duty to go to all the shops in the city, at least once in six months, and examine the weights, &c. Any person refusing to have such examination, is liable to pay a fine of from one, to ten dollars. Any person selling by weights or measures not stamped, to be fined one dollar; and to have the same seized.

BUILDING REGULATIONS, ETC.

No. 1.

Terms and Conditions declared by the President of the United States, this seventeenth day of October, 1791, for regulating the materials and manner of the Buildings and Improvements on the Lots in the City of Washington.

1st. That the outer and party-walls of all houses within the said city, shall be built of brick or stone.

2d. That all buildings on the streets shall be parallel thereto, and may be advanced to the line of the street, or withdrawn therefrom, at the pleasure of the improver; but where any such building is about to be erected, neither the foundation or partywall shall be begun, without first applying to the person or persons appointed by the commissioners to superintend the buildings within the city, who will ascertain the lines of the walls to correspond with these regulations.

3d. The wall of no house to be higher than forty feet to the roof, in any part of the city; nor shall

any be lower than thirty-five feet on any of the

avenues.

4th. That the person or persons appointed by the commissioners to superintend the buildings, may enter on the land of any person to set out the foundation and regulate the walls to be built between party and party, as to the breadth and thickness thereof: which foundation shall be laid equally upon the lands of the persons between whom such party-walls are to be built, and shall be of the breadth and thickness determined by such person proper and the first builder shall be reimbursed one moiety of the charge of such party-wall, or so much thereof, as the next builder shall have occasion to make use of, before such next builder shall any ways use or break into the wall. The charge or value thereof, to be set by the person or persons so appointed by the commissioners.

5th. As temporary conveniences will be proper, for lodging workmen, and securing materials for building, it is to be understood that such may be erected, with the approbation of the commissioners; but they may be removed or discontinued by the special order of the commissioners.

6th. The way into the squares being designed, in a special manner, for the common use and convenience of the occupiers of the respective squares, the property in the same is reserved to the public, so that there may be an immediate interference on any abuse of the use thereof by any individual, to the nuisance or obstructions of others. The proprietors of lots adjoining the entrance into the squares, on arching over the entrance, and fixing

gates in the manner the commissioners shall approve, shall be entitled to divide the space over the arching, and build it up with the range of that line

of the square,

7th. No vaults shall be permitted under the streets, nor any encroachments on the footway above, by steps, stoops, porches, cellar-doors, windows, ditches, or leaning walls; nor shall there be any projection over the street, other than the eves of the house without the consent of the commissoners.

8th. These regulations are the terms and conditions under and upon which conveyances are to be made, according to the deeds in trust of the lands within the city.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

No 2.

City of Washington, July 7, 1794. Whereas, by the seventh article of the terms and conditions declared by the President of the United States, on the 17th of October, 1791, for regulating the materials and manner of the buildings and improvements on the lots in the city of Washington, it is provided, "that no vaults shall be permitted under the streets, nor any encroachments on the footway above, by steps, stoops, porches, cellardoors, windows, ditches, or leaning walls; nor shall there be any projection over the street, other than the eves of the house, without the consent of the commissioners." And it is thought that allowing areas or ditches, of seven feet in breadth, cut in the

street, and secured by a good wall, raised one foot above the surface, of wrought freestone, and having neat iron pallisading, of the height of four feet, on the centre of the wall, and adjoining the steps, into the doors of the houses, would tend to the convenience and safety of the inhabitants and their property, and add to the beauty of the city; therefore, so much, and so much only, of the said seventh article is hereby dispensed with, as will allow and permit such areas or ditches to be made, walled on the street side with good stone walls, at least eighteen inches thick, of the height, and pallisaded with iron, as aforesaid, on the centre of the wall, leaving seven feet between the line of the street and the pallisading. And such areas or ditches are hereby permitted and allowed to be made, so that the same be finished within one year from the cutting out the same; but if the same shall not be so completed within that time, then the owner of the house shall fill the same up, or the same may be done by the commissioners, or others, by their order.

[Signed] THOMAS JOHNSON,

APPROVED,

D. STUART,
D. CARROLL.

Commis❜rs.

[Signed] GEORGE WASHINGTON.

By the President of the United States:

Whereas, by the first article of the terms and conditions declared by the President of the United States, on the 17th day of October, 1791, for regu

lating the materials and the manner of buildings and improvements on the lots in the city of Washington, it is provided, "That the outer and party-walls of all the houses in the city shall be built of brick or stone;" and by the third article of the said terms and conditions it is declared, "That the walls of no house shall be higher than forty feet to the roof in any part of the city, nor shall any be lower than thirty-five feet, on any of the avenues." And whereas, the above recited articles have been found by experience to impede the improvement of the city, for which cause, the operation thereof has been suspended by several acts of the President of the United States, from the 5th day of June, 1796, to the first day of January, 1818, and the benefit of such suspensions having been experienced, it is deemed proper to revive and continue the same, with the exceptions hereinafter mentioned:

Wherefore, I, James Monroe, President of the United States, do declare and make known, that the said first and third articles, as above recited, shall be, and the same are hereby suspended, until the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twenty; and that all houses which shall be erected in the said city of Washington, previous to the said first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, conformable in other respects to the regulations aforesaid, shall be considered as lawfully built; except that no wooden house, covering more than three hundred and twenty square feet, or higher than twelve feet from the sill to the eves, shall be erected; nor shall any