The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

122 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [1791.
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 the temporary and permanent seat of the
government of ther 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 mouths of the Eastern Branch
and the Conococheague, which district, to be so 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 after 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 of Alexandria in Virginia, due southwest 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
experiment;
Then beginning the first of the said four lines of
experiment at the point on Hunting Creek; where the
said southeast -course shall have struck the same, and
running the said first line due northwest ten miles;
thence the second line into Maryland, due northeast
ten miles; thence the third line due southeast ten
miles; and thence the fourth line due southwest ten
miles, to the beginning on Hunting Creek.