Presidential Order Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Commission—Appointing Commissioners for Surveying the District of Territory for the Permanent Seat of the Government of the United States

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Saturday, January 22, 1791

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1 min read (249 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President George Washington on 1791-01-22, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Commission—Appointing Commissioners for Surveying the District of Territory for the Permanent Seat of the Government of the United States." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.

Constitutional Assessment: Reviewed under the Tenth Amendment and the principle of dual federalism, this order touches upon domains traditionally reserved to the sovereign States. The Framers would caution against any attempt to commandeer state officers or displace local police powers through federal executive fiat.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ To all who shall see these Presents Greeting City of Philadelphia, January 22, 1791.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities

Total Words

249

1,444 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

19.5

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order, "Commission—Appointing Commissioners for Surveying the District of Territory for the Permanent Seat of the Government of the United States," George Washington (Jan 22, 1791). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-commission-appointing-commissioners-for-surveying-the-district-territory-for-the-permanent.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

To all who shall see these Presents Greeting City of Philadelphia, January 22, 1791. Know Ye, That reposing special Trust and Confidence in the Integrity, Skill, and Diligence of Thomas Johnson and Daniel Carroll of Maryland, and David Stuart of Virginia, I do..., in Pursuance of the Powers vested in me by the Act intituled "An Act for establishing the Temporary and Permanent Seat of the Government of the United States," hereby appoint them the said Thomas Johnson, Daniel Carroll and David Stuart, Commissioners for surveying the District of Territory accepted by the said Act for the permanent Seat of the Government of the United States, and for performing such other Offices as by Law are directed, with full Authority to them, or any two of them to proceed therein according to Law; and to have and to hold the said Office, with all the Powers, Privileges, and Authorities to the same of Right appertaining, each of them during the Pleasure of the President of the United States, for the Time being. In Testimony whereof, I have caused these Letters to be made Patent, and the Seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Given under my Hand, at the City of Philadelphia, the Twenty second Day of January, in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety one, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the Fifteenth. By the President George Washington Thomas Jefferson [ APP Note: Secretary of State. ]