairy with q fountain of
tho pufes. water from never-fail-
ing spring. The dining hall, the most
commodious in the city, and perhaps not ex-
celled in the United States, is
pleasantly lighted and in the winter season
warmed by four monumental stoves" IAN ap-
purtenance to The Indian Queen is Mr..
Browns garden (about where the public print
ing Office is). cultivated with SO much judg-
ment and industry that he is not only able to
supply his own table with the richest and
freshest vegetables, but vends in the city mar
ket enough Of his surplus to defray the ex-
penses OF that establishment"
The Mansion House, KEEP. by Frederick
Barnard, was Wizards Hotel and contained
one hundred rooms. Williamsons City Ho-
tel cannot locate, bnt Mr.. Elliott says:
| 1T is the nearest tavern to the execu-
| tive Offices" THE National Hotel, kept
| by John Gadsby, exceeds any establish
| sions, at least in convenience and airiness."
THE charges at all these taverns are nearly
| the same-the price of board vary
ing from 81 to Sl0 per week, according
| to the additional convenience afforded"