To James Madison from William Lambert, 8 April 1822
From William Lambert
City of Washington, April 8th. 1822.
Sir,
I have the honor to inclose two printed copies of a report relative to the latitude and longitude of the Capitol in this City;1 one of which is intended for your own use, the other for the use of the University or Seminary of learning near Charlottesville. With great respect, I have the honor to be, Your most Obedt. servant,
William Lambert2
RC (DLC). Addressed by Lambert to JM, and franked. Docketed by JM.
1. Message from the President of the United States, Transmitting a Report of William Lambert, on the Subject of the Longitude of the Capitol of the United States. January 9, 1822. Read, and Such Part Thereof as Relates to Compensation, Referred to the Committee of Ways and Means; the Residue to Lie upon the Table (Washington, 1822; Shoemaker 11027).
2. William Lambert (d. 1834) was a native Virginian who early sought work in the federal government and clerked variously in the State Department, War Department, and the U.S. House of Representatives. He was a passionate astronomer who worked for years to ascertain a prime meridian through Washington and to establish a national observatory (Daily National Intelligencer, 21 and 23 Oct. 1834; John Pendleton to JM, 11 Feb. 1789, 11:440 and n. 1; James Monroe to JM, 12 Mar. 1801, 1:13–14, 14 n. 1; Lambert to JM, 5 Dec. 1809, 2:111 and n. 1).