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A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Journals of the Continental Congress --TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1783
A deputation from the yearly meeting of the people called Quakers, held in Philadelphia, for Pensylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and the western parts of Maryland and Virginia, having signified to the President their desire of presenting an address to Congress:
Resolved, That the President inform them that Congress will receive their address to-morrow at 12 o'clock.
The order of the day being called for,
A motion was made by Mr. [Elbridge] Gerry, seconded by Mr. Bland [David] Howell,
That buildings for the use of Congress be erected on the banks of the Delaware, near Trenton, or of Potomac, near George-Town, provided a suitable district can be procured on one of the rivers as aforesaid, for a federal town, and that the right of soil and an exclusive or such other jurisdiction as Congress may direct, shall be vested in the United States.
A motion was made by Mr. [Gunning] Bedford, seconded by Mr. [James] Wilson, to strike out the words, "near Trenton", and "near George-Town:" and on the question, shall those words stand? the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Gunning] Bedford,
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So the question was lost, and the words were struck out.
A motion was then made by Mr. [James] Duane, seconded by Mr. [Samuel] Holten, to add "the Hudson": and on the question to agree to this amendment, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Duane,
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The motion being then amended, so as to read: That buildings for the use of Congress be erected on or near the banks of the Delaware, or of the Potomac, provided a suitable district can be procured on one of the rivers as aforesaid, for a federal town; and that the right of soil, and an exclusive or such other jurisdiction as Congress may direct, shall be vested in the United States.
A motion was then made by Mr. [Daniel] Carroll, seconded by Mr. [James] McHenry, to postpone the motion before the house, in order to take into consideration the following resolve:
That Congress do, in behalf of the United States, accept the offer made by the legislature of the State of Maryland, by their act of for the residence of Congress:
And on the question for postponing, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Daniel] Carroll,
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So it passed in the negative.
On the question to agree to the motion as amended: resolved in the affirmative.
On the question, That buildings for the use of Congress be erected on or near the banks of the Delaware, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [James] Wilson,
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So it was
Resolved, That buildings for the use of Congress be erected on or near the banks of the Delaware, provided a suitable district can be procured on or near the banks of the said river, for a federal town; and that the right of soil, and an exclusive or such other jurisdiction as Congress may direct, shall be vested in the United States.
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A motion was then made by Mr. [Gunning] Bedford, seconded by Mr. [James] Tilton,
That the buildings for the use of Congress, be erected in the State of Delaware, near Wilmington: And on the question to agree to this, the yeas and nays being required by Mr. [Gunning] Bedford,
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So it passed in the negative.
On motion,
Resolved, That the place on the Delaware for erecting buildings for the use of Congress, be near the falls.
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to repair to the falls of Delaware, to view the situation of the country in its neighbourhood, and report a proper district for carrying into effect the preceding resolution: the members, Mr. [Elbridge]
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Gerry, Mr. S[amuel] Huntington, Mr. [Richard] Peters, Mr. [James] Duane, Mr. [Abraham] Clark.
Resolved, That it be an order of the day for to-morrow, to consider of the temporary residence of Congress.1
[Note 1: 1 On this day, as the indorsement indicates, was read a letter of October 4 from John Pierce, Paymaster General, and referred to Mr. [Abraham] Clark, Mr. [Richard] Peters and Mr. S[amuel] Huntington. It is in the Papers of the Continental Congress, No. 165, folio 677. According to Committee Books, No. 186 and No. 191, the committee reported November 1, and the report was acted upon November 3.]
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