Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-19

proved December 3. 1888. and 1t re-
cited:
THAT tract of country not exceeding ten
Gated within the limits Of this state and in any
part thereof as Congress may by law direct, shall
he and the same is forever coded and relinqush-
States In full and absolute right and exclusive
Jurisdiction. rs well of the soil Of the per-
the tenor and effect of the eighth section of the
first article of the Constitution Of the govern
ment Of the United States"
One of the measures before the First
Congress which caused serious dis
cussion was the assumption bill. I'M
der the terms of which the national
government would assume the revolu-
tionary debts of the states. Virginia's
debt had been reduced. and 1t was
funded at per cent and the interest
was being regularly paid. Some states
had not been so successful in caring
Virginia protested against assuming a
share of responsibility for the debts
Of other less prosperous or less fore
sighted states. Representatives Alex
ander White and Richard Bland Lee
were foremost in opposing the assump-
ton bill. which was one of the pet
measures of Alexander Hamilton, and
which April IL, 1890, was defeated in
the committee Of the whole House by
two votes
Another measure evoking earnest de-
bate was that providing for the es-
tablishment of the permanent seat or
government. AS the capital location
bill first passed the House the seat of
government was fixed on the banks OF
the Susquehanna river. The bill went
to the Senate and the site of the pro-
posed capital was changed to German
town. Pa. The House accepted this
site. but made a minor amendment
which sent the bill back to the Sen
ate. Richard Bland Lee had offered a
resolution which would establish the
capital on the Potomac river.
In the heat of this contention there
was dinner party at the residence OF
Thomas jefferson, Washngton's Sec
rotary of State. and Hamilton gave his
support to the Richard Bland Lee reso-
luton and the House passed the bill
establishing the seat of government
where it is now July 9. 1890. by vote
of 80 to 20. 1t went through the Sen
ate and was signed by the PRESIDENT;
Alexander White and Richard Bland
Lee changed their votes against Ham
ilton's assumption BILL and so. too, did
Representative Carroll of Maryland
The assumption bill was passed. rms
matter has been gone into extensively
bv Dr. Gaillard Hunt of the Library or
Congress, and he wrote an article on
the subject which appeared in the re-
port of the American Historical AS
sociation for 1898. James H. Hopkins.
in his book, political Parties or the
United States" wrote as follows:
Another of Hamiltons schemes was the as
sumpt;on by the general government Of the debts
of the several states contracted during the reyo-
luton These and other matters reused the
hostility Of the strict constructionisis. The con-
test over this proposition was so stubborn and
animated that II was first adopted. then re
considered and then defeated Its adoption was
finally secured by of these parliamentary
bargains which condone Inconsistency ana
from which custom has removed the smirch of
dishonesty. Hamilton secured enough votes to
pass his scheme by agreeing to support the propo
sitjon to locate the federal capital the bank
Of the Potouac
Richard Bland Lee was descended