Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-12-10


ment, became involved with it. Mem
bers of congress from the eastern
states wanted the assumption bill
passed, but had no great hope of OBJ
tanning the capital The members
from the middle states wanted the
federal government established in
Philadelphia or near by. These fac
lions combined against the south, but
the opposition of the south rendered
the efforts of the combination unsuc-
cessful. Meanwhile Alexander Ham
ilton, who had drawn up the 'assump-
ton BILL sought to have the vote re-
considered, and, meeting Jefferson, he
begged his influence to aid in forming
a compromise and "save the credit of
the union" The famous Jefferson
dinner party was the outcome, at
which Alexander White and Richard
Bland Lee, of Virginia, were persuaded
to change their vote much, however,
against their inclination thus the
assumption bilI'' was finally passed.
Then to mollify the south, to which
the passage of that bill was bitter
dose, it was proposed to establish the
seat of the federal government at
Philadelphia for 10 years, after which
it was to be permanently removed to
Georgetown on the Potomac" And
this fully agrees with the attitude
which General Washington assumed
on the subject. It is said that when
III camp at Cambridge, Mass, in Octo-
Der, 1775, he stated that Colonel
Byrd was the first man who had point
ed out that a place not far from the
fall of the Potomac was the best cen
trail seat for the capital city And he
not only signified his approval of this
suggestion, but attested his approval
by deciding to give his so shares in
the Potomac company, which had been
presented to him by the state of Vir-
GINA, for founding national univer-
sity in the federal CITY,
Anticipating this as the final out
come, both Virginia and Maryland had
passed resolutions pertinent to such
an expectation. On December 27, 1888,
the general assembly of Virginia had
agreed to give 10 miles square of any
part of the state This resolution was
laid before the house of representa-
tives on May Is, 1889. A similar prop
osition from the Maryland legislature
was offered in the. house by Mr.. Seney
on the following day. On December
10, 1889, the general assembly of Vir-
ginia informed the general assembly
of Maryland that it would advance
$4,000 toward the erection of public
buildings in the new federal city if
located on the Potomac, provided
Maryland would agree to give three
fifths Of that sum. At the November
session of the Maryland legislature
(1790O the required amount ($72,00O)
was appropriated. This sum, however,
never was returned, the word "ad-
vance" having been construed in the
sense of a gift.
It now seemed regarded as certain
that the future capital of the United
States was to be somewhere "on the
banks of the Potomac" and on July 9,
1870, the long-looked-for bill was
passed by the house of representatives
locating the capital ION the banks of
the Potomac between the eastern
branch and Conococheague creek"
Shortly afterward the bill passed the
senate and was signed by the presi-
dent. And Massachusetts sent reply
in similar vein.
1t may not be known to everyone
that Conococheague creek, which
seems to have been responsible in
part for this doggerel, is a stream
draining Franklin county, Pennsylva-
MIA, and running through Washington
county, Maryland It reaches the Po-
tomac at Williamsford, fully 80 miles
above the outlet of the eastern branch.
Therefore, as the president could
choose any 10 miles square between
the two points the responsibility of
the actual location chosen undoubtedly
lay upon him. His only hesitation
seems to have been between lands adj
jacent to Georgetown and those at
the mouth of the eastern branch. His
final decision was followed by proc
lamation on January "a, 1891, prescrib-
ing experimental lines for the district,
beginning at Hunting creek on the Vir-
ginia shore, just below Alexandria,
and embracing a portion Of land east
of the eastern branch and therefore
not included by the law. This difficult
ty had to be remedied by an additional
act passed March 8, 1871, and the final
proclamation, which was drafted per
sonally by Jefferson on March 20, 1891,
was issued 10 days later.
Previous Capitals.
This removal of the government of
the United States to Washington from
Philadelphia was the last of a series
of changes. During the previous quar-
ter of a century the centennial con
gress" and later the congress of the
confederation" had occupied eight or
more places in four states, to-wit
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster,
York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton