That none of his successors have entertained the idea that their
executive offices could be performed only at the seat of Government is
evidenced by the hundreds upon hundreds of such acts performed by my
predecessors in unbroken line from Washington to Lincoln, a memorandum
of the general nature and character of some of which acts is submitted
herewith; and no question has ever been raised as to the validity of
those acts or as to the right and propriety of the Executive to exercise
the powers of his office in any part of the United States.
U.S. GRANT.
_Memorandum of absences of the Presidents of the United States from the
national capital during each of the several Administrations, and of
public and executive acts performed during the time of such absences_.
President Washington was frequently absent from the capital; he appears
to have been thus absent at least one hundred and eighty-one days during
his term.
During his several absences he discharged official and executive duties;
among them--
In March, 1791, he issued a proclamation, dated at Georgetown, in
reference to running the boundary for the territory of the permanent
seat of the Government.
From Mount Vernon he signed an official letter to the Emperor of
Morocco, and from the same place the commission of Oliver Wolcott as
Comptroller of the Treasury and the proclamation respecting the whisky
insurrection in Pennsylvania; also various sea letters, the proclamation
of the treaty of 1795 between the United States and Spain, the Executive
order of August 4, 1792, relative to the duties on distilled spirits,
etc.
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