Monday 27th. Left Mount Vernon for George town before Six Oclock; and according to appointment met the Commissioners at that place by 9—then 1 calling together 2 the Proprietors of the Lands on which the federal City was proposed 3 to be built who had agreed to cede them on certain conditions at the last meeting I had 4 with them at this place but from some misconception with respect to the extension of their grants had refused to make conveyances and recapitulating the principles upon which my comns. to them at the former meeting were made and giving some explanations of the present State of matters & the consequences of delay in this business they readily waved their objections & agd. to convey to the utmost ex[t]ent of what was required.
After their meetings with GW in late March 1791 five of the landholders protested the large size of the proposed Federal City. GW called this meeting today to warn the owners, some of whom were speculators, that there might not be a capital there at all if they did not abide by their agreement (see entry for 30 Mar. 1791).
1. “at that place by 9—then” substituted for “and.”
2. “together” inserted above line.
3. “proposed” substituted for “intended.”
4. “I had” added above line.