U.S. Federal Government Birthdays

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U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BIRTHDAYS [House & Senate explained]: The U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES was born on April 1, 1789 [Wall Street, N.Y. 11:00 LAT = 11:03:42 LMT +4:56:04. Asc: 24º-Gemini-58'; MC 05º-Pisces-06'] The U.S. SENATE was born on April 6, 1789 [Wall Street, N.Y. 11:00 LAT = 11:02:12 LMT +4:56:04. Asc: 28º-Gemini-43'; MC 10º-Pisces-04'] The U.S. VICE-PRESIDENCY [President of the Senate] was born April 21, 1789 [Wall Street, N.Y. 12:00 LAT = 11:58:25 LMT +4:56:04. Asc: 21º-Cancer-41'; MC 11º-Aries-02'] The U.S. PRESIDENCY was born April 30, 1789. Oath taking originally scheduled for 12:00 noon; Inaugural committee delayed start of ceremonies, at least 40 minutes, as much as 80 minutes. Record unclear in the interval. [Wall Street, N.Y., LMT +4:56:04. THREE PUBLISHED

RECTIFICATIONS: Ernest Grant's (1949): 12:37:00 Asc: 06º-Leo-11'; MC 29º-Aries-51'. OR, Ralph Kraum's (1949): 13:04:30 Asc: 11º-Leo-35'; MC 06º-Taurus-35'. OR, Thomas Hague's (1850): 13:20:00 Asc: 14º-Leo-38'; MC 10º-Taurus-19'. ] The U.S. SUPREME COURT was born on February 2, 1790 [Wall Street, N.Y. 13:00 LAT = 13:14:14 LMT +4:56:04. Asc: 03º-Gemini-03'; MC 08º-Aquarius-37'] Nicholas Campion, in his "Book of World Horoscopes", reviews charts for a number of American events: in particular here, for "the Federal Government." [After getting wrong the date when North Carolina ratified the Constitution. . . Hey Nick!, try Nov 21, 1789; not Aug 2, 1788] Campion defers to Grant and Kraum's "Astrological Americana (1949)" wherein the authors rely on the research authority of Walter Bruknus, who maintains that March 4, 1789 @ 00:00 hrs marked the birth of "USA Constitutional Government." However much

a nice try Walter, but you've got it wrong; all wrong. The USA, which designates America qua union-of-sovereign-states, was born in July 2, 1776, and governed thru the "United States in Congress" by pre-constitutional limited remit [war & diplomacy] until its proceedings commenced as "Constitutional Government," on March 2, 1781 @ 10:00 a.m. LAT, following the 13th & final State ratification of the Articles of Confederation, on the previous day, March 1, 1781 @ 12:00 p.m. LAT [exactly: Philly, 12:12:30 hrs LMT +5:00:39]. This first constitution and its government were eventually replaced by the current constitution and government, as it transpired on and after September 17, 1787, when the proposed revised constitution was signed by 38 of the Philadelphia convention's delegates; signing ceremony completed at "about 3:30 p.m." The Confederation's time moment is reported in the Journal of Congress; the Constitution's as per the meticulous research of Catherine Drinker

Bowen (1966, p. 262); Grant & Kraum (1949) have it @ 11:29 a.m. [and since adopted by AstroDatabank]. Scholars confirm that Bowen did her bibliographical homework; Grant & Kraum, who give no sources for their rectified time moment, I submit, just made-it-up. The Re-Start of the Federal government under the ratified 1787 Constitution was put in governing effect, the pre-natal conceptive moment, on September 13, 1788, with the scheduling of the first Federal elections and the designation of New York City as the temporary seat of the revised national government. Also, and crucial here, ". . . that the first Wednesday in March next [March 4, 1789] be the time and the present seat of Congress [Wall Street, N.Y.C] the place for commencing proceedings under the said constitution." So now, here's the catch-22: the said proceedings could not commence without a quorum of members in each body, in the House and in the Senate. Consequently, the

quorums required to commence proceedings, to birth the House and Senate, were not achieved until April 1 and April 6, respectively. Prevailing severe weather conditions accounts for the delay of the 1789 re-start of the Federal government under the ratified 1787 Constitution. During February and March severe snow and ice storms roared down from Canada making for transportation difficulties to be faced by the members of Congress in getting from their homes to Federal Hall on Wall Street. As it was to turn out, the weather was so god-awful inclement during winter/spring 1789 that transportation was in a mess for months. For instance, one elector from the Eastern Shore of Maryland couldn't make his way to Annapolis in time for the February 4 Maryland electoral college vote because the Chesapeake Bay was impassably iced. Throughout the U.S. eastern seaboard in January, February and March it snowed frequently and heavily. Most unseasonable, to say the

least. For another instance, in Massachusetts, mother nature dumped 8 inches of snow on the day before their February 4 election. By March 4th conditions had not much improved. Getting to New York City in time for the scheduled opening of Congress proved impossible for most of the members of the House and Senate. On April 1, 1789, with a bare majority of thirty-five members, the House of Representatives commenced its first formal business, although some were reported ill at ease with the fact that the convening date was All Fools' Day. In this day's proceedings, after agreeing to the establishment of rules of procedure for the House, the appointment of a staff of seven -- including a Clerk and Door Keeper -- the members elected its Speaker, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg. A German educated Lutheran minister and Pennsylvania Federalist politician, who spoke better German than he did

English, Muhlenberg was chosen largely because he provided geographical balance between a Virginia president and a Massachusetts vice president [ & president of the Senate]. In the following week, the Senate commenced its first formal business on April 6, 1789 with a bare majority within the total of 22 seats. In the early afternoon that same day was convened the first joint session of Congress, to count the electoral college votes for president and vice president. [Met at about 1:30 p.m.] Here below: JOURNAL OF CONGRESS [The Record] Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1789-1793WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1789. Page 6 | The House met according to adjournment [11:00 a.m. LAT]. Two other members, to wit: James Schureman, from New Jersey, and Thomas Scott, from Pennsylvania, appeared and took

their seats. And a quorum, consisting of a majority of the whole number, being present, Resolved, That this House will proceed to the choice of a Speaker by ballot. The House accordingly proceeded to ballot for a Speaker, and upon examining the ballots, a majority of the votes of the whole House was found in favor of Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, one of the Representatives for the State of Pennsylvania. Whereupon, the said Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg was conducted to the chair, from whence he made his acknowledgments to the House for so distinguished an honor. The House then proceeded in the same manner to the appointment of a Clerk, and upon examining the ballots, a majority, of the votes of the whole House was found in favor of Mr. John Beckley. On motion, Ordered, That the members of this House do severally deliver in their credentials at the Clerk's table. And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning eleven o'clock. ************************************************************* Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, 1789-1793MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1789. The Senate assembled [11:00 a.m. LAT]: present, From New Hampshire, Mr. Langdon and Mr. Wingate, Massachusetts, ... Mr. Strong, Connecticut, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Ellsworth, New Jersey, Mr. Paterson and Mr. Elmer, Pennsylvania, Mr. Maclay and Mr. Morris, Delaware, ... Mr. Bassett, Virginia, ... Mr. Lee, Georgia, ... Mr. Few. Being a Quorum, consisting of a majority of the whole number of Senators of the United States. The credentials of the afore-mentioned members were read, and ordered to be filed. The Senate proceeded by ballot to the choice of a President, for the sole purpose of opening and counting the votes for President of the United States. John Langdon, Esquire, was elected. Ordered, That Mr. Ellsworth inform the House of Representatives, that a quorum of the Senate is formed; that a President is elected for the sole purpose of opening the certificates and counting the votes of the electors of the several states in the choice of a President and Vice President of the United States; and that the Senate is now ready in the

Senate Chamber, to proceed, in the presence of the House, to discharge that duty: And that the Senate have appointed one of their members to sit at the Clerk's table to make a list of the votes as they shall be declared; submitting it to the wisdom of the House to appoint one or more of their members for the like purposes--Who reported, that he had delivered the message. Mr. Boudinot, from the House of Representatives, communicated the following verbal message to the Senate: Page 8 | "Mr. President: I am directed by the House of Representatives to inform the Senate, that the House is ready forthwith to meet the Senate, to attend the opening and counting of the votes of the Electors of the President and. Vice President of the United States."--And he withdrew. Ordered, That Mr. Paterson be a teller on the part of the Senate. The Speaker

and the House of Representatives attended in the Senate chamber, for the purpose expressed in the message delivered by by Ellsworth--and after some time withdrew. The Senate then proceeded by ballot to the choice of a President of their body, pro tempore. John Langdon, Esq. was duly elected. The President elected for the purpose of counting the votes, declared to the Senate, that the Senate and House of Representatives had met, and that he, in their presence, had opened and counted the votes of the electors for President and Vice President of the United States, which were as follow: {table} Whereby it appears, that George Washington, Esq. was unanimously elected President, and John Adams, Esq. was duly elected Vice President, of the United States of

America. Mr. Madison came from the House of Representatives with the following verbal message: Mr. President: I am directed by the House of Representatives to inform the Senate, that the House have agreed, that the notifications of the election of the President and of the Vice President of the United States, should be made by such persons, and in such manner, as the Senate shall be pleased to direct. And he withdrew. Whereupon, the Senate appointed Charles Thomson, Esq. to notify George Washington, Esq. of his election to the office of President of the United States of America, and Mr. Sylvanus Bourn to notify John Adams, Esq. of his election to the office of Vice President of the said United States. The instructions to the messengers are in the following words: In Senate, April 6, 1789. Sir: The Senate of the United States have appointed you to wait upon General Washington, with a certificate of his being elected to the office of President of the United States of America, You will therefore prepare to set out as soon as possible, Page 9 | and apply to the Board of Treasury for such sums as you may judge necessary for the expenses of the journey. JOHN LANGDON, President pro tem. To Charles Thomson, Esq. In Senate, April 6, 1789. Sir: The Senate of the United States have appointed you to wait on John Adams, Esq. with a certificate of his being elected to the office of Vice President of the United States. You are therefore to set out with the dispatches herewith sent you as soon as possible, and to apply to the Treasury Board for one hundred dollars, towards

defraying the expenses of your journey. JOHN LANGDON, President, pro tem. To Mr.Sylvanus Bourn. Ordered, That Mr. Paterson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Ellsworth, be a committee to prepare the certificates of the election of the President and of the Vice President of the United States; and to prepare letters to George Washington, Esq. and to John Adams, Esq. to accompany the said certificates respectively. The certificates and letters are as follow: Be it known, That the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, being convened in the city and state of New York, the sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, the underwritten, appointed President of the Senate, for the sole purpose of receiving, opening, and counting the votes of the Electors, did,

in the presence of the said Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and count all the votes of the electors for a President and for a Vice President; by which it appears, thatGeorge Washington, Esq. was unanimously elected, agreeably to the constitution, to the office of President of the United States of America In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal. JOHN LANGDON. New York, April 6, 1789. Sir: I have the honor to transmit to your Excellency the information of your unanimous election to the office of President of the United States of America. Suffer me, Sir, to indulge the hope, that so auspicious a mark of public confidence will meet your approbation, and be considered as a sure pledge of the affection and support you are to expect from a free and an enlightened people. I am,

Sir, with sentiments of respect,Your obedient, humble servant,JOHN LANGDON. To his ExcellencyGeorge Washington, Esq. Be it known, That the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, being convened in the city and state of New York, the 6th day of April,in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine, the under-written, appointed President of the Senate, for the sole purpose of receiving, opening, and counting the votes of the electors, did, in the presence of the said Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and count all the votes of the electors for a President and for a Vice President; by which it appears, that John Adams, Esq. was duly elected, agreeably to the Constitution, to the office of Vice President of the United States of America. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

JOHN LANGDON. New York, April 6, 1789. Sir: I have the honor to transmit to you the information of your being elected to the office or Vice President of the United States of America. Permit me, Sir: to hope, that you will soon safely arrive here, to take upon you the discharge of the important duties, to which you are so honorably called by the voice of your country. I am, Sir, with sentiments of respect,Your obedient, humble servant, JOHN LANGDON To John Adams, Esquire. Page 10 | A letter from James Duane, Esq. was read, enclosing resolutions of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the city of New York, tendering to Congress the use of the City-Hall. The Senate adjourned to 11 o'clock, to-morrow

morning.