It appears further from an examination of the tax list of the town and of the return of the late vote on Retrocession

Aggregate majority for retrocession 67

As it respects the amount of property owned by those who voted in favor of Retrocession, though forming no part of the instructions given to the committee, yet as a statement appeared in the Potomac Advocate of the 12th instant, calculated to make an impression on the public mind, that a large majority of the property holders in the town favor Retrocession, it is deemed proper to submit the following subjoined statement.

The whole amount of assessed property within the limits of this Corporation is.

To which add the amount of church and other property, heretofore assessed, but which is this year exempted from taxation and is not included in the above..

. $2,317,500

25,380

$2,342,880

According to the statement in the Advocate, which has not been examined but which is taken for granted to be correct, the friends of Retrocession who voted, hold property to

On motion of W. Getty, it was ordered, that the report of the Committee, just read, be entered at large on the Journal, and printed with the proceedings of the Board.

This was not only a recognition of eighty years in advance of the times, that women were qualified to vote, but an admission that they could do it more judiciously than men, who in such a large proportion entrusted them with a function which they hesitated to use. This makes Georgetown the avant courier of the propaganda for the rights of women to express their opinions on public questions by means of the public ballot.

It is of current interest also that on March 5, 1838, Mr. Bouldin moved in the Town Council that it be

“Resolved, That a delegate ought to be immediately allowed to the District, elected by the people of the District and admitted to the floor of the House of Representatives."

which was unanimously adopted on the 16th of that month.

As the Act of Congress approved February 21, 1871, which created the Territorial Government of the District of Columbia, provided for the election of a delegate in the House of Representatives, to which General Norton P. Chipman was elected twice and which he filled for four successive years, it appears that Georgetown was forehanded in that subject as well as on woman suffrage.

A RESOLUTION for ascertaining the sense of the voters of this town on the subject of retrocession, etc. Approved February 18, 1832.

RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND BOARD OF COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF GEORGETOWN, That for the purpose of ascertaining the sense of the voters of this town on the question of retrocession to the State of Maryland-of a local legislature for the District of Columbia-of a Delegate in Congress from the District of Columbia, the Judges of Election at the ensuing annual election of members of the two Boards of the Corporation, to be held on the fourth Monday in this month, be requested to enquire of each voter at the time he places his vote in the ballot box, whether he be in favor of anyone of the above proposed measures; or whether he be in favor of the present form of Government for the District of Columbia; and that the said judges be requested to record the sense

of the voters so expressed, and to communicate the same to the Board of Aldermen and Board of Common Council of this Corporation, at the first meeting of the Corporation to be held thereafter; and that the Mayor of the town give notice to the voters of this town, by publication made in the Columbian Gazette, of the objects and intention of this resolution.

A RESOLUTION directing an application to the Legislature of Maryland, on the subject of Retrocession. Approved 26th March, 1838.

RESOLVED, That in pursuance of instructions given to this Corporation by the citizens of Georgetown, assembled in town meeting on the 12th February last, John Carter, R. P. Dunlop, Thomas Turner, John Marbury, Clement Cox, Samuel McKenney, and Otho. M. Linthicum, be, and they are hereby appointed a Committee on the part of this town, in conjunction with any Committee that may be appointed on the part of the County, to memorialize the Legislature of the State of Maryland, at its present Session, to receive into the said State, with the concurrence of Congress, all that part of Washington County in the District of Columbia, lying west of Rock Creek, upon the terms and conditions, expressed in the first Resolution of the Series of Resolutions, adopted by the Town Meeting held in this Town, Febuary 12, 1838, and which Resolution is in the following words:

"Resolved, That without reference to the political advantages to accrue to that portion of the County of Washington which lies west of Rock Creek, including Georgetown, from a Retrocession thereof to Maryland, in the opinion of this meeting, the pecuniary interest, and general prosperity of the Citizens will be promoted by such an act of Retrocession, provided that it can be effected on such terms as shall secure from Congress the reimbursement, to the extent of the public debt of Georgetown, of the expenses incurred by said Town, in the prosecution of those two works of acknowledged national character, the improvement of the Harbor, and the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal; and from the State of Maryland, the cession within said Territory, of the County and inferior Courts having Jurisdiction therein."

A RESOLUTION further instructing the Committee on the subject of Retrocession. Approved 7th April, 1838.

RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND BOARD OF COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF GEORGETOWN, That the Committee appointed to memorialize the Legislature of Maryland on the subject of Retrocession, be, and they are

hereby instructed to address a memorial to the Congress of the United States, praying the assent of Congress to the said measure, and that same Committee be, and they are hereby instructed to address a memorial to the Legislature of Virginia praying the assent of said Legislature to said measure.

A RESOLUTION on the subject of Retrocession. Approved March 23d, 1839.

RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND BOARD OF COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF GEORGETOWN, That the Committee heretofore appointed by the Corporation, on the subject of Retrocession, have, and they are hereby vested with the same powers with reference to the present Legislature of Maryland, which were conferred on them with reference to the last Legislature.

A RESOLUTION on the subject of Retrocession Approved 23d of January, 1841.

RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND BOARD OF COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CORPORATION OF GEORGETOWN, That William Laird be, and he is hereby appointed, in the place of Thomas Turner, who has removed from town, a member of the Committee heretofore appointed by this Corporation on the subject of Retrocession, by resolution of March 26, 1838-and that said Committee be and they are hereby revived and clothed with the same powers, with reference to the present or any future Congress of the United States, or Legislature of Maryland, which were conferred to them by said original resolution with reference to the Congress or Legislature then in existence.

REV. JOHN C. SMITH, D.D., AND OTHER PIONEER PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS

SOME

OF WASHINGTON.

By REV. JOSEPH THOMAS KELLY

(Read before the Society, May 18, 1920.)

OME time since I was invited by the President of this Society to prepare a paper covering the life and labors of Rev. John C. Smith, D.D., who was for more than 45 years a pastor in Washington City, the most of the time in charge of the Fourth Presbyterian Church. It occurred to me that it would be of interest to couple with the review of his life and services, some mention of the men and churches of the order with which his life was associated. For while Dr. Smith was not, in the strict sense of the word, a pioneer minister of the city, he was associated as co-pastor with Dr. Balche who was the founder of Presbyterianism in the District of Columbia, and with Dr. Laurie, and was pastor for seven years of the Church of Georgetown which was the mother church of this city (I mean, of course, of the Presbyterian faith and order), before taking up the pastorate of the Fourth Church with which for more than thirty-eight years his name and service are linked.

I am well aware of the fact that probably only a few persons now living remember the name and work of Dr. Smith, and yet he did in his day foundation and constructive work for which Washington will always be in debt. I am reminded of the incident recorded, I think by Cicero himself, of his Pro-Consular days when he visited