Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-12-13

against their inclinatiOn-and thus the
assumption bill'' was finally passed
Then to mollify the south, to which
the passage Of that bill was a 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. 1t is said that when
III camp at Cambridge, Mass, in Octo-
Der, ITS, he stated that a 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 signifed 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-
ginia, for founding a national univer-
sity in the federal city.
Anticipating this as the final out
come, botI 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
100000 toward the erection of public
buildings in the rev 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
179O) the required amount ($72,000)
was appropriated. This sum, however,
never was returned, the word "ad-
vance" having been construed in the
sense of a gift.
1t now seemed regarded as certain
that the future capital of the United
States was to be somewhere ION the
banks of the Potomac" and on July 8,
1890, the lOng-looked-for bill was
passed by the house Of representatives
locating the capital con 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 a 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 1t reaches the Pc
tomac at Williamsford, fully SO 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 ad-
the mouth of the eastern branch. His
final decision was followed by a 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 3, 1891, and the final
proclamation, which was drafted per-
6Onally 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-
g1ess" 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
and New York. The convention which
framed the constitution in 1881 had to
grapple with the question of q proper
permanent place for the establishment
Of the government. Various places
had been suggested including sites On
the SusQuehanna, the Delaware and
Potomac. At one time Germantown
now part of Philadelphia, was agreed
upon by both houses of congress, but
later this decision was recOnsidered
The Potomac was regarded by many
as an unhealthy wilderness," but
finally Pennsylvania, the claims of
which as the permanent seat of the
government had been very strong,
yielded the point and became satisfied
with the assurance of 10 years of oc-
cupancy by the government, and the
site of the Potomac, as already men
toned, was agreed to; but only by
majority of three votes in the house
and two in the senate.
The survey of the new District of
Columbia was commenced in Febru-
airy, 1871, by Major Andrew Ellicott
of Maryland, and a month later Maiol
LEnfant, French engineer, assisted
in the work. 1t was he who made the
plans of the city of Washington.
The actual transfer of the govern.
ment to its new capital was provided
for by an act of congress at Philadel
phia, approved on April "a, 1900. and
was fixed for the first Monday in De-
cember to be transferred from Phila-
delphia to the District of Columbia