Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
BIRTH OF DISTRICT
WILL Be OBSERVED
Society Of Natives to CeIe'
brate Laying of Corner
Stone on April rs.

Arrangements are being made by the
Society Of Natives Of the District of Co
lurnbia to celebrate on April rs the
139th anniversary of the corner stone
laying of the Federal District that be-
came the National Capital and the
i30th anniversary of the establishment
of the Federal Government at Wash
ington.
Fred A. Emery, president Of the So
ciety, In making this announcement yes
terday, said the celebration would take
the form Of the organizations annual
dinner, marking also the society's tenth
anniversary and O tribute to Theodore
ingtonian Of today"
Mr.. Emery heads the dinner commit
tee, and leading members of the organl-
zation will be named as his assistants
at the meeting of the society at the
Washington Club Friday evening at 8
o'clock. Plans for the celebration will
be made then. The anniversary dinner
will be held at the Raleigh Hotel.
Corner Stone Laid at Jones Point.
The corner stone of the District was
laid at Jones Point, below Alexandra,
which was in the originally surveyed
lines Of the Federal City. The cere-
mony ives held on April Is, 1891. Con-
Rress had assembled in eight places in
four different States-at Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton,
Annapolis, Trenton and New York City.
In 1897. at the instance of James
Madison, there was added to the enumer-
ated powers of Congress this Junction;
ITO exercise exclusive legislation. in all
eases whatsoever, over such District
mot exceeding 10 miles square, as may
by cesSion Of particular States and the
aceeptance of Congress become the seat
of Government of the United States. y
There was fixed in the Constitution
exclusive legislation" in no way inter-
fering with the growing sentiment 1or
national representation of the District
in Congress, as the president OF the
society explained.
The site on the Potomac, indefinitely
stipulated by Congress, ranged all the
way from the mouth of the Eastern
Branch ut Washington to the mouth
of the Connogochegue River, seven
miles from Hagerstown and almost 100
miles from washington. washington
finally selected the present site as the
only spot within the limits prescribed
by Congress which united the advan-
tages OF tidewater navigation to the
sea, easy access from Baltimore and
OLIleT .ClbleS, anu Lie 1lIlcSI IldOuA "a
site for public buildings and the future
wants Of thronging population"
Washington Defined District.
George Washington. whose birthday
the society will celebrate next Friday,
issued as President of the United States
on March 80, 1871, the proclamation
that defined in metes and bounds the
lines Of the District of Washington and
the survey of the 10 miles square, in
GLIDING on its southern edge the spot
known up and down the river as Jones
Point Washington, Madison, Jeffer-
son and other Presidents have success
sively contributed in historic symposium
to the development of the National
Capital.
Congress on April "a, 1900, authorized
an anticipated date of removal of the
Government to Washington. In 1890
it had authorized the removal of the
seat of Government to a site on the
Potomac River by the first Monday in
December, 1900. But, receiving word
OF progress here on public buildings to
house the new Government, it took
action in April to expedite the removal,
and on May IA, 1900, it adjourned to
meet at Washington for its next regu-
lar session on the third Monday of No
Vember. On May Is President Adams
ordered all Government heads to trans
fer their offices, records and personnel
from Philadelphia to Washington in
order to open up the Government there
by June Is, 1900. President Adams
left Philadelphia for Washington on
May 81.