1From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 3 March 1797 (Washington Papers)
Three things relative to the City of Washington call for my decision, and this is the last day I have Powers to give any. The first respects the dispute with Mr Law, touching the conveyances of Lotts; the second, to my approbation of the Plans for the Executive Offices; and the third, to the Instrument you transmitted to me in your letter of the 31st of January. With regard to the first,...
2From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
As the curtain is about to close on the political scenes of my life; and consequently to terminate the agency I have had in the affairs of the Federal City; I will, as far as a very hurried situation will permit, take notice of such parts of your several letters as remain undecided on. Having already informed you, that a Bill is pending in Congress for incorporating the Commissioners of the...
3From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 20 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Reasons which I have frequently assigned, have prevented me from acknowledging sooner, the receipt of your letter of the 3d instant; relatively to the memorial of Mr Davidson. Indeed I have so often expressed my unwillingness to depart from the engraved plan in every instance where it could be avoided, that I had hoped no repetition of this sort would have been made to you, by any of the...
4From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 17 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
In looking over the press copy of the letter I wrote you by the Post of Wednesday last, which was penned in great haste, to be in time for the Mail; I perceive some ambiguity in the expression of my sentiment respecting the building designated for the President of the U. States; and therefore these lines are given in explanation. It was not, nor is it my intention, that the work on that house...
5From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 15 February 1797 (Washington Papers)
Several of your letters have been received within these few days; and notwithstanding the accumulation of business, consequent of the near epoch for my quitting the chair of government, the receipt of them should not have remained so long unacknowledged had I not placed such as related to the Power of Attorney, and to some disputed points, into the hands of the Law Officer of the United States...
6From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 29 January 1797 (Washington Papers)
Having received a letter from Mr George Walker, of which a copy is enclosed, with my answer; a sense of duty to the public, and of propriety as it relates to yourselves; requires the transmission of both, to you; for the purpose which is expressed in the latter. After the severe weather we have had, I think it probable there will be an early Spring: In which event, I persuade myself that great...
7From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 26 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letters of the 30th & 30th of November, and 5th of the present month, are now before me; the receipt of which have, until now, remained unacknowledged. I have not been unmindful however, of the contents of that, which relates to public property, &ca in the federal City; but, laying it with the two former Powers , & other Papers before the Attorney General of the United States, you will...
8From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 1 December 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 25th Ulto came to hand on tuesday last, but it was not in my power to give it an earlier acknowledgment: and now, I must do it without resorting to papers (to be perfectly correct)—The pressure of my business, with the different Departments, previous to the meeting of Congress; and my own preparation for that event, leaves me but little time to attend to other matters. The...
9From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 27 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 21st instant, with its enclosures, came duly to hand; previous to which, I had dispatched the Power, authorising an application to the Legislature of Maryland, for the loan of money; accompanying it, however, with a request that, it might not be carried into operation until you should have learnt the result of an application contemplated to be made by the Secretary of the...
10From George Washington to the Commissioners for the District of Columbia, 21 November 1796 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 11th Instant has been duly received. The altered One to Messrs Wilhem, and Jan Willink has been forwarded to its address, and the former is herewith returned. Your application to the Bank of the United States for the loan of money, having failed (as I presume the Secretary of the Treasury has informed you, and as I had always supposed would be the case) I have executed the...