1William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 20 April 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
By a letter from M r John Garnett , Editor of the American impression of the Nautical Almanac, at N. Brunswick , in New-Jersey , it is stated, that an error has been discovered (probably at Greenwich ) in M r M. de la Place’s computations relating to the true form of the Earth, which being corrected, the ratio of 320 to 319, of the equatorial diameter to the polar axis of the Earth, seems now...
2William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 8 January 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honor to transmit an abstract of the calculation of the longitude of Monticello west of Greenwich, founded on the apparent times of the internal contacts of Sun and Moon on the 17 th of September last, as contained in your letter of the 29 th of December ; and having ascertained the elements with scrupulous exactness, tested by various rules, the accuracy of the result, according to...
3William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 9 January 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
The inclosed abstract of calculation relative to the longitude of Monticello from Greenwich by the apparent times of internal contacts of Sun and Moon on the 17 th of September last, will, it is hoped, be accepted by you as an accurate result, admitting the data to be correctly stated. Having in a former communication, given rules for ascertaining the altitude and longitude of the nonagesimal,...
4William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 16 July 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
The Secretary of State having early in the present month, reported to Congress on the subject of a first meridian for the United States , in which he has recommended the establishment of an Observatory as of essential utility to ascertain the position of the Capitol in this City with due precision, permit me to send some rules by which the parallaxes in longitude and latitude may be found with...
5To James Madison from William Lambert, 20 February 1815 (Madison Papers)
A resolution, founded on the report of a select committee, lately passed the House of Representatives, “requesting the President of the United States to cause the longitude of the Capitol in this City to be ascertained with the greatest practicable degree of exactness; and that the data, with abstracts of the calculations, and the results founded thereon, be laid before Congress, at their next...
6William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 14 November 1811 (Jefferson Papers)
The President of William and Mary college having lately sent me the result of your observations of the solar eclipse of Sept r 17 th at Monticello , I have calculated the longitude from Greenwich , using the first and last contacts, which will always give a near approximation to the truth, if the apparent times and latitude of the place have been correctly ascertained. I have taken great pains...
7William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 24 July 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of the 16 th instant , had been probably in the post-office in this city a few days before I received it; and as I consider it as an evidence of respectful attention due to those persons whose character in public and private life, and intrinsic merit, deserve my esteem, I am generally prompt in the answers I return to the communications with which I may be favored by them. I am...
8William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 19 April 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
I inclose two copies of the report of a select commit tee of Congress , and of several papers relating to the establishment of a first meridian for the United States , one for your own use, the other for the American philosophical Society at Philadelphia , of which you a re President. Several errors and omissions have been corrected with the pen, which may be avoided, should another edition be...
9William Lambert to Thomas Jefferson, 19 May 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to you some time ago , and transmitted a printed copy of the report of a select committee of Congress on my papers relating to the establishment of a first meridian for the United States , intended for your own use. The late period of the Session at which this report was made, was the cause (perhaps the only one) of postponing a decision until the next meeting of the national...
10To James Madison from William Lambert, 29 October 1811 (Madison Papers)
Permit me to submit the inclosed to your perusal, as the copy of a communication to several members of Congress, on their arrival in this city; and at the same to assure you, that while this mark of confidence and respect is offered, it is not expected or wished, that you should take any step in my favor incompatible with the strictest propriety. I have the honor to be, with great respect,...