"Know ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the integrity, diligence, and discretion of —— ——, the Board of Managers of the Washington National Monument Society do authorize and empower him to receive from the White Inhabitants of the District for which he has been appointed Collector, embracing —— such donations money, not exceeding one dollar each, as they may be disposed to contribute to the erection of a National Monument to the memory of Washington at the seat of the General Government.
"Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, this — day of ——, 183 .
"Wm. Cranch,
"First Vice-President.
"Test.
"Geo. Watterston,
"Secretary."
Simultaneous with this commission instructions were given requiring the regular rendition of accounts at short intervals, and the deposit of the money collected by them in safe banks to the credit of the Treasurer. For these services a commission, in most cases of ten per centum (later increased to fifteen per centum), was allowed.
In 1835, the President of the Society, John Marshall, died, and he was succeeded in the office by ex-President of the United States James Madison, who, on accepting the position, addressed the Society as follows:
"I am very sensible of the distinction conferred by the relations in which the Society has placed me; and feeling like my illustrious predecessor, a deep interest in the object of the association, I cannot withhold, as an evidence of it, the acceptance of the appointment, though aware that, in my actual condition, it cannot be more than honorary, and that under no circumstances could it supply the loss which the Society has sustained. A monument worthy the name of Washington, reared by the means proposed, will commemorate at the same time a virtue, a patriotism, and a gratitude truly national, with which the friends of liberty everywhere will sympathize and of which our country may always be proud."
It may be here remarked that upon the death of Mr. Madison the Society amended its Constitution so that thereafter the President of the United States should be ex officio its President. The first to so occupy the office was Andrew Jackson.
The progress of the Society was at first slow, and in 1836 only about $28,000 had been collected. This fund was placed in the hands of Gen. Nathan Towson, Samuel H. Smith, and Thomas Munroe, gentlemen of the highest respectability, members of the Society. Under their faithful and judicious management this fund was invested, as also the interest accruing on it, in good stocks or securities. This fund was from time to time augmented by small amounts raised on special occasions by churches, organizations, and meetings of the citizens and collections by agents. The financial difficulties of the Union arising in 1837 operated largely to suspend collections for the monument for several years despite frequent addresses to the people and urgent appeals for funds by the Society and activity by its agents.
In this year, 1836, advertisements were published by order of the Society inviting designs from American artists, but no limitation was placed upon the form of the design. It was determined by the Society, and so recommended, that any plans submitted should "harmoniously blend durability, simplicity, and grandeur." The estimated cost for the proposed monument was not less than one million dollars.