Evening star., 1905-11-05

tailed by the revolutionary war. The
House had previously defeated the AS
much bitterness, and some threats of q
dissolution of sthe union. The New Eng
land states particularly were much dis
gruntled. The southern section had gen.
orally opposed and voted against assump-
ton.
Eventually. through the efforts of Jeffer-
son and Hamilton. an agreement was
patched up by which two anti-assumption
Virginia members, r. B. Lee and Alex.
White were to change their position to ia
Vor assumption, while certain New Eng
land and Middle states members. more In
terested In assumption than the location of
the capital, withdrew their support from
the pennsylvania capital proposition and
voted for its location on the north bank
of the Potomac" In other words, there was
a deal"
When the hour of decision arrived. both
sides delivered the goods. Some $4,000. 900
OF state debts were in due course assured
by the national government to please the
northern states, and the capital which both
cred them far less. was transferred from
New York first temporarily to Philadelphia
and then to the Potomac river, and not to
the Susquehanna, as at first clearly con-
templated by Congress.
Some five months after the beginning of
the second session. in 1880, the Senate hav-
ing ascertained that lin certain contin-
gency' majority OF the other House
would reconsider its action and favor as
sumption, passed a bill introduced by Pierce
Butler of South Carolina providing that a
district on the Potomac, at some place be-
tween the mouth of the eastern branch and
Conococheague. be and the same is hereby
accepted for the permanent seat of the
government of the United States"
There is no record of any debate of this
hIlt incl daI ctc I,af fba
government should be at Philadelphia until
the year 1900 Strong efforts were made to
retain 1t In New York until that date, but
they failed. So did the amendment for
1874 and then 1882 This shows there was
debate and probably a warm one over the
measure. But it passed by vote of IA
to u.
X
In the House Roger Sherman of Connec-
ticut promptly moved to substitute a dis
trict in Maryland to include Baltimore.
Burke of South Carolina favored Baltimore
Messrs. Gerry of Connecticut, Madison of
Virginia, Lawrence of New York, Hartley
of Pennsylvania and others discussed the
BILL All the amendments as to locality
failed, however, and the bill passed the
House July s, 1890, by q vote of 30 to % a
close shave in both houses
This deal is evidence in itself that
washington personal lnnuence and pres
tige'' had failed to locate the capital. In
dependent of the deal" with Washing
toms best efforts in behalf of the Potomac
location, it was voted down by large ma
1ority In both houses. Supported presump-
| lively by both the deal and Washing
tons personal efforts, the Potomac finally
carried by very close vote. There is no
| authority for presumption that he aided
to engineer the deal Jefferson after.
ward asserted that he was duped by Ham
ilton in the matter.
The Potomac location was at the time
called Washington's "hobbyhorse" After
the location was thus formally made by
Congress, he (as President) quickly kelected
| the commissioners provided for, and took
| the other necessary steps to forward the
work of capital making. He arranged with
| the land owners between Rock creek and
| the Eastern branch to cede their lands on
condition that when they were surveyed
| into lots by the Frenchman. Major LEN
| FAINT, they should retain every other lot.