204 DAVIS 



ing that after the second Monday in March of that year the 

 corporation of the town should be divided into two branches, the 

 first to be composed of five members and a recorder, and called 

 * The Board of Aldermen,' and the second to be composed 

 of eleven members and called • The Board of Common Coun- 

 cilmen,' all to be elected. The first election was provided to be 

 by the then existing members of the corporation, who should 

 choose five of their number to compose the Board of Aldermen, 

 the remainder to be the Board of Common Councilmen and all 

 to remain in office until the fourth Monday of February follow- 

 ing. The then Recorder was to be president of the Board of 

 Aldermen until the same day, and the then Mayor to remain in 

 office until the first Monday of January following. For the 

 future, Aldermen and Common Councilmen were to be elected 

 by the people, the former for two years and the latter for one 

 year ; while the two branches by joint ballot were annually to 

 elect a Mayor and Recorder, the latter still to be a "person 

 learned in the law." The act defined the powers and territorial 

 jurisdiction of the corporation, provided for the filling of va- 

 cancies in the several offices, and contained other useful provis- 

 ions. Finally, by Act of May 31, 1830 (4 Stats. 426), Con- 

 gress provided for the election of the Mayor by the people on 

 the same day as the councilmen w^ere chosen, and fixed the ten- 

 ure of his office at two years ; and provided for filling a vacancy 

 in the oflfice b}'' the two branches until the next regular election. 

 And, in the meanwhile, by the Act of May 20, 1826 (4 Stats. 

 183), Congress had deprived the Levy Court of the County of 

 Washington of the power to assess any tax in Georgetown, so 

 that the latter city from this time on stood as a quite fully 

 equipped and independent Municipal Corporation, retaining its 

 powers until 187 1, and its separate name until the passage of 

 the Act of 1895, hereafter to be noticed. 



Turning now to the City of Washington, it has already been 

 pointed out that Congress effectively assumed jurisdiction over 

 the District of Columbia by the Act of February 27, 1801 

 (2 Stats. 103). At that time there was, of course, no such thing 

 as a corporation of the Cit}^ of Washington ; nor was there un- 



