nation of Congress as to their future residence has been duly
received. You would doubtless soon after have heard of
their subsequent determination on the same subject. As all
this had taken place before my arrival I can give you an ac-
count only from the information of others. Congress, it seems,
thought it best to generalize their first determination by putting
questions on the several rivers on which it had been proposed
that they should fix their residence. Hudson river, the Dela-
ware, & Potomac, were accordingly offered to the vote. The
first obtained scarcely any voices; the Delaware obtained seven.
This of course put the Potomac out of the way: and the Dela-
ware being once determined on there was scarcely any differ-
ence of opinion as to the particular spot. The falls met the
approbation of all the states present, except Pennsylvania
which was for Germantown, & Delaware which was for Wil-
mington. As to the latter it appeared that she had been induced
to vote for the Delaware on the single idea of getting Congress
to Wilmington, and that being disappointed in this they would
The four Eastern states are for any place in preference to
Philadelphia, the more Northern it is however the more agree-
able to them.
New York and New Hampshire are for the falls of Delaware.
Pennsylvania is for Germantown first, and next for the falls
of Delaware. It is to be noted that Philadelphia had no at-
tention as a permanent seat. Delaware is for Wilmington: but
for Georgetown in preference to the falls of Delaware or any
other situation which attract the trade of their river. Mary-
land is for Annapolis, and the smallest hope for this will sacri-
fice a certainty for Georgetown.
Virginia, every place southward of Potomac being disre-
garded by the states as every place north of the Delaware, saw
it would be useless to consider her interests as to more Southern
positions. The falls of Potomac will probably therefore unite
the wishes of the whole state, if this fails, Annapolis and the
falls of Delaware are then the candidates. Were the conven-
ience of the Delegates alone to be considered, or the general
convenience to government in their transaction of business
with Congress, Annapolis would be preferred without hesita-
tion. But those who respect commercial advantages more than
The three Southern states are for the most Southern situa-
tion. It should be noted that N. Hampshire and Georgia were
absent on the decisions of these questions, but considering their
interests would be directly opposite, it was thought their joint
presence or absence would not change the result. From the
preceding state of the views of the several members of our union
your Excellency will be enabled to judge what will be the prob-
able determination on any future revision of the present plan:
the establishment of new states will be friendly or adverse to
Georgetown according to their situation. If a state be first laid
off on the lakes it will add a vote to the Northern scale, if on the
Ohio it will add one to the Southern. I had the happiness of
seeing Gen'l. Washington the other day after a space of seven
years. He has more health in his countenance than I ever saw
in it before. Among other political conversations he entered
earnestly into one respecting the Western section of Virginia,
and the late vote of Congress accepting it. He thinks the con-
ditions annexed by Virginia and not acceded to by Congress
altogether unimportant, at least much less important than the
consequences which would result from the state's adhering to
these conditions. He thinks that a friendly and immediate set-
tlement of this matter can alone give us that political happiness
and quiet which we must all wish for: and that besides other
disagreeable consequences the land will be lost to both as a
source of revenue by their settlement of adventurers on it who
will never pay any thing. It is now become evident that the