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Preamble.
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WHEREAS, the president of the United States, by virtue of
several acts of congress, and acts of the assemblies of Virginia
and Maryland, by his proclamation, dated at Georgetown, on
the thirtieth day of March, seventeen hundred and ninety-one,
did declare and make known, that the whole of the territory of
ten miles square, for the permanent seat of government of the
United States, shall be located and included within the four
lines following ; that is to say, beginning at Jones' Point, being
the upper point of Hunting creek, in Virginia, and at an angle
in the outset of forty -five degrees west of the north, and run-
ning a direct line ten miles for the first line, then beginning
again at the same Jones' Point, and running another direct line
at a right angle with the first, across the Patowmack, ten miles,
for the second line, then from the terminations of the said first
and second lines, running two other direct lines ten miles each,
the one crossing the Eastern Branch, and the other Patowmack,
and meeting each other in a point; which has since been called
the territory of Columbia : And whereas, Notley Young, Daniel
Carroll, of Duddington, and many others, proprietors of the
greater part of the land hereinafter mentioned to have been laid
out in a city, came into an agreement, and have conveyed their
lands in trust to Thomas Beall, son of George, and John
Mackall Gantt, whereby they have subjected their lands to be
laid out as a city, given up part to the United States, and sub-
jected other part to be sold to raise money as a donation to be
employed according to the act of congress for establishing the
temporary and permanent seat of the government of the United
States, under and upon the terms and conditions contained in
each of the said deeds ; and many of the proprietors of lots in
Carrollsburgh and Hamburgh, have also come into an agree-
ment, subjecting their lots to be laid out anew, giving up one-half
of the quantity thereof to be sold, and the money thence aris-
ing to be applied as a donation as aforesaid, and they to be
reinstated in one-half of the quantity of their lots in the new
location, or otherwise compensated in land in a different situa-
tion within the city, by agreement between the commissioners
and them, and, in case of disagreement, that then a just and
full compensation shall be made in money ; yet some of the
proprietors of lots in Carrollsburgh and Hamburgh, as well as
some of the proprietors of other lands, have not, from imbecility
and other causes, come into any agreement concerning their
lands within the limits hereinafter mentioned, but a very great
proportion of the landholders having agreed on the same terms,
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