USA > Washington > Standard history of the city of Washington from a study of the original sources > Part 20
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President Adams left Philadelphia May 27, and arrived in the District of Columbia June 3, when he was met by a large escort, who conducted him to the Union Tavern in Georgetown, the Executive Mansion not yet being ready for his reception in Washington.
Christian Hines, in his "Early Recollections of Washing- ton," says :
"The vessels in which were brought the furniture, etc., landed and discharged their cargoes at Lear's wharf, and as the vessels were unladen their contents were carried away to the War and Treasury offices, the only two that -were built at the time. Some of the furniture was stored away in the stone warehouse and afterwards taken away in wagons, it being too bulky to remove in carts."
Abraham Bradley, Jr., the Assistant Postmaster General, wrote, June 2, 1800, his impressions of the new city to a friend, as follows :
"We arrived here on Friday last, having had a pleasant journey as far as we travelled by daylight. Captain Steven- son, with whom I agreed for a house before my arrival, was not ready to give possession, and the house was not con- venient for us. I have, therefore, taken a large three-story house within a few rods of Blodget's Hotel, which will accommodate the office and my family and the Postmaster's office. It is about equidistant from the President's House and the Capitol. It is impossible that all the people attached to the public offices should be accommodated with houses, the few that have been left are at rents none under $250 and $300. Provisions are plenty, good enough, and cheaper than in Philadelphia. * * For myself, I do not regret the removal. The situation of the city is beau- tiful."
In November, 1800, President and Mrs. Adams took posses- sion of the far-from-finished President's Mansion, and Mrs.
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Adams has left graphic descriptions of her surroundings and feelings. In a letter to her daughter, she wrote:
"I arrived here on Sunday last, and without meeting with any accident worth noticing, except losing ourselves when we left Baltimore, and going eight or nine miles on the Frederic road, by which means we were obliged to go the other eight through the woods, where we wandered for
two hours without finding guide or path. * * Woods are all you see from Baltimore till you reach the city. * Here and there is a small cot, without a glass window, inter- spersed amongst the forests, through which you travel miles without seeing any human being. In the city there are buildings enough, if they were compact and finished, to accommodate Congress and those attached to it; but as they are, and scattered as they are, I see no great comfort for them."
Describing the President's House, she said: "The house is made habitable, but there is not a single apartment finished. We have not the least fence, yard or other convenience without, and the great unfinished audience room I make a drying room of, to hang up the clothes in. The principal stairs are not up and will not be this winter."
Mrs. Adams expressed the opinion that if the twelve year's work had been going on in New England it would have been better managed and completion much nearer its end; but she saw the possibilities of the new city, for she continued: "It is a beautiful spot, capable of any improvement, and the more I view it the more I am delighted with it."
One of the Congressmen, John Cotton Smith, also described his impressions of the wilderness city after his arrival there in 1800, thus :
"Our approach to the city was accompanied with sensa- tions not easily described. One wing of the Capitol only has been erected, which, with the President's house, a mile distant from it, both constructed with white sandstone, were shining objects in dismal contrast with the scene around them. Instead of recognizing the avenues and streets por- trayed on the plan of the city, not one was visible, unless we except a road, with two buildings on each side of it, called the New Jersey Avenue. The Pennsylvania, leading, as laid down on paper, from the Capitol to the Presidential
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mansion, was then nearly the whole distance a deep morass, covered with alder bushes which were cut through the width of the intended avenue during the then ensuing winter. Between the President's house and Georgetown a block of houses had been erected, which then bore and still bear, the name of the six buildings."
He also tells of other blocks in an unfinished, or rather a just-begun condition, in different directions, of buildings half finished and abandoned for lack of funds, saying, "There appeared to be but two really comfortable habitations in all respects, within the bounds of the city, one of which belonged to Dudley Carroll, Esq., and the other to Notley Young."
An official statement of the number of dwelling houses in the city is to be found in a report made by the Commissioners to President Jefferson on December 4, 1801, wherein they say that on May 15, 1800, there were 109 brick and 263 wooden dwellings, and that on November 15, 1801, there had been added to these 84 of brick and 150 of wood, with 79 brick and 35 wooden houses unfinished; a total of 735. The probabilities are that many of these were the temporary structures which the Com- missioners had allowed to be erected for the use of workmen and tradesmen. It should be noted that the original building regu- lations had been amended on June 25, 1796, so as to permit of the erection of frame dwellings until the first Monday of Decem- ber, 1800.
Inhabitants of the new district showed their interest in the proceedings of Congress by sending to that body of law-makers a letter "expressive of satisfaction upon the first meeting of the national assembly at the permanent seat of government."
Before the Government was fairly settled in its new home a destructive fire occurred in the War Department building on Pennsylvania avenue, when many valuable government papers and records were destroyed. This misfortune occurred on November 8, 1800.
The loss occasioned by this fire was a severe blow to the Government, but matters had just fairly been put to rights, when a second destructive conflagration occurred in the Treas- ury Department on January 20, 1801.
CHAPTER VI
The Mayoralty Government of Washington; 1802-1871. Charters.
On May 3, 1802, the first charter of the City of Washington was granted under an Act of Congress incorporating the inhab- itants, and dividing the city into three wards for the purpose of assessment. This charter provided for the government of the city by a Mayor, to be appointed annually by the President, and an elective Council of twelve members divided into a "first chamber" of seven members, and a "second chamber" of five members, the latter to be chosen from the whole number of councillors. The continuance of this charter was limited to a period of two years. It was renewed at its expiration by an act approved February 28, 1804, for an added term of fifteen years. The act of renewal changed the council to consist of two cham- bers of nine members each, both of which were to be chosen by popular election.
An act of Congress approved May 4, 1812, further amended the charter so as to provide for the election of the Mayor by the "Councils," which were to consist of a Board of Aldermen of eight members elected biennially, two from each ward, and a Board of Common Council, of twelve members, elected annually, three from each ward. This act provided for the redistricting of the city from time to time so as to equalize as nearly as possible the numbers of voters in the several wards.
An entirely new charter was created by an act of Congress approved May 15, 1820. This act contained many provisions relating to the powers and duties of the Corporation but made little change in the form of government except to provide for
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the election of the Mayor biennially by popular ballot and for the annual election alternately of one of the two aldermen from each ward. By this act the city was provisionally divided into six wards. The charter of 1820 was by its terms to continue in force for twenty years. It was amended in minor respects in 1824 and 1826, and as so amended continued in force until 1848. Up to this time the city officers, aside from the Mayor and members of the two boards of the Council, had been appointed under authority of ordinances creating their offices. In 1848 the charter was amended to make the offices of assessor, register, collector and surveyor, elective. The charter, as amended in 1848, continued in force under its own provisions for a period of twenty years with some amendments made in 1864 and 1865.
Upon the expiration of the term of this charter in 1868, it was continued for one year with an amendment making all officers who had previously been appointed by the Mayor, elective by the Mayor, Board of Aldermen and Board of Common Council in joint session. In 1869 these offices were again made appointive by the Mayor and in this form the charter continued in force until the Territorial form of government went into full effect on June 1, 1871.
The control of the property of the United States in the city remained until 1816, in the Superintendent who had succeeded to the original Commissioners on June 1, 1802. By an act approved April 29, 1816, the office of Superintendent was abolished and the duties thereof as well as those of the three Commissioners appointed by the President under the Act of February 13, 1815, to superintend the reconstruction of the public buildings after their destruction by the British in 1814, were imposed upon a single Commissioner. By act approved March 2, 1867, they were placed under the Chief of Engineers of the Army, who designates for their immediate supervision an officer entitled the Officer of Public Buildings and Grounds.
On June 1, 1802, Robert Brent was appointed by President Jefferson to be the first Mayor of the City of Washington. Mr. Brent was an active and prominent citizen. He served as Jus-
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tice of the Peace from 1801 to 1817; and as Judge of the Orphans' Court from 1806 to 1814. He was President of the Patriotic Bank and a member of the school board. He was reappointed nine times, but resigned just before the close of his tenth term, upon the passage by Congress of the charter of May 4, 1812, which made his office elective.
Daniel Rapine was appointed to fill out Mayor Brent's unexpired term. Upon the expiration of that term, he was, on June 1, 1812, elected to succeed himself by the City Councils, in accordance with the new charter, and served one term. Dr. James H. Blake, who succeeded Mr. Rapine in June, 1813, was elected by the City Councils for four consecutive terms. Benja- min G. Orr was elected in the same manner in 1817 and served two terms. Samuel N. Smallwood was elected by the City Coun- cils in 1819, being the last Mayor so elected.
In 1820 Mr. Smallwood was elected by popular ballot under the new charter of that year. Mr. Smallwood was followed in 1822 by Thomas Carberry, who served one term. Mr. Smallwood was again elected in June, 1824, but his term was cut short by his death on September 30 of that year. Roger C. Weightman was elected by the City Councils to succeed Mayor Smallwood on October 4, 1824, and in June, 1826, was elected by popular vote. He resigned on July 31, 1827, to become cashier of the Bank of Washington.
Joseph Gales, Jr., was elected by the City Councils on July 31, 1827, to fill out the unexpired term of Mayor Weightman, and in June, 1828, was elected by the people for one term. Mr. Gales was born at Eckington, near Sheffield, April 10, 1786, and died in Washington, D. C., July 21, 1860. He was educated at the University of North Carolina, went to Philadelphia to learn the art of printing, and in 1807 settled at Washington as the assistant and afterward as the partner of Samuel Harrison Smith, who in 1800 had removed the "Independent Gazetter" to Washington and changed its name to the "National Intelli- gencer." In 1810 Mr. Gales became sole proprietor of the journal, which was published tri-weekly. In 1812 he took into
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partnership his brother-in-law, Mr. William W. Seaton, and in January, 1813, began to issue the "National Intelligencer" daily. It was continued till 1867. Mr. Gales was succeeded in June, 1830, by John P. Van Ness who served two terms.
Mr. Van Ness was succeeded by William A. Bradley who served from June, 1834, to June, 1836, and was in turn succeeded by Peter Force, who served two terms from June, 1836, to June, 1840.
Mr. Force was a striking character. He had come to Wash- ington in 1815, and from that year had remained one of the city's progressive workers. For nine years he was the forceful editor of a daily paper, the National Journal. When he had lived in the National Capital six years he was elected a council- man and then an alderman, and was selected by his contempo- raries as president of both these boards. He was prominent in military as well as in civic affairs and was successively elected Captain, Lieutenant-colonel, Colonel and Major-General in the District Militia. A scientific man, he was elected and served for several years as President of the National Institute.
His service to the city was inestimable in recording statistics and other historical facts, thus leaving much useful information for future historians and statisticians. He published the "National Calendar and Annals of the United States," which publication he continued to issue from 1820, for sixteen years, missing three years during the time. John Quincy Adams was a contributor to this paper and Henry Clay his warm friend and advocate.
Other of his writings were "Historical Tracts," and a series of American Archives. Of these, Mr. A. R. Spofford, the Librarian of Congress, said: "These archives constitute a thesaurus of original information about the two most momentous years of the Revolutionary Struggle, and especially concerning the Declaration of Independence, of inestimable value."
Mayor Force was one of the first American collectors of man- uscripts and documents, and was untiring in securing files of Washington papers, "Army Orders" and other published
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records of American affairs, thus preserving unbroken successive historical information. After his death his collection of docu- ments was purchased under an act of Congress for the Congres- sional Library.
Mr. Force was succeeded by William W. Seaton who held office for a full decade of five successive terms from June, 1840, to June, 1850. Mr. Seaton was born in King William County, Va., Jan. 11, 1785, and died in Washington, D. C., June 16, 1866. He successively edited the "Petersburg Register," the "North Carolina Journal" at Halifax, and the "Register" at Raleigh, N. C .; and in 1812 became partner with his brother- in-law Joseph Gales, Jr., in the "National Intelligencer" at Washington, which, after the death of Mr. Gales in 1860, he . continued to edit alone till 1865. From 1812 to 1820 Gales and Seaton were the exclusive reporters as well as editors of their journal, one of them devoting himself to the Senate and the other to the House of Representatives. Their "Register of Debates" is one of the standard sources of American history.
Mr. Seaton was a Whig and was opposed to many measures of National policy, especially as regarded the banking system. His election by the city caused much dissatisfaction in Congress and brought about political turmoil between the City and National Governments. The Senate formed a bill to abolish the city charter and passed it to a third reading.
The District citizens were indignant over what they con- sidered unjust treatment by Congress, and on July 27, 1840, a mass meeting was called in front of the City Hall for the pur- pose of discussing their wrongs and devising remedies. The new Mayor was made chairman of the meeting and Walter Lenox secretary.
Resolutions were taken to hold a convention in Washington August 10, following, for the purpose of adopting measures to right affairs in the District of Columbia, to which citizens of Georgetown and Alexandria were invited.
As not all of Congress had agreed to the measures taken against the District, the meeting adopted resolutions of thanks
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to Honorables William D. Merrick, Chairman of the District Committee of the Senate, and William C. Johnson, Chairman of the District Committee for the House, and to other members who had resisted the measures of Congress.
Georgetown also held an indignation meeting on July 21, in front of the Mayor's office, at which a committee was appointed to draw up resolutions to report at a meeting to be held July 23, in the Lancastrian school house.
All these meetings brought about a petition for a new charter, as that granted in 1820, had been stipulated to continue in force for twenty years, and that time had about expired. This petition, signed by nearly four hundred citizens, was presented to Congress, and was referred to a select committee, of which Mr. Norvell of Michigan was chairman.
The bill reported by the Committee was entitled, "An Act to Amend and Continue in Force the Act to Incorporate the Inhabitants of Washington." It was really an act to amend only, and not one to "Continue in Force." To the satisfaction of the city, it was laid on the table after the third reading. One feature which made the bill unpopular was the clause abolishing slavery, a change not yet approved nor considered practicable by the District nor by many Congressmen.
Mayor Seaton was succeeded by Walter Lenox who served one term from 1850 to 1852, and who was in turn succeeded in June, 1852, by John W. Maury who served for one term. Mr. Maury was succeeded in June, 1854, by John T. Towers, who served one term until June, 1856, when he was succeeded by Dr. William B. Magruder.
In June, 1858, James G. Berrett, the late postmaster of this city, was elected by a vote of 3,688, as against 3,117 for Richard Wallach, formerly Marshal of the District. Mr. Berrett ran as the "Anti-Know-Nothing" candidate and Mr. Wallach as the Republican candidate. In 1860, the same candidates were opposed on the same issues, Mr. Berrett receiving 3,434 votes ยท as against 3,410 for Mr. Wallach. Dr. Magruder, as an inde- pendent candidate, received 147 votes. Mr. Wallach gave notice
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that he would contest the election on the ground of fraud, but the contest did not come to trial. On August 24, 1861, Mayor Berrett was arrested by a detail of the Provost Marshal's guard and taken to Fort Lafayette for refusing to take the oath of loyalty to the United States, which was prescribed by Congress. Two days later the City Councils at a special session elected Mr. Wallach to fill the office of Mayor until Mr. Berrett's return. No proof of disloyalty being found against Mr. Berrett who maintained his attachment for the Union, he was released, but on September 14, resigned his office. A doubt then arising as to whether the previous election of Mr. Wallach by the Councils was valid, the question was submitted to the Corporation Attor- ney, Joseph H. Bradley, who gave as his opinion that Mr. Wallach was the regularly elected Mayor. To avoid any uncer- tainty the Council held another election on October 17, 1861, and reaffirmed their choice of Mr. Wallach to fill out Mayor Berrett's unexpired term.
Mr. Wallach was elected by popular vote in June, 1862, again in 1864, and again in 1866, his term thus covering prac- tically the entire period of the Civil War.
In the election which took place in June, 1868, negroes took part in the municipal elections of the City of Washington for the first time. The candidates were John T. Given, Democrat, and Sayles J. Bowen, Republican. On the face of the returns Mr. Bowen was elected. While the vote was being recounted by a joint committee of the City Councils the Republican members of the two boards declared Mr. Bowen elected Mayor, and the Democratic members declared W. W. Moore, Mayor, pro tempore. Mr. Bowen took possession of the Mayor's office and proceeded to act as Mayor. He held that position throughout the term but was defeated for re-election in June, 1870, by Matthew Gault Emory, who received a vote of 10,096 as against 6,877 for Mr. Bowen. Mr. Emory was the last of the Mayors. His term expired on June 1, 1871, when the Territorial form of govern- ment, under the act of Congress approved February 21, 1871, went into full effect.
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No provision for a salary for the Mayor appears to have been made until August 18, 1812, when an ordinance was enacted allowing him four hundred dollars per annum. This was, on August 8, 1815, raised to five hundred dollars, on June 20, 1820, to one thousand dollars, on May 8, 1850, to sixteen hundred dollars, on March 20, 1856, to two thousand four hundred dol- lars, and on December 28, 1863, to three thousand six hundred dollars.
By ordinance of May 30, 1807, provision was made for the appointment by the Mayor of Commissioners, from each of the four wards. They were officially designated "City Commission- ers." Their number remained at four, notwithstanding the increase in the number of wards, until June 4, 1829, when they were increased to six, and denominated "Ward Commissioners." By ordinance of May 24, 1853, their number was reduced to four, and they were designated Commissioners of Improvements. As "City Commissioners" they constituted a board and were presided over by the Mayor. They were required to meet at least once each month. As "City Commissioners," "Ward Com- missioners" and "Commissioners of Improvements" their duties were to superintend the execution of the laws of the Councils and prosecute for violations thereof, to direct the expenditure of appropriations not particularly designated; to contract for and superintend the making of public improvements; to enforce the removal of nuisances, and perform various other services in connection with the police, fire, health and tax departments of the city.
The first act of the City Councils was the passage of an ordinance on July 20, 1802, adopting as the Seal of the city, "the representation of an edifice supported on sixteen columns, having the word 'Washington' at the top, the words 'City Seal' with the figures '1802' at the bottom, and the motto 'Union' beneath the dome."
In 1802 ordinances were passed establishing the Center Market at the present site of the Washington Market and pro- viding other public markets.
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At frequent intervals ordinances were passed respecting nearly all matters which are the subject of municipal regula- tion today.
The regulations specifically concerning colored persons, both free and slave, during the early half century of the city's existence, formed no inconsiderable part of the laws enacted by the City Councils. Extensive ordinances were passed in 1812, 1821, 1827, 1836 and 1850. These enactments required the registration of the free negroes of the city and their families, the exhibition of evidence of their title to freedom and certifi- cates of good character, and the furnishing of bond each year, with white sureties, for their good behavior, and provided for the issuing of annual licenses to such as complied with the requirements of the law in these respects.
The rules governing the conduct of free negroes were very strict. It was unlawful for one of them to give a dance at his house without written consent of the Mayor. They were forbid- den to go at large after ten o'clock at night; and all meetings by them after that hour were prohibited. The sale of liquor to negroes after sunset was unlawful. They were not allowed to keep taverns or sell liquor, and no licenses could be issued to them except to drive hacks and carts.
By the charters of 1812 and 1820 offenses committed by slaves were made punishable by whipping, not exceeding forty stripes, or by imprisonment not exceeding six months for any one offense. This did not apply to free negroes. In some cases it was provided by ordinance that the owner might relieve the slave from the penalty of whipping by paying the fine with which the offense would have been punishable if committed by a white person.
The first ordinance relating to the subject of cruelty to animals dates back to July 12, 1821, when it was made punishable with a fine of five dollars, or in cases of slaves, by not less than five nor more than ten lashes, to "cruelly beat or wantonly abuse any animal of the horse kind."
For the enforcement of the city ordinances the office of Superintendent of Police at a salary of two hundred dollars per
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annum was created on September 20, 1803. This officer was required to visit every part of the city at least once a month and any particular part thereof at any other time when required by a householder, and to give information to some magistrate of and prosecute for all breaches of law. In addition to his salary he was to receive one-half the penalties received in cases in which he was the informer.
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