Whereas by the act of Congress approved July 9, 1846, entitled "An act
to retrocede the county of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia, to
the State of Virginia," it is enacted that, with the assent of the
people of the county and town of Alexandria, to be ascertained in the
manner therein prescribed, all that portion of the District of Columbia
ceded to the United States by the State of Virginia and all the rights
and jurisdiction therewith ceded over the same shall be ceded and
forever relinquished to the State of Virginia in full and absolute right
and jurisdiction, as well of soil as of persons residing or to reside
thereon; and
Whereas it is further provided that the said act "shall not be in force
until after the assent of the people of the county and town of
Alexandria shall be given to it in the mode therein provided," and, if a
majority of the votes should be in favor of accepting the provisions of
the said act, it shall be the duty of the President to make proclamation
of the fact; and
Whereas on the 17th day of August, 1846, after the close of the late
session of the Congress of the United States, I duly appointed five
citizens of the county or town of Alexandria, being freeholders within
the same, as commissioners, who, being duly sworn to perform the duties
imposed on them as prescribed in the said act, did proceed within ten
days after they were notified to fix upon the 1st and 2d days of
September, 1846, as the time, the court-house of the county of
Alexandria as the place, and _viva voce_ as the manner of voting, and
gave due notice of the same; and at the time and at the place, in
conformity with the said notice, the said commissioners presiding and
deciding all questions arising in relation to the right of voting under
the said act, the votes of the citizens qualified to vote were taken
_viva voce_ and recorded in poll books duly kept, and on the 3d day of
September instant, after the said polls were closed, the said
commissioners did make out and on the next day did transmit to me a
statement of the polls so held, upon oath and under their seals; and of
the votes so cast and polled there were in favor of accepting the
provisions of the said act 763 votes, and against accepting the same
222, showing a majority of 541 votes for the acceptance of the same:
Now, therefore, be it known that I, James K. Polk, President of the
United States of America, in fulfillment of the duty imposed upon me by
the said act of Congress, do hereby make proclamation of the "result" of
said "poll" as above stated, and do call upon all and singular the
persons whom it doth or may concern to take notice that the act
aforesaid "is in full force and effect."
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
[SEAL.]
Done at the city of Washington, this 7th day of September, A.D. 1846,
and of the Independence of the United States the seventy-first.