Senator Allen, of Ohio, said that
“fifteen hours before a bill w’as in
troduced in Congress Wall street had
knowledge of it, and a delegation
was on hand to regulate the details
of the bill. Thus had their tariffs
been formed—thus the commercial
interest overruled all others. The
great men of the people lived on the
soil—four-fifths of them—and it was
in the centre that the seat of govern
ment should be located.” Hunter
and Bayley, of Virginia, urged Con
gress to act without reference to
that state. Calhoun argued in favor
of leaving the capital where it was.
This brief resume is interesting as
showing the tendency of thought at
various periods of the national ex
istence in regard to the removal of
the capitol. Now the task would be
more difficult than ever. General
Sherman tersely remarks that it
would take one hundred years to get
a bill for the removal through the
House of Representatives, one hun
dred years to get one through the
Senate, and even after the passage
of the bill by both houses, one hun
dred and one years would bo spent
in discussing the most elegible point
in the Mississippi Valley to which
the capitol could bo removed. The
conflict of rivalries and jeaousies
will prevent action.
