USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > Centennial history of the city of Washington, D. C. With full outline of the natural advantages, accounts of the Indian tribes, selection of the site, founding of the city to the present time > Part 14
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April 11, 1792, the commissioners received a letter from Andrew Ellicott with respect to the plan of the city, and on the same day they requested Mr. Harbaugh, Mr. Carlisle, and Mr. Mahan to act as arbitrators with respect to the amount that should be paid to Daniel Carroll, of Duddington, for the demolition of the house. The next day these arbitrators reported that in their opinion £310 6s. 3d. was the value of the materials destroyed.
July 5, 1792, the commissioners adopted a resolution that they would pay the passage of any number not exceeding one hundred of Scotch passengers, at Georgetown, on their arrival there, on the terms of their working out the money; mechanics at 20 shillings, and labor- ers at 12 shillings sterling per month, twenty-six working days to the month, and clothing found, to be repaid in work or in money at the option of the person; provisions to be found by the commissioners, besides the allowance for wages. These advantageous terms were proposed to able-bodied, single men only, and the payment for passage money was limited to ten guineas for each person.
The government of the District by commissioners was continued from 1791 until 1802, in which year the city of Washington was incorporated, the act of Congress granting the charter to the city having been passed May 3, 1802. The first commissioners have already been given. Those serving in 1801 were William Thornton, Alexan- der White, and Tristam Dalton; and those in office in 1802, the last ones of the early commissioners, being William Thornton, Alexander White, and William Cranch. Under the charter of the city the Mayor was appointed by the President, and the city Council was elected by the people. The first Mayor appointed in accordance with the provisions of the charter was Robert Brent, who continued to be
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON.
reappointed annually until June, 1811, when he declined to serve the city longer in that capacity. All of this history is sufficiently set forth in the succeeding pages.
A meeting was held November 12, 1802, for the purpose of putting in nomination six persons to serve in the Council of the city, of which meeting Dr. Cornelius Conyngham was chosen chairman, and Nicholas King secretary. These six persons were to represent that part of the city west of Sixth Street. The following were the nominees: Nicholas King, Cornelius Conyngham, Thomas Herty, Thomas Carpenter, James Hoban, and W. M. Duncanson. Another meeting was held about the same time by other persons, to nominate six persons to represent the western part of the city in the Council. This meeting nominated James Hoban, John Kearney, William Brent, Thomas Peter, William Thornton, and Augustus Woodward.
It appears that at the time when the people were selecting their first Council, there was considerable feeling aroused. A writer in the National Intelligencer, under the name of "Philanthropos," a native of the city, warned his fellow citizens against letting their angry feelings cloud their judgment, and thus prevent the election of a good Council for the first one. IIe presented a ticket of his own, by the election of which he thought every interest of the young city would be conserved. This ticket was as follows: Daniel Carroll, of Dudding- ton, James Barry, Henry Ingle, George Blagden, Robert Brent, Samuel HI. Smith, Robert W. Peacock, Thomas Munroe, John Jack, James Hoban, William Brent, and Nicholas King.
The election was held on Monday, June 7, 1802, resulting as follows:
CANDIDATE.
First and Second
Third and Fourth
Fifth Ward.
Total Vote.
CANDIDATE.
First and Second
Wards.
Third and Fourth
Fifth Ward.
Total Vote.
Daniel Carroll.
36
102 66 . 204
Nicholas King
29
60
35
124
George Blagden
37
100
65
202
A. B. Woodward
27
4.5
51
123
James Barry.
27
87
55
169
Samuel H. Smith
26
55
40
121
William Brent.
35
57
65
157
William Prout
13
61
46
120
Benjamin Moore.
24
70 35
129
Thomas Peter.
23
45
47
115
James Hoban
23
46!
55
124
John Hewitt
23
45 30
98
Wards.
Wards.
Wards.
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MUNICIPAL.
On Monday, June 14, 1802, the Council convened at the Capitol. Daniel Carroll, of Duddington, was chosen chairman, and John Hewitt secretary. Then, agreeably to the act of incorporation, a ballot was taken for five members to constitute the second chamber, resulting in the election of Daniel Carroll, Benjamin Moore, William Prout, John Hewitt, and James Hoban. The first chamber then elected James Barry president, and Nicholas King secretary; and the second chamber elected Daniel Carroll president, and John Hewitt secretary. Committees were appointed and the Council adjourned until the 21st of the month.
On this day there was a partial reorganization of the two chambers, John T. Frost being elected secretary of the first chamber, and Thomas Herty of the second. The joint committee of the two chambers which had been appointed to examine the ground over which Maryland Ave- nue passed from the Capitol to the line eastward of the city toward Bladensburg, and also the situation and nature of the ground over which Tenth and Eleventh streets passed from Pennsylvania Avenue to the north line of the city, or any other street which had been cal- culated for opening the most direct communication from said avenue to the road then leading from Fredericktown to Montgomery County Courthouse by Rock Creek to Georgetown, and to make an estimate of the probable cost of clearing and making the same passable for wagons, etc., reported substantially as follows: That they were of the opinion that Fourteenth Street West was the proper street to open and to make passable for wagons and carriages from Pennsylvania Avenne to the boundary of the city, and continued thence to intersect the Montgomery road at the south end of what was chiefly called Boucher's Lane. It would benefit the western part of the city espe- cially with respect to the marketing, and the entire city chiefly by opening a more direct and better road to Montgomery, Fredericktown, and the upper counties of Maryland. Maryland Avenue was, in the opinion of the committee, the most direct and proper street for the principal post road toward Bladensburg and Baltimore. The committee making this report was composed of Benjamin Moore, John Hoban, and Nicholas King.
Under the first charter of the city, the Mayor was appointed by the President of the United States, and the first Mayor thus appointed was Robert Brent. Washington Boyd was the first treasurer and Thomas Herty the first register.
Among the first acts passed by the above-named Council was one on October 6, 1802, to regulate the size of bricks. It provided, that
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON.
after the first day of January, 1803, bricks sold in the city should be eight and three-quarter inches long, four and one-fourth inches wide, and two and three-eighth inches thick, and that they should be well burned. None should be made in the city smaller than the size given, under a penalty of $1 for every one thousand so made, sold, or offered for sale.
Another of their early acts was one providing that all hay, straw, or fodder brought to the city and sold after the 1st of November, 1802, east of the Tiber, should be sold by weight, and should be weighed on the machine erected for that purpose by John McCarty, who was granted the exclusive privilege of weighing all such hay, straw, and fodder, and who was required to keep his scales in perfect order.
Under an ordinance of the two chambers of the Council of the corporation, the Mayor appointed as trustees of the poor, early in November, 1802, Joseph Hodgson, John Kearney, and Griffith Coombes, and as overseer of the poor, Benjamin Burch.
November 19, 1802, Robert Brent, Mayor, advertised for bids to open West Fourteenth Street from North F Street to its extremity, the bids all to be in by December 1, 1802.
On this same day an act was passed by the Council to regulate weights and measures, which authorized the Mayor to procure com- plete sets of weights and measures according to the statute then in operation on this same subject in Maryland. The act also provided for the appointment of a sealer of weights and measures, and that all weights and measures in use should be rectified and branded before the 1st of February, 1803.
January 7, 1803, a meeting of citizens of Washington and of Washington County was held for the purpose of petitioning Congress for a legislature for the Territory of Columbia, the committee ap- pointed to present the petition to Congress being composed of Robert Brent, Benjamin Moore, Nicholas King, Samuel H. Smith, and Augus- tus B. Woodward. The election for members of the Council, held on Monday, June 6, 1803, resulted in the return of William Brent, John P. Van Ness, John Hewitt, Samuel HI. Smith, Nicholas King, Charles Menifee, Benjamin Moore, Daniel Rapine, Joel Brown, George Had- field, Daniel Carroll, and Joseph Hodgson, all Republicans but the last two. The election passed off "with unsullied decorum and tran- quillity." The President of the United States appointed Robert Brent to a second term as Mayor. Upon the organization of the Council John P. Van Ness was elected president of the first chamber, and
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MUNICIPAL.
Thomas Herty secretary, and Daniel Carroll president of the second chamber.
Early in the history of the city a fire company was organized, the precise day, however, not being obtainable; but an act was passed by the corporation Council in June, 1803, extending the time for procuring fire buckets to the first of the following October. In July, 1803, an act was passed for the enumeration of the population of the city, and also one for the reassessment of the property of the city. In August an act was passed appropriating $600 toward erecting and repairing lamps in the city, and the Mayor was authorized to require such individual contributions as he might see fit. In accordance with this act the Mayor did require that lamps should be on some of the public streets in front of an improved lot, and that persons applying for the digging of wells and the erection of lamps should contribute one-half the sum necessary to complete the work.
In September, 1803, the trustees of the poor appointed were Peter Lenox, Joseph Mechlin, Griffith Coombes, George Blagden, and William Brent. In the same month an act was passed creating the office of superintendent of police. In November, 1803, an act was passed authorizing the Mayor to appoint two members of the board of appeal, since there had been no election of such board, in accordance with an act entitled, " An Act Supplementary to the Act Directing a New Assessment of Property and an Enumeration of the Inhabitants of the City," and the Mayor was empowered to extend the time for the performance of the duties enjoined by said acts for a period not to exceed two months.
February 24, 1804, an act was passed by Congress supplementary to the act incorporating the inhabitants of Washington, in which it was provided that the provisions of the former act should be enforced for fifteen years after the end of that session of Congress, and also that the two chambers of Council should be composed of nine members, a majority of each being sufficient to transact business. Powers of inspection were given them, and to superintend the health of the city, to preserve the navigation of the River Potomac and the Ana- costia River, and providing that the levy court of the county of Washington should not thereafter possess the power to impose any tax on the inhabitants of the city of Washington.
The result of the enumeration of the inhabitants of Washington as provided for by act of the Council, and published May 9, 1804, was found to be as follows: Total number of people, 4,352. Whites, males, 1,902; females, 1,510. Slaves, males, 338; females, 379. Free blacks,
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON.
males, 103; females, 120. Whites, 3,412; slaves, 717; free blacks, 223. In 1800, the population was 3,210.
At the first election held under the supplementary charter, the following gentlemen were chosen members of the two chambers of the Council: First chamber, George Blagden, Samuel HI. Smith, Joseph Bromley, S. N. Smallwood, Henry Herford, Daniel Rapine, Robert Alexander, Cornelius Conyngham, and Thomas Carpenter; of the second chamber, William Brent, William Woodward, Alexander McCormick, Charles Jones, Nicholas King, James C. King, Josep !! Hodgson, John Sinclair, and George Andrews.
July 24, 1804, an aet was passed by the corporation of Washing- ton to establish fire wards and fire companies, as follows: Ward one, all that part of the city which lies west of Sixteenth Street West; ward two, bounded on the west by Sixteenth Street West, on the south by South G Street until it intersects West Third, and by said street from said intersection to the northern extremity thereof; ward three, all that part of the city which lies southward of South G Street; ward four, the rest of the city. The Mayor was required, by August 1, to appoint a suitable person in each of the above wards who should call the citizens together, and those assembled were to organize themselves into fire companies. Each person so appointed was to be a member of the board of fire directors, who were required to make an annual report.
The trustees of the poor for 1805 were Peter Lenox, Henry Ingle, George Gollard, John Woodside, and William Brent.
The result of the election for members of Council, which was held June 2, was as follows: First chamber, John Dempsie, Samuel N. Smallwood, Jeremiah Booth, Frederick May, William Prout; Robert Alexander, Samuel H. Smith, James Hoban, and Thomas II. Gilliss. The second chamber was composed of John Sinclair, Matthew Wright, Alexander McCormick, Peter Lenox, Henry Her- ford, Phineas Bradley, Joseph Bromley, Nicholas King, and Henry Ingle. T. II. Gilliss was chosen president of the first chamber, and Alexander McCormick of the second. Robert Brent was continued as Mayor, and Thomas Herty as register.
November 26, 1806, an act was passed establishing the eastern branch market at the market house on Market Square, the market to be held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the Mayor being required to provide the necessary stalls, benches, scales, weights, and measures.
On March 19, 1807, the rules with regard to the size of bricks
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MUNICIPAL
were changed by an act of the corporation. The molds for briek making were by this act required to be nine and one-eighth inches long in the clear, four and three-eighths inches broad, and two and five-eighths inches deep. This rule was to go into effect April 20, 1807.
On the same day as above the city corporation made regulations regarding the sweeping of chimneys, substantially as follows: The Mayor was authorized to make a contract with such person as he might deem a proper one, and to give to him the exclusive right to sweep the chimneys in Washington for a term not to exceed three years. The chimneys were to be swept once in each three months from the 1st day of April to the 1st day of October, and once in each two months the rest of the year, between five and seven o'clock in the morning, or at such time as the chimney sweep and the house- holder could agree upon. The chimney sweep was entitled to receive from the person so contracting with him the sum of ten cents for each story of each flue or chimney swept; and if any chimney or flue should take fire from the presence of soot in the chimney within two months from the last sweeping, then the chimney sweep should pay a fine of $5, and if any chimney should take fire that had not been swept, then the owner of the house should pay a fine of $5. As required to do, the Mayor, Robert Brent, gave notice to the citizens that he had made a contract for the sweeping of the chimneys with Job Haight, who would commence June 10, 1807.
On Monday, June 1, 1807, an election was held for councilmen, and afterward Frederick May was made president of the first chamber, and Charles Menifee of the second. Robert Brent was again appointed Mayor by the President of the United States, and Washington Boyd was made treasurer. During this year an act was passed by the Council to provide for the appointment by the Mayor of one commis- sioner from each ward, whose duty it should be to superintend the execution of all the laws of the Council, and to direct prosecutions for their infraction; to superintend the expenditure of all moneys appropriated by the Council for the opening or repair of streets, wharves, bridges, pumps, wells, springs, rivers, and ereeks, and all appropriations not otherwise provided for by law. In June, 1807, under this act the Mayor appointed from the First Ward, Michael Nourse; from the Second Ward, Thomas HI. Gilliss; from the Third Ward, Daniel Rapine; and from the Fourth Ward, George Gollard.
In the early history of the city, the Conneil made a monthly "assize of bread." For January, 1808, loaves of bread were required
140
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON.
to be of the following sizes: From flour worth $5 per barrel, single loaf, 27 ounces; double loaf, 54 ounces. For September, 1808, a single loaf was required to weigh 30 ounces, and a double loaf 60 ounces, from flour worth from $4.50 to $5 per barrel. In March, 1810, from flour worth $7.25 per barrel, a single loaf was required to weigh 19 ounces, and a double loaf 38 ounces. In November, 1812, from flour worth from $10 to $11 per barrel, a single loaf was required to weigh 12 ounces, and a double one 24 ounces.
For August, 1813, from flour worth from $5.50 to $6 per barrel, a single loaf was required to weigh 23 ounces, and a double loaf 46 ounces. For Jannary, 1820, from flour worth from $5.50 to $6 per barrel, a single loaf was required to weigh 23 ounces, and a double loaf 46 ounces.
A census of the city taken about the last part of the year 1807 and the beginning of 1808 gave the following results: Whites, males, 2,139; females, 2,009. Slaves, males, 409; females, 479. Free blacks, males, 126; females, 153. Free mulattoes, males, 95; females, 126. Slaves owned by non-residents, males, 55; females, 61. Total popu- lation of the city, 5,652. By wards the population was as follows: First Ward, 1,108; Second Ward, 1,447; Third Ward, 1,751; Fourth Ward, 1,346.
After the election of councilmen, on Monday, June 5, 1809, Robert Brent was again appointed Mayor. He was again appointed after the election for councilmen held on Monday, June 4, 1810. In June, 1811, Mr. Brent peremptorily declined to serve longer as Mayor of the city. Whatever were the reasons that influenced Mr. Brent to refuse longer to serve in this capacity, it is certain that the citizens of Washington were not satisfied with their city's form of government, and especially with that feature of it which required the President of the United States to appoint their Mayor; for being thus appointed, he was not responsible to them in the exercise of his powers and duties. They would much have preferred to be able to elect their own Mayor, and it was suggested that inasmuch as they could not do this, it would perhaps be well for them to indicate to the President whom they would prefer by having a kind of quasi election. After the election of councilmen held on Monday, June 3, 1811, the President appointed as Mayor Daniel Rapine.
On October 31 and November 2, 1811, meetings were held, which were quite generally attended by the citizens, to take into considera- tion the propriety of making application to Congress to amend the act of incorporation. Dr. James II. Blake was chairman of the latter
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MUNICIPAL.
meeting, and George Sweeney secretary. The following resolutions were adopted:
" WHEREAS, Experience having shown that various provisions of the act of incorporation are extremely defective, and particularly the present mode of electing the city Council on a general ticket, as pre- scribed by that instrument, having been productive of very injurious consequences to the interests of the city; therefore,
"Resolved, That the chairman of this meeting, together with two citizens to be chosen by each ward, be a committee to prepare a me- morial to Congress, praying that such alteration and amendments may be made in the act of incorporation as they may deem necessary."
The committee as chosen was as follows: James Hoban, John Hewitt, Phineas Bradley, Henry Herford, Elias B. Caldwell, John Coyle,. Buller Cocke, and Joseph Cassin. The following resolution was then adopted: "That the above named committee be authorized to receive the signatures of the citizens of Washington to the memo- rial which shall be prepared."
In obedience to the request of the committee, a supplementary act was passed by Congress, May 4, 1812, by which the corporation was made to consist of a Mayor, a Board of Aldermen and a Common Council. The Board of Aldermen consisted of eight members elected for two years, and were required to be chosen from the wards in which they resided. The Common Council consisted of twelve men- bers, three from each ward, and the Mayor was elected by the joint ballot of the members of the boards to serve for one year.
Under the charter as amended in accordance with this petition, the first election was held on Monday, June 1, 1812, resulting as follows:
Aldermen - First Ward, John Davidson and James Hoban; Second Ward, Andrew Way, Jr., and Peter Lenox; Third Ward, Alexander McCormick and Daniel Rapine; Fourth Ward, Joseph Cassin and James S. Stevenson.
Councilmen - First Ward, W. Worthington, Jr., Toppan Webster, and James Hoban; Second Ward, William James, James Hewitt, and R. C. Weightman; Third Ward, Edmund Law, George Blagden, and Benjamin G. Orr; Fourth Ward, John W. Brashear, Matthew Wright, and John Dobbyn.
Alexander McCormick was elected president of the Board of Aldermen, and James Hewitt of the Board of Common Council.
At this same time Daniel Rapine was elected Mayor.
A census of the city was taken in 1810, resulting as follows: Whites, males, 2,895; females, 3,009. Slaves, 1,437. All other persons,
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON.
867. Total population, 8,208. The total population of Georgetown was then 4,948; of Washington County outside of Washington and Georgetown, 2,315; of Alexandria, 7,227; of Alexandria County out- side of Alexandria, 1,325. Total population of the District of Col- umbia, 24,023.
Dr. James H. Blake was elected Mayor of the city, June 12, 1813; June 6, 1814; June 12, 1815; June 3, 1816; and in June, 1817.
Benjamin G. Orr was elected Mayor by the councils in June, 1818; Samuel N. Smallwood in June, 1819, and Mr. Smallwood held over in 1820, under a new charter just granted.
The new charter granted the city by Congress, May 15, 1820, pro- vided that the Mayor should be elected by the people, to serve for two years from the second Monday in June. The Board of Aldermen was required to be composed of two members from each ward, to serve for two years, and were ex officio justices of the peace for the entire county. The Board of Common Couneil was to consist of three members from each ward, to serve for one year. Every free white male citizen of the United States of lawful age, having resided within the city one year previous to the election, and being a resident of the ward in which he offered to vote, having been assessed on the books of the corporation for the year on the 31st of December pre- ceding the election, and having paid all taxes due on personal property when legally required to pay the same, was entitled to vote for Mayor and members of the two boards.
By this act the city was divided into six wards. All that part of the city to the westward of Fifteenth Street West constituted the First Ward. The Second Ward contained all that part eastward of Fifteenth Street and westward of Tenth Street West. The Third Ward contained all that part east of Tenth Street West, west of First Street West, and north of E Street South; the Fourth Ward, all that part to the eastward of First Street West, westward of Eighth Street East, and north of E Street South; the Fifth Ward, all that part east of Tenth Street West, west of Fourth Street East, and south of E Street South. The Sixth Ward contained all the rest of the city.
Section 1 of this aet provided that all the officers in office at the time of its passage should continue in office until the expiration of their respective terms, and that all their acts done in pursuance of former acts of incorporation, and not inconsistent with the new charter, should be valid.
Section 2 provided that the name of the corporation should be
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MUNICIPAL.
" The Mayor, Board of Aldermen, and Board of Common Conneil of the City of Washington."
Section 3 provided that the Mayor should be elected biennially, commencing on the first Monday in June, 1820, and that in case of a tie in the popular vote the Boards of Aldermen and Common Council should determine by joint ballot which should serve.
By this charter the city was divided into six wards, two aldermen being chosen to represent each ward, and three common councilmen. Under this charter the government of the city was a very complicated piece of machinery, as may be seen by the following list of alder- men, councilmen, etc.
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