towards this city and District on the part of the great council of 

 the nation, every member of which should consider himself our 

 immediate representative. 



For the present I remain, yours, truly, 



J. C. B, 



THE DUTIES AND RELATIONS OF CONGRESS TO THE CITY OF 

 WASHINGTON. 



LKTTER No. XIV. 



WASHINGTON, Jipril 15, 1844. 



GENTLEMEN : I announced in my last my intention to discuss 

 the folio-wing- points: 1st. That the Constitution of the United 

 States, and the act of Congress in pursuance thereof, made this 

 District the permanent seat of the Federal Government,- and, there- 

 fore, nothing but an alteration to that effect in the Constitution can 

 change it. 2d. That so far from having done too much for this 

 city, Congress have not exercised that full liberality and justice 

 which policy and the rights of ils inhabitants demand. 3d. That 

 this city being the metropolis of the nation, and therefore, to a cer- 

 tain extent, national property, the people of this country should 

 feel directly interested in its improvement. And, in the fourth 

 place, to insist upon a change of policy in its legislation towards 

 this city and District, on the part of the Great Council of the nation, 

 every member of which should consider himself our immediate 

 representative, and bound, therefore, to watch over and foster our 

 interests. 



In the discussion o-f these interesting and important topics, I 

 shall endeavor to be as brief as the nature of the subject will admit. 

 Before proceeding to that discussion I would observe, that it is 

 not because I entertain any apprehension- o-f any existing intention 

 on ike part of Congress or the people to have the seat of Govern- 

 ment removed, or because, if such intention' actually did exist, 

 there could be any reasonable anticipation of its being successful, 

 that I venture into the arena, but inasmuch as attempts have been 

 made at divers times, from motives more or less local and selfish, 

 to have such a change carried into effect, I deem it well, in view 

 of any similar attempts of the kind for the future, to throw together 

 a few desultory and hurried observations on this important subject, 



