Mr. Presi ent, the very object of acquirin the seat of Government was that we should have room for the capital and public buildings. It is clearly within the jurisdiction of Congress any time to change the capital of the U.S. It may be changed to Cincinnati; it maiv; be changed to Detroit; it may be changed to oston, it may be removed to any other city in the Union. cannot doubt it. It may be asked, if the capital should be remoyed, what becomes of the people of the District? Does not the very same law apply that would apply in the case of a dedication by an individual to public uses? The State of Maryland and the State of Virginia ceded the District to the Government of the U.S. for certain purposes. Ifgentle men are curious to look at the legislation of those States in 1789and 1790, the would find that the cessions of Virginia an Maryland were made for a specific purpose, and that was for a seat of Government. Now, suppose that Congress within its dis'. cretion shal remove the seat of Government, what results as a matter'of course? Suppose this transfer had never been made, of course, naturally, without any legislation, the jurisdiction of the respective portions 'ven by Maryland' and Virginia would fullfiiack to those respective States. Suppose that a party laying out a town dedicates to ce n public uses a portion of the ground specified upon the plat, and the city afterward ceases to use that particular portion in themaiiner indicated upon the lat, have not the courts all nor the country ecided again and again that the soil reverts back to the original grantor? And so it is with this District. I apprehend that if Congress removed the seat of Glovernment it would revert back, the respective portions, to the States that gave it. I cannot look at it in any other light. Hence it is that owing to the fact that I hou estly think we shall complicate the difficulties now presented by the passage of this act, I have opposed it. If the act of 1846 be unconstitutional on account of the vote of the people that can be tested, and I cannot see that the nssa e of this bill will enable a man to test it any etter than he could without. Hence I must vote against the bill.