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Browsing: Diary of John Adams, Volume 3


[Notes of Debates on the Residence Bill, continued] Sept. 24. Thursday.

Docno: DJA03d199

Author: JA
Date: 1789-09-24
Mr. Grayson. moves to strike out the Words, “in the State of Pensilvania.”1
Mr. Butler. The Center of Population the best Criterion. The Center of Wealth and the Center of Territory.
Mr. Lee. The Center of Territory is the only permanent Center. Mr. Macclay. See his minutes.2
 
1. That is, following the words “river Susquehannah” in the House bill, and thus assigning the federal capital to Maryland; all the senators present from the South voted for this amendment, but it lost by ten votes to eight.
 
2. Maclay's “minutes” of this day's debate are very full, but it would have been remarkable if he had offered to let JA see them, since they accuse him of grossly unfair conduct in the chair ( Journal , 1890, p. 162–165).
Cite web page as: Founding Families: Digital Editions of the Papers of the Winthrops and the Adamses, ed.C. James Taylor. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2007.
http://www.masshist.org/ff/