The sun., 1919-01-16
THE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
The President Wrongly Informed rs
to Its existence.

To THE EDITOR OF THE suS--Sfr: Your
editorial article in the issue OF January IL
referring to the certihcation by former
Presidents OF their proclamations as Done
at the city OF Washington" states that
"A few months ago some one convinced
President Wilson. who had used this form.
that the capital of the United States was
not located In tho city OF Washington.
there being no such city or any city In the
District OF Columbia"
The wholly unfounded and absurd no
ton that there Is no such city as wash
ing ton. and that 1t is not tho capital Of
the United States. originated with the
Hon. Ben Johnson OF Kentucky. and was
refutod by me In letter which you pub
lished in your Issue OF September IL. 1917,
In which cited the various acts OF Con-
gress on ths subject. as the same are set
forth in the enclosed memorandum, which
is legally and literally accurate. and
which clearly makes unnecessary the pas
sage of tho pending bill introduced by
Senator Myers OF Montana.
HENRY r.. DAVIS.
WAsHiNoToS. u. c.. January ~.
The contention that the act OF Con-
sress Of February 81. 1871, creating the
whole OF the District Of Columbia Into n
government by that name, abolished the
city OF Washington Is directly refuted
by the very plain language OF that act,
presently to be quoted.
1t Is true that when the boundaries Of
the District were definitely established
| by the proclamation Of President Wash
,nston OF March 30. 1871, there was no
city OF Washington, and that on that
date the town Oater city, OF George
yiata
under the act of Maryland OF Christmas
Day, 1889. But the city OF Washington,
originally called tho Federal City, was
definitely located and fully established
| by May 3. 1902. on which day Congress
| incorporated the city with a full NUM-
cipal organization. This original act OF
Incorporation was variously amended I'M
I'll on May II, 1sis, by an act entitled
AN act to continue. alter and amend the
| charter OF the city OF Washington" that
charter was put into the form in which
| Il remained down to the enactment OF
February I'll. 1871. above mentioned
BY this act (ls Stats. L. 4lO Con-
| Cress created the whole OF the District
| OF Columbia into a government by the
| name OF the District OF Columbia" but
SO far from abolishing either OF the
cities OF Washington and Georgetown,
the act. while repeating the charters and
| abolshing the Offices OF the two cities.
| in terms provided that that portion OF
said District included within the present
| limits OF the city OF Washington shall
| continue TO be known as the city OF
Washington: and that portion OF said
| District included within the limits OF the
| city OF Georgetown shall continue to be
known as the city OF Georgetown" and
| further. that AL laws and ordinances
| OF said cities, respectively not
| Inconsistent with this act, shall remain
in full force until modified or repealed
| by Congress or the Legislative Assembly
! OF said District" which was created by
| the act.
And neither the act OF June 20, 1874,
| abollshlng the territorial form OF gov
| eminent OF the District. nor that OF
Juno IL. 1873. making the former act.
with certain improvements. permanent.
| in any vice or to any extent affected the
| continuance OF the cities OF WASHINGTON
| and Georgetown respectively. To the
contrary. by the subsequent act OF Feb
| ruary II. 1898 (2s Stats. I. 650). Con-
| gress n terms enacted that "all that
part OF the District o, Columbia en-
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