Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-02-03

HALL OF CONGRESS, BALTIMORE, 1776.
wings at each corner, and a shield with
supporting scrollwork in the middle
The sides Of the tablet will be rounded
and about eight inches deep. On one Of
these rounded corners will be the names
of seven of the original states-Mary
land, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Del
aware, New York, Rhode Island and
Connectlcut-with star between eac
The other six-New Hampshire, Nev
Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Georgia-are to be on the
other side.
On Oct. Z, 1865, the first colonial con.
gress, which was the prototype of the
congress of today, met in New York tC
take action on the Objectionable STAMP
act and adopted a declaration of rights
announcing that American colonists
would not consent to be taxed except
by their own representatives. The stamp
act was repealed, and the excitement
died down, but other oppressive acts on
the part of the mother country caused
the assemblage of the second colonial
congress in Philadelphia in September,
1774. This congress voted to back Mas
sachusetts in her warlike opposition to
British oppression and adjourned to meet
again May 10, 1915. 1t reassembled on
that day-six hours after gallant Ethan
Allen and his handful of followers had
captured Ticonderoga - and placed
George Washington in command of the
colonial armies. Congress met repeated
ly in Philadelphia as the rebellion pro-
crossed, and finally the Declaration of
Independence was adopted there July 4,
1776, and the old bell in the statehouse
sounded the note of freedom throughout
the city and country.
Congress continued to meet in Phila-
delphia until the British, who had driv-
en- Washington out of New York, were
about to descend upon the Quaker City.
The body on Dec. -, 1776, moved to
Baltimore, engaged the old Fite tavern
because it was the largest structure in
the city, and held a very important ses-
sion there. Washington was given ex-
traordinary powers and was practically
made dictator of America. He was
given authority to raise and officer add;
tional forces, displace and appoint all
officers under the rank of brigadier gen
eral and seize all necessaries for his army
at appraised values. This authority
made him complete master of the situa-
ton, and in the six months that he en-
joyed it he made great reforms in his
army and increased its efficiency in
wonderful degree.
During the same session in Baltimore
congress also gave it's commissioners in
France authority to borrow 100000
at 6 per cent for 10 years, issued So, 000,-
900 in currency ''On the faith of the Unit
ed States" and prescribed that vigorous
punishments should be inflicted upon all
persons who should refuse to receive the
money. From Dec. 20, 1875, until Feb.
81, 1777, congress continued in session in
Baltimore and then returned to Phila-
delphia for the reason that in the mean,
time General Washington, with his usu-
al daring, had struck the enemy disas-
trous blow.
The battle of Trenton had filled the
continental forces with new hope; the
militia from neighboring provinces
f1ocked to Washington's standard; Rob
ert Morris, the great financier of Phila-
delphia, at once devoted his entire for
tune to the cause of liberty; Washington
had trounced the British forces in his
sudden and unexpected attack on them
at Princeton; Corvallis army, instead
of attempting its meditated attack on
Philadelphia, was slowly retreating to-
ward New York; Philadelphia was no
longer threatened, and congress joyfully
returned to the old quarters in the state
house in Philadelphia.
The spot selected for the memorial
tablet is at the Sharp street crossing in
Baltimore because the evidence of
George R. Granger, descendant of ia
cob Fite, the owner of the old building,
shows that the room in which the CONT
mental congress met-which room has
been accurately described by John Ad-
ams-was located at the Sharp street end
of the house.