RESOLUTIONS. 1842

Resolved, That this house doth accede to the proposi-
tion contained in the said resolution of the General Assem-
bly of the State of Virginia, and will advance to the Pre-
sident of the United States for the purposes mentioned in
the said resolution, the sum of seventy-two thousand dol-
lars, payable to his order in three equal yearly payments.

In pursuance of a subsequent notice in the house, a com-
mittee was appointed to report to the bouse the ways and
means to raise the sum of seventy-two thousand dollars, to
he advanced by the state for erecting the public buildings
for the use of the general government.

The committee reported on the thirteenth December the
ways and means accordingly, which report was adopted.

It was found by reference to the Treasurer's account for
the year seventeen hundred and ninety-three, and seventeen
hundred and ninety-four, that the following payments were
made to the order of the President of the United States,
to wit: twenty-four thousand dollars on the twenty-seventh
January seventeen hundred and ninety-two; twelve thousand
dollars on the sixth of March seventeen hundred and ninety
three; twelve thousand dollars on the ninth July seventeen
hundred and ninety three, being two of the payments.

This brief research which was made in great difficulty
because of the peculiar and prolix form of stating the ac-
counts at that remote period did not result in a more full
ascertainment of the execution of the purpose of the Ge-
neral Assembly, but the provisions having, have been fully
made for raising the entire sum as will be seen by reference
to the report of the committee, and a compliance to the ex-
tent of two-thirds discovered, leaves but little room to doubt
that the payments were all made, and that the evidence of
the fact exists though not readily to be found.

The enquiry is, shall the state seek to be re-imbursed
this sum with interest? there are no collateral circumstances
to throw any light on the transaction so far as to enable us
to judge whether it was intended as a donation or as a loan;
for the present, however, we will regard it in the former
view; certainly that which gives the enquiry the more doubt-
ful character, and at first suggested, rather inclines the
mind to a negative reply; but a more enlarged consideration
of the subject will find circumstances indicating the oppo-
site conclusion.

This is one of the many evidences of the attachment of
Maryland to the Union, and of the generosity which has
marked her dealings with the general government; the ge-
neral assembly shortly after this period, in the year seven-
teen hundred and ninety-one, and in prosecution of a pur-
pose in progress before this time, passed a law by which