L. C., Autograph original. DIARY, JUNE 27-30, 1791. Monday 27th Left Mount Vernon for Georgetown before Six oclock;— and according to appointment met the Commissioners at that place by 9-then calling together the Proprietors of those Lands on which the federal City was proposed to be built who had agreed to cede them on certain conditions at the last meeting I had with them at this place but from some misconception with respect to the extension of their grants had refused to make conveyances and recapitulating the principles upon which my com1s to them at the former meeting were made and giving some explanations of the present State of matters & the consequences of delay in this business they readily waved their objections & agd to convey to the utmost extent of what was required. ns Tuesday 28th Whilst the Commissioners were engaged in preparing the Deeds to be signed by the Subscribers this afternoon, I went out with Majrs L'Enfant and Ellicot to take a more perfect view of the ground, in order to decide finally on the spots on which to place the public buildings-and to direct how a line which was to leave out a spring (commonly known by the name of the Cool Spring) belonging to Maj. Stoddart should be run. Wednesday 29th The Deeds which remained unexecuted yesterday were signed to day and the Dowers of their respective wives acknowledged according to Law. This being accomplished, I called the Several Subscribers together and made known to them the spots on which I meant to place the buildings for the P: & Executive departments of the Government-and for the Legislature of Do.—A Plan was also laid before them of the City in order to convey to them general ideas of the City-but they were told that some deviations from it would take place-particularly in the diagonal Streets or avenues, which would not be so numerous; and in the removal of the Presidents house more westerly for the advantage of higher ground-they were also told that a Town house, or exchange wd. be placed on some convenient ground between the spots designed for the public builds. before mentioned, and it was with much pleasure that a general approbation of the measure seemed to pervade the whole Thursday 30th The business which brot. me to Georgetown being finished & the Coms instructed with respect to the mode of carrying the plan into effect-I set off this morning a little after 4 oclock in the prosecution of my journey towards Philadelphia. Ford. TO DAVID HUMPHREYS.* My dear Sir; July 20th, 1791. You have been informed of the spot fixed on for the seat of government on the Potomac ; and I am now happy to add, that all matters between the proprietors of the soil and the public are settled to the mutual satisfaction of the parties, and that the business of laying out the city, the grounds for public buildings, walks, &c. is progressing under the inspection of Major L'Enfant with pleasing prospects. P. B. & G., Letters of Pres., p. 15. TO ROBERT PETER. PHILADELPHIA Sir, I have received your favor of the 20th. Inst. proposing the building of warves at the new City, between Rock-Creek & Hamburgh; the proposition certainly is worthy of considera 4 Aide-de-camp to Washington during the Revolutionary War and subsequently his private secretary. At this time he was minister to Portugal. tion, and as the transaction of what may concern the public at that place in future is now turned over to the Commissioners, I enclose your letter to them, to do thereon, what they shall think best. To them therefore I take the liberty of referring you for an answer, and am &c. P. B. & G., Letters of Pres., p. 13. Gentlemen, TO THE COMMISSIONERS. PHILADELPHIA July 24th 1791. I have received from Mr. Peters the inclosed letter proposing the erection of warves at the New City, between Rock Creek & Hamburgh. My answer to him is, that the proposition is worthy of consideration, and that the transaction of whatever may concern the public at that place in futire being now turned over to you, I have inclosed the letter to you to do thereon whatever you may think best, referring him at the same time to you for an answer. The consequences of such warves as are suggested by Mr. Peters will, no doubt, claim your first attention,-next, if they are deemed a desirable undertaking, the means by which the work can be effected with certainty and dispatch-and lastly, the true and equitable proportion which ought to be paid by Mr. Peters toward the erection of them. I am &c. P. B. & G., Letters of Pres., p. 17. To THOMAS JOHNSON. PHILADELPHIA August 8th. 1791. Dear Sir, It appearing to me proper that the Commissioners should be apprised of the pretentions-signified in the enclosed letter, I send it to them accordingly, that such prudent use may be made of the information as to them shall seem fit. I have not given, nor shall I give any answer at least for the present to the writer of it; and no person is knowing to my having received such a letter.-I am, &c. L. C., Letter Book 11, p. 142. TO THE COMMISSIONERS. October 17th. 1791. The President of the U. States doth hereby order and direct, that the sale of Lots in the City of Washington, to commence this day, be of such Lots as the Commissioners, or any two of them shall think proper,-that the same sale shall be under their direction, and on the terms they shall publish. L. C., Third Annual Address. Go. WASHINGTON THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH TO BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS. October 25, 1791. Pursuant to the authority contained in the several acts on that subject, a district of 10 miles square, for the permanent seat of the Government of the United States has been fixed and announced by proclamation, which district will comprehend land on both sides of the river Potomac, and the towns of Alexandria and Georgetown. A city has also been laid out agreeably to a plan which will be placed before Congress, and as there is a prospect, favored by the rate of sales which have already taken place, of ample funds for carrying on the necessary public buildings, there is every expectation of their due progress. L. C., Letter Book 11, p. 147. TO DAVID STUART. PHILADELPHIA, 20 November, 1791. Dear Sir, I had heard before the receipt of your letter of the 29th of October, and with a degree of surprise and concern not easy to be expressed, that Major L'Enfant had refused the map of the Federal City, when it was requested by the commissioners for the satisfaction of the purchasers at the sale. It is much to be regretted, however common the case is, that men, who possess talents which fit them for peculiar purposes, should invariably be under the influence of an untoward disposition, or are sottish, idle, or possessed of some other disqualification, by which they plague all those with whom they are concerned. But I did not expect to have met with such perverseness in Major L'Enfant as his late conduct exhibited. Since my first knowledge of the gentleman's abilities in the line of his profession, I have received him not only as a scientific man, but one who added considerable taste to his professional knowledge; and that, for such employment as he is now engaged in, for prosecuting public works, and carrying them into effect, he was better qualified then any one, who had come within my knowledge in this country, or indeed in any other, the probability of obtaining whom could be counted upon. I had no doubt, at the same time, that this was the light in which he considered himself, and, of course, that he would be so tenacious of his plans as to conceive, that they would be marred if they underwent any change or alteration; but I did not suppose, that he would have interfered further in the mode of selling the lots, than by giving an opinion with his reasons in support of it; and this perhaps it might be well always to hear, as the latter would stamp the propriety or show the futility of it. To advise this I am the more inclined, as I am persuaded that all those, who have any agency in the business, have the same objects in view, although they may differ in sentiment with respect to the mode of execution; because, from a source even less productive than L'Enfant's may flow ideas, that are capable of improvements; and because I have heard, that Ellicott, who is also a man of uncommon talents in his way, and of a more placid temper, has intimated that no information had been required either from him or L'Enfant on some point or points (I do not now particularly recollect what), which they thought themselves competent to give. I have no other motive for mentioning the latter circum |