George Washington Papers
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Circular to United States Senators, 1 March 1797

Circular to United States Senators

United States
March 1st 1797

The President of the United States to [  ] Senator for the State of [  ].

It appearing to me proper that the Senate of the United States should be convened on Saturday the fourth day of March instant; You are desired to attend in the Chamber of the Senate on that day at eleven OClock in the forenoon to receive any communications which the President of the United States may then have to lay before you, touching their interests.1

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LB, DLC:GW. A note on the letter-book copy reads: “The following Summons was this day transmitted to each Senator.” A number of the letters sent by GW to individual senators has survived. An LS addressed to Theodore Foster of Rhode Island was offered for sale by Sotheby’s, New York, 11 Dec. 2008, sale N08501, lot 104; an LS addressed to John Eager Howard of Maryland is at MdHi; an LS (photocopy) addressed to Henry Latimer of Delaware is in DLC:GW, ser. 9; an LS addressed to John Laurance of New York is at NSchU; an LS (photocopy) addressed to Samuel Livermore of New Hampshire is in DLC:GW, ser. 9; an LS addressed to Jacob Read of South Carolina was sold by Sotheby’s, New York, 11 Dec. 2008, sale N08501, lot 145; and an LS addressed to John Rutherford of New Jersey is at CStbK.

1The Weekly Museum (New York) for 11 March 1797 reported that on “Saturday morning,” 4 March, “the Senate of the United States” was “convened in their chamber on the call of the late President.” While the newspaper article contains no indication that GW made a final communication to the Senate, it reports that Thomas Jefferson, who was “sworn in as Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate,” delivered a “concise and elegant extempore Speech” (see also Jefferson Papers description begins Julian P. Boyd et al., eds. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. 41 vols. to date. Princeton, N.J., 1950–. description ends , 29:310–12). Following Jefferson’s speech, the senators moved to the chamber of the House of Representatives, where John Adams was inaugurated at noon as the second president of the United States. For a description of the inauguration, see GW to Henry Knox, 2 March, and n.7. It is doubtful that GW made any significant communication to the Senate on 4 March; the previous day, he already had informed a joint committee of Congress that he “hath no further communication to make, except his wishes for the health and happiness of the members of the two Houses of Congress respectively” (Journal of the Senate description begins The Journal of the Senate including The Journal of the Executive Proceedings of the Senate: George Washington Administration 1789–1797. Edited by Martin P. Claussen. 9 vols. Wilmington, Del., 1977. description ends , 9:174–75). One member of Congress reported that on 3 March, GW also wished Congress “a happy return to their families and friends” (Annals of Congress description begins Joseph Gales, Sr., comp. The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States; with an Appendix, Containing Important State Papers and Public Documents, and All the Laws of a Public Nature. 42 vols. Washington, D.C., 1834–56. description ends , 4th Cong., 2d sess., 2368). Congress adjourned that same day. A special session of Congress was held for one day on 4 March. The first session of the Fifth Congress began on 15 May 1797.

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