CITY OF WASHINGTON, 87 
Aipon the subject, I have only to observe, that 
notwithstanding all that has been done at the 
city, and the large sums of money which have 
been expended, there are numbers of people 
in the United States, living to the north of the 
Patowmac, particularly in Philadelphia, who 
are still very adverse to the removal of the seat 
of government thither, and are doing all in their 
power to check the progress of ail the build¬ 
ings in the city, and to prevent the congress 
from meeting there at the appointed time. In 
the spring of 1700, when I was last on the spot, 
the building of the capitol was absolutely at 
a stand for want of money; the public lots 
were at a very low price, and the commissioners 
were unwilling to dispose of them ; in conse¬ 
quence they made an application to con¬ 
gress, praying the house to guaranty a loan of 
three hundred thousand dollars, without which 
they could not go on with the public buildings, 
except they disposed of the lots to great dis¬ 
advantage, and to the ultimate injury of the 
city; so strong, however, was the opposition, 
that the petition was suffered to lie on the 
table unattended to for many weeks; nor was 
the prayer of it complied with until a number 
of gentlemen, that were very deeply interested 
in the improvement of the city, went round 
to the different members, and made interest 
with them in person to give their Assent to the 
3 • 
