EXCERPTS FROM THE PAPERS OF JAMES MADISON

Volume 7: May 1783 - Feb. 1784

28 June 1783 Instructions to Virginia Delegates in re Permanent Site for Congress, pp. 202-3

p. 202: "Resolved unanimously that if the Honorable the Congress should think it more convenient to hold the Sessions at any place on the River Potowmack within this Commonwealth this Assembly will on the above terms cede the like district of Territory at the Place Congress shall so choose and will also appropriate a sum not exceeding one hundred thousand pounds to be paid in five annual installments for the purpose of erecting the said Hotels and will moreover purchase one hundred Acres of Land for the purpose of erecting such public Buildings as Congress may direct thereon

"Resolved unanimously that if the Legislature of Maryland are willing to join in a Cession of territory for the above purpose with this State (the said territory to be on the river Potowmack) that this Assembly will cede to the Honorable the Congress the like District of Territory opposite to that ceded by the State of Maryland freely leaving it with Congress to fix their residence on either Side of the Said River as the may see proper: but that if Congress shall reside on the North Side of the said River that then this Assembly will contribute forty thousand Pounds for the aforesaid Purposes in full confidence that the Sate of Maryland will supply the Deficiency . . ."

30 June 1783 From Edmund Pendleton (from Virginia), p. 205

p. 205: ". . . The Assembly have become bidders to have the session of Congress in this State or in its vicinity. If Williamsburg is accepted they offer all the Public buildings & land there & £100,000, to repair the Palace, build Hotels &c. If any place on Potommack is accepted, they offer diff't sum in conjunction with Maryland, as it shall be on the North or South side of the river."

4 July 1783 Benjamin Harrison to Virginia Delegates, pp. 207-8

p. 208: "The enclosed resolution of our Assembly will discover their wishes for the removal of Congress to this State or Maryland, their offers are liberal, and I think if consider'd impartially the latter would be accepted, as it will certainly be more central on either side of Potowmack than at any of the other Places proposed. I shall write to-day to the Mayor of Williamsburg to know what Jurisdiction the Inhabitants of that City are willing to give Congress . . ."

[28 July 1783] To Edmund Randolph (from Philadelphia), pp. 256-57

pp. 256-27: "This question if decided at all in the affirmative must be preceded by despair of some of the competitors for the permanent residence, almost all of whom now make a common cause agst. Philada. . . . Williamsbg. seems to have a very slender chance as far as I can discover. Annapolis, I apprehend wd. have a greater no. of advocates. But the best chance both for Maryland & Virga. will be to unite in offering a double jurisdiction on the Potowmack . . ."

13 October 1783 To Edmund Randolph (from Philadelphia), pp. 373-75

pp. 373-74: "The past week has been spent by Congress in deliberating on 1. their permanent seat, 2. their temporary one. The competition for the former lay between the falls of the Potowmack and those of the Delaware.(2) We hoped at first from the apparent views of the Eastern Delegates that the would have given a preference to Potowmack. In the event they joined with Pena. & the intermediate States in favor of the Delaware . . . "

p. 376: Ed. Note 2: The falls of the Potomac River, a mile and a half long, terminate at the Great Falls, a cataract about ten and a half miles northwest of Georgetown and the Virginia shore opposite thereto.

[ca. 14 October 1783] Notes on Congress' Place of Residence, pp. 379-80

p. 379:

. . .

"Falls of Potowmac-By 1. geographical centrality-2. proximity to western Country already ceded-2. inducement to further Cessions form N.C. S.C. & Georgia. 4 remoteness from the influence of any overgrown commercial city. . . ."

"Annapolis [lists reasons in favor and against]. Besides these considerations it was the opnion of some that a removal of Congs. to Annapolis would inspire Maryland with hopes that wd. prevent a cooperation in favor of George town, & favor the commerce of that State at the expence of Virginia"

20 February 1784 From Thomas Jefferson (from Annapolis), pp. 422-28

pp. 424-26: "We have received the act of our assembly ceding the lands North of Ohio & are about executing a deed for it. I think the territory will be laid out by passing a meridian through the Western cape of the Mouth of the Gr. Kanhaway from the Ohio to L. Erie, and another through the rapids of Ohio. . . . I can with certainty almost say that Congress would approve of the meridian of the mouth of Kanhaway and consider it as the ultimate point to be desired from Virginia . . . Virginia is extremely interested to retain to that meridian: [lists several reasons] 5. because the Kanhaway is capable of being made navigable, and therefore gives entrance into the Western waters to every part of our latitude. 6. because it is not now navigable & can only be made so by expensive works which require that we should own the soil on both sides. 7. because the Ohio and it's branches which head up against the Patowmac affords the shortest water communication by 500. miles of any which can ever be got between the Western waters & Atlantic, & of course promises us almost a monopoly of the Western & Indian trade. I think the opening this navigation is an object on which no time is to be lost. Pennsylva. Is attending to the Western commerce, she has had surveys made of the river Susquehanna and of the grounds thro' which a canal must pass to go directly to Philadephia. It is reported practicable at an expence of £200,000 and they have determined to open it.(36) What an example this is! If we do not push this matter immediately they will be beforehand with us & get possession of the commerce. and it is difficult to turn it from a channel in which it is once established. could not our assembly be induced to lay a particular tax which should bring in 5. or 10,000 £ a year to be applied till the navigation of the Ohio & Patowmac is opened, then James river & so on through the whole successively.(37) Gen. Washington has that of the Patowmac much at heart. the superintendance of it would be a noble amusement in his retirement & leave a monument of him as long as the waters should flow. I am of opinion he would accept of the direction as long as the money should be to be emploied on the Patowmac, & the popularity of his name would carry it thro' the assembly. the portage between Yohogania & the N. branch of Patowmac is of 40 or 50 miles. Cheat river is navigable far up. it's head is within 10 miles of the head of the North branch of Patowmac & I am informed offers the shortest & best portage.

p. 434: Ed. Note 36: In September 1783 the Pa. Gen. Ass. provided for the appointment of six commissioners to report methods and probable cost of improving the navigation of the Schuylkill River from Philadelphia to Reading and "of opening a communication" between the Schuylkill at Reading and an advantageous place on the Susquehanna River. The commissioners were also instructed to esamine the west branch of the Susquehanna for the purpose of ascertaining its navigability (Pa. Archives, 1^st ser., X, 128-30, 312, 334-35; Solon J. Buck and Elizabeth H. Buck, Planting of Civilization in Western Pennsylvania, pp. 231-41).

p. 434: Ed. Note 37: These remarks foreshadow the chartering of the James River Company and the Potowmack Company by the Virginia General Assembly at its session of October 1784 (JHDV, Oct. 1784, p. 109, 110; Hening, Statutes, XI, 450-62, 510-25).