69 



and to warn those whom it concerns against the bad results of such 

 an action. 



The authority under which Congress subsequently designated 

 and accepted these ten miles square as the seat of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment of the United States, is to be found in section 8, 1st article 

 of the Constitution, and reads as follows: " Congress shall have 



* power 'to exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, 

 1 over such District^ (not exceeding ten miles square,} as may, by ces- 

 ( sion of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become 

 ' the seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like 



* authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legisla- 

 1 ture of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of 

 1 forts, magazines, arsenals, dock yards, and other useful buildings,' 

 1 and 'to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for 



* carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other pow- 

 ' ers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United 

 ' States, or in any department or officer thereof.' " 



Maryland having, by act passed 23d December, 1788, authorized 

 her representatives in Congress to cede to the United States, for the 

 seat of Government, any district in the State not exceeding ten 

 miles square; and Virginia, imitating the example, by act of 3d 

 December, 1789, the Congress of the United States, in pursuance 

 of the foregoing section of the Constitution, signified its acceptance 

 of the said cession, by act passed 16th July, 1790, entitled "An act 

 for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of Government 

 of the United States," the 1st section whereof reads as follows : 

 " Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

 ' United States in Congress assembled, That a district of territory not 

 ' exceeding ten miles square, to be located as hereafter directed on 

 c the river Potomac, at some space between the mouths of the 

 ' Eastern Branch and Conogocheague, be, and the same is hereby, 

 c accepted for the permanent seat of the Government of the United 

 1 States." The final cession of her portion of this District by Mary- 

 land was made by act passed 19th December, 1791. 



It may be well to remark, before proceeding further, that the 

 word "temporary" in the title of the act, refers to Philadelphia, 

 whither the Government was to be removed from New York, where 

 it then was located, there to sojourn until the first Monday of No- 

 vember, 1800, when it was to be transported to the District so 



