December, 1788, entitled, "An act to cede to Congress a district of ten miles square in this state, for the seat of the government of the U. States," did enact, that the representatives of the said state, in the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States, appointed to assemble at New York, on the first Wednesday of March then next ensuing, should be, and they were hereby authorized and required, on behalf of the said state, to cede to the Congress of the United States any district in the said state, not exceeding ten miles square, which the Congress might fix upon and accept for the seat of government of the United States.

And the general assembly of the commonwealth of Virginia, by an act passed on the third day of December, 1789, and entitled "An act for the cession of ten miles square, or any lesser quantity of territory within this state, to the United States in Congress assembled, for the permanent seat of the general government," did enact, that a tract of country not exceeding ten miles square or any lesser quantity to be located within the limits of the said state, and in any part thereof, as Congress might by law direct, should be, and the same was thereby forever ceded and relinquished to the Congress and government of the United States, in full and absolute right, and exclusive jurisdiction, as well of soil as of persons residing, or to reside, thereon, pursuant to the tenor and effect of the eighth section of the first article of the constitution of government of the United States.

And the Congress of the United States, by their

act passed the 16th day of July, 1790, and entitled "An act for establishing the temporary and permanent seat of the government of the United States," authorized the President of the United States to appoint three commissioners, to survey under his direction, and by proper metes and bounds, to limit a district of territory, not exceeding ten miles square, on the river Potomac, at some place between the mouth of the Eastern Branch and Conococheague, which district, so to be located and limited, was accepted by the said act of Congress, as the district for the permanent seat of the government of the United States.

"Now therefore, in pursuance of the powers to me confided, and atter duly examining and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the several situations within the limits, aforesaid, I do hereby declare and make known, that the location of one part of the said district of ten miles square, shall be found by running four lines of experiment in the following manner, that is to say; running from the court house in Alexandria, in Virginia, due south-west half a mile, and thence a due southeast course, till it shall strike Hunting Creek, to fix the beginning of the said four lines of experi

ment:

"Then beginning the first of the said four lines of experiment at the point on Hunting Creek, where the said south-east course shall have struck the same, and running the said first line due northwest ten miles; thence the second line into Maryland, due north-east ten miles; thence the third line due south-east ten miles; and thence the fourth line due

south-west ten miles, to the beginning on Hunting Creek.

"And the said four lines of experiment being so run, I do hereby declare and make known, that part within the said four lines of experiment which shall be within the state of Maryland, and above the Eastern Branch, and all that part within the same four lines of experiment which shall be within the commonwealth of Virginia, and above a line to be run from the point of land forming the Upper Cape of the mouth of the Eastern Branch due south-west, and no more, is now fixed upon and directed to be surveyed, defined, limited and located for a part of the said district accepted by the said act of Congress for the permanent seat of the government of the United States; hereby expressly reserving the direction of the survey and location of the remaining part of the said district, to be made hereafter contiguous to such part or parts of the present location as is or shall be agreeably to law.

"And I do accordingly direct the said commissioners, appointed agreeably to the tenor of the said act, to proceed forthwith to run the said lines of experiment, and the same being run, to survey, and by proper metes and bounds, to define and limit the part within the same, which is herein before directed for immediate location and acceptance; and thereof to make due report to me, under their hands and seals.

"In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the U. States to be affixed to these presents, and signed the same with my hand. Done at

the City of Philadelphia, the 24th day of January, in the year of our Lord 1791, and of the Independence of the United States the fifteenth.

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By the President.

"GEORGE WASHINGTON. THOMAS JEFFERSON."

PROCLAMATION

[Amendatory,] by the President of the U. S. of America.

"Whereas, by a proclamation, bearing date the 24th day of January, of this present year, and in pursuance of certain acts of the states of Maryland and Virginia, and of the Congress of the United States therein mentioned, certain lines of experiment were directed to be run in the neighborhood of Georgetown, in Maryland, for the purpose of determining the location of a part of the territory of ten miles square, for the permanent seat of the government of the United States; and a certain part was directed to be located within the said lines of experiment on both sides of the Potomac, and above the limit of the Eastern Branch, prescribed by the said act of Congress

"And Congress, by an amendatory act, passed on the 3d day of this present month of March, have given further authority to the president of the United States to make any part of the said territory, below the same limit, and above the mouth of Hunting Creek, a part of the said district, so as to include a convenient part of the Eastern Branch

and of the lands lying on the lower side thereof, and also the town of Alexandria.'

"Now therefore, for the purpose of amending and completing the location of the whole of the said territory of ten miles square, in conformity with the said amendatory act of Congress I do hereby declare and make known that the whole of the said territory shall be located and included within the four lines following, that is to say :

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Beginning at Jones' Point, being the upper cape of Hunting Creek in Virginia, and at an angle in the outset of 45 degrees west of the north, and running in a direct line ten miles for the first line; then beginning again at the same Jones' Point, and running another direct line at a right angle with the first, across the Potomac, ten miles, for the second line; then from the terminations of the said first and second line, running two other direct lines, of ten miles each, the one crossing the Eastern Branch aforesaid and the other the Potomac, and meeting each other in a point.

"And I do accordingly direct the commissioners, named under the authority of the said first mentioned act of Congress, to proceed forthwith to have the said four lines run, and by proper metes and bounds defined and limited, and thereof to make due report under their hands and seals; and the territory so to be located, defined, and limited, shall be the whole territory accepted by the said act of Congress, as the district for the permanent seat of the government of the United States.

"In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the United States to be affixed to these presents, and signed the same with my hand.