CHRONOLOGY : ADDENDA
 

47
 

pass such counterfeit, "shall be deemed guilcy ot Fdony, and shall
suffer Death as a Fdon,"—Crosby, The Early Coins of Am. (1875),
295-96.

The treasurer of the First Presbyterian Church reports in detail
the list of real estate conveyances, etc, hdd by the church and now
In his keeping, A record of them is made in the trustees' minutes,—
Proc of the Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church, Vol. H.
 

A unique medal of the Tammany Society, now in
of the New York Numismatic Society, bears this date. The obv<
shows a Spaniard with banner clasping hands with an Indian who Is
smoking a calumet, the date Oct, 12, 1492, and the legend "Where
liberty dwells there Is my country," The reverse shows a colled snake
in the foreground, on ribbon the word "Beware"; and In the border
the words "Columbian Order Instituted" and dale.—From cata¬
logue of the numismatic collection of the late W. W. C. Wilson, of
Montreal, sold at The Anderson Galleries, Nov. 17, 1925, ChlsiCem
having been boughc by the author.

The text ot Washington's reply to the address of the common
council presented on May 9 (see Vol. V, p. 1246) is as follows:

"To the Mayor Aldermen and Commonalty of the City of New
York.

"Gentiemen

"The affectionate Address presented by the Magistrates and the
general Joy testified by the Citizens of New York, on my Arrival in
this Metropolis, have filled my Mind with the mingled emotions of
gratitude and satisfaction.

"In accepting the momentous Trust which has been spontani-
ously committed to me by a free People; it was not enough to have
felt a consciousness of having acted in conformity to the dictates of
Patriotism; It was not enough to have known that I met the wishes
of my fellow Citizens but It seemed that these farther Pledges were
wanting to overcome the diffidence I had In my own Abilities and
the Reluctance I experienced at engaging In such new and arduous
Affairs

"Undated by your too favorable appreciation of my past Ser¬
vices, I can only pour forth, the effusions ot a grateful Heart Co
Heaven, if I have been made In any Degree an Instrument of good
to my Country. And although I am far from daiming any Merit for
retiring in the manner I did from a military Command to the Shade
of private Life; Yet I am pleased to find that your candor has done
Justice to the Principles by which I have been actuated on the
present Occasion, No circumsCance In my conception can be more
consolaCory Co a public Man, especially to one truly sensible that the
purest InCenCions cannot always preserve him from Error than a
knowledge that his Countrymen are disposed Co consider the Mo¬
tives for his Conduct with that liberality which is reciprocally neces¬
sary for all who are subject to the frailties of human nature.

"In Chis place I cannot avoid expressing an anxious apprehen¬
sion that the partiality ot my Countrymen In my favor has Induced
Chem to expect too much from the exertions of an Individual. It is
from their co-operation alone I derive all my expectations ot Suc¬
cess. Indeed the unanimity which has prevailed in some Instances
is a happy presage that our national Government wiU be firmly
esCablished in the hearts ot the People, and receive their united and
zealous support From the accomodating spirit which has been
displayed in respect Co che Constitution I anticipate that the Gov¬
ernment will in its operation be productive of the most extensive
Utility, by rendering the Union as respectable In Peace as it was
tryumphant in War.

"I fed a just Sense of your fervant Wishes for my personal
happiness and the Success of my AdminisCracion. I pray you Gen¬
tiemen to accept in return my cordial Thanks for these demonstra¬
tions of your Affection as wdl as for the assurances you have given
of the attachment of your fdlow Citizens

"G" Washington."
—Jlf. C, C. (1784-1831), I:  450-51,

Congress passes "An Act for establishing an Executive Depart-
'   ment, to be denominated the Department of Foreign Affairs."—
.,4n(jfl/s q/" Cong. (1789-1791), I;  51, 52; H:  2187.

The original MS. of Washington's proclamation of this date, tor

;    a day of thanksgiving on Nov. i5 (see Vol. V, p. 1255), reproduced

as Pl. 55, Vol. V, is now preserved In the Library of Congress.

Missing for a century from the government files. It wasjecovered

in 1921 by J. C. FitzpaCrick, head of Che Div. of Manuscripts of
 

ChaC library after It had been advertised in an auction catalogue OcC.
issued by the Am. Art Galleries. Signed by Washington himsdf, 3
the body of the document is in the handwriting of Wm. Jackson,
Washington's secretary, who had been secretary Co the constitu¬
tional convention of 1787. For fuller description (with reproduc¬
tion), seeiV, Y. Times, N 22,1925, IC was published as a broadside,
printed by Francis Chllds Sc John Swaine.—See Evans, No. 22211.
A copy without the printer's name was sold in the Dormitzer sale,
at the Am. Art Galleries, Ja 30, 1925 (item No. 257).

1790

"John McComb Junr by directions of Mess? Gcrred Banker, —
Simeon De Witt and [blank space In the original MS.] Esq!
State commissioners made a design for the Front of the Government
House, which was executed In 1790 [see A. Pl. 10, Vol. HI] in the
same year Congress removed the Government to Philaddphia.
The Governors then Occupied it; from 1799 to 1815 it was used as
a Custom House. The city having obtained the property of the
state, June 15, 1815 the buildings were sold at auction, the Block
was laid out into lots—by Jno M'Comb street commlssr and the
Lots sold for the corporation."—Memorandum in McComb'a
handwriting in his "Memorandum Book," at N. Y. H. S.

In Chis year, the trustees ot the "Old First Church" (Presby- —
terian) purchased a lot In Nassau St., and erected a two-storey
brick building for a charity school.—From "A Brief Narrative," in
Session Book, 1765-1806. Under date of Jan. 23, the minutes of
the trustees show ChaC "Mr. Lenox from Che School CommlCCee,
reported that they had agreed with Aaron Burr Esq'' for a Lot of
Ground to build the School-House on, twenty five feet front by
One hundred & ten feet deep . . . Several plans of a School
House were exhibited and M^ Robertsons preferred; and it was
agreed that the Committee should have Che School House built ot
Brickupon that plan In general . . . Resolved, ChaC the Corpora¬
tion approve and ratify the Agreement made with Mr Burr.
Resolved, that the School Committee contract for a Brick School
House to be built on the Lot procured for that Purpose, to be
finished as soon as it can conveniently he done." The lowest esti¬
mate for building the school-house was £&%%, submitted by John
Moore, and It was decided on Feb, 1 to contract with him Co build
It, "he to find the Materials." On June 2, the trustees "Agreed,
ThaC the School Committee treat with Col' Piatt about the Pur¬
chase of three feet of Ground adjoining the School House for a
Gang-way." The building was sufficiently advanced to be used on
Aug. 20, when the trustees were required, by a resolution of Aug.
11, to receive applications for the admission of scholars. The school
opened onOct. 18, 1790.—Proc. of the Trustees of the First Presby¬
terian Church, Vol. II, The school building was destroyed by fire
on Aug, 25, 1808 (q,v.,Vo\.V).

Alexander Hamilton communicates to the house ot representa- Jan.
lives a report on the public credit. He proposes that the govern- 14
ment shaU fund and pay the foreign debt (nearly 812,000,000) and
the domestic debt (over §42,000,000), and that it shall assume and
pay the unpaid war debt of the states (about §21,000,000).—
Hamilton's (f oris. Ill: 1-46; Uc^ista, Hist, of the People of
the U.S.,!: 568 e( seg.

The name of the stage line carrying the mails at this time from   May
N. Y. to Phfla. was the "United States Mail Diligence, and Old      4
Line Stage Coaches." This will correct the former mention under
this date In Vol. V.

The Tammany Museum, established in June, 1790 (q.v. in June
VoL V; see also My 21, 1791), was the first museum in this city, —
and the second in the United States (see also 1820). Its full name
was "American Museum under the Patronage of the Tammany
Society or the Columbian Order." John Pintard was working out
the idea of such a museum as early as August, 1789. It had a dis¬
tinguished board of trustees, induding Dr. Wm, Pitt Smith, and
also Dr, John R. B, Rodgers, who was chief of the medical staff
at Valley Forge in the Revolution.

A brief resume of the museum's history shows that it was trans¬
ferred on June 25, 1795 (?■"■)> to Gardiner Baker who conducted
it under the name of the Tammany Museum until Sept. 30, 1798
(j.u.), when he died.

When Baker acquired title, he was already Its keeper, first In
the city hall (see My 21, 1791), and later in the exchange (see
Mr 31, 1794). On April 1, 1794 (q.v,), he was granted a piece of
ground by the common council, at the corner of Pearl and State