In 1793, the Yellow Fever Epidemic hit Philadelphia, and by late summer, 5000 people or 10% of the cities population had fallen victim to the disease. In response to the epidemic 20,000 people, almost half the population fled the city. Although some cities had sent financial aid to Philadelphia, other neighboring towns refused to let refugees from Philadelphia into their towns because there was great fear that they were carrying the fever. At that time, Philadelphia was home for the President and Congress as construction was just beginning on the new capital. During the epidemic, President Washington and his cabinet continued to meet until September, but Congress had left earlier in June. There was nothing the Federal government could do, they had no authority to act. This was not a state issue either. The Governor became ill and was advised by his doctor to leave, while the state legislature cut short it's session in September when they a dead body was found on the steps of the State house. Responsibility fell to the mayor who organized the city's response to the epidemic. Without the majority of the Common Council who also fled, Mayor Matthew Clarkson summoned fellow citizens and formed a committee to organize and address the crisis. They rapidly improved hospital operations, created additional make-shift hospitals, hired more nurses and looked for new treatments. Despite all of their efforts the mortality rates at the hospitals remained high. Almost 50% of those admitted died. Finally in October with cooler weathers, the epidemic began to abate. Businesses began to reopen, and many families returned. The wharves were once a gain alive with goods arriving from London-based shipping merchants. The epidemic was finally taking a reprieve, but unfortunately in 1797 it returned.
Today, we know that the source of the disease were mosquitoes. It was in the late 19th century that American that American doctors first identified the source. In 1880's experiments of the US Medical Army Corps under the direction of Dr. Walter Reed confirmed theories that the Yellow Fever disease was caused by mosquito bites. And sure enough, records showed that one of the Doctors, Benjamin Rush ad written that "Mosquitoes (the usual attendants of a sickly autumn) were uncommonly numerous...". These mosquitoes almost destroyed Philadelphia, and it was these mosquitoes that helped to guarantee that the U.S. capital would not become permanently based in Philadelphia. Just several years earlier, in 1790, the Residence act placed the new capital in Washington D.C. It was a compromise between the North and the South, and as part of the compromise, the capital would be in temporarily placed in Philadelphia. During the initial years after the deal was made, the people of Philadelphia lobbied hard for the capital to stay in Pennsylvania; as an incentive they offered both Washington and Hamilton an elaborate mansion to live in. Both refused. But in 1797, it was the return of the Yellow Fever Epidemic that sealed the deal and raised great doubts about the safety of the area. In fact, in his first state of the union in 1797, President John Adams shared his sense of relief that an emergency relocation of the National Legislature was avoided. Relocating the National Legislature would be an "occasion [with] much public inconvenience and a considerable public expense". As the cooler weather returned to Philadelphia, John Adams now felt that it was safe again for Congress to call Congress to meet again in Philadelphia. Safe for now, but the damage was done. The lobbying efforts to keep the capital in Philadelphia permanently was dead. President Adams began his first state of the union with these words.
"I was for some time apprehensive that it would be necessary, on account of the contagious sickness which afflicted the city of Philadelphia, to convene the National Legislature at some other place. This measure it was desirable to avoid, because it would occasion much public inconvenience and a considerable public expense and add to the calamities of the inhabitants of this city, whose sufferings must have excited the sympathy of all their fellow citizens. Therefore, after taking measures to ascertain the state and decline of the sickness, I postponed my determination, having hopes, now happily realized, that, without hazard to the lives or health of the members, Congress might assemble at this place, where it was next by law to meet. I submit, however, to your consideration whether a power to postpone the meeting of Congress, without passing the time fixed by the Constitution upon such occasions, would not be a useful amendment to the law of 1794."
That last line is a bit of a puzzle. I could find no 1794 law that defined the power of the President to postpone the meeting of Congress. Article II section 3 of the constitution does give the president powers to convene congress and to "adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper", but I could not find anything specific to the year 1794.
Article II Section 3.
He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.
About all I could find that in 1794, as Vice President John Adams expressed great anger about senators who "retired to the lobby" during a vote on the Jay Treaty with Great Britain. Adams described their action as the "greatest curiosity of all". But under the existing rules, Adams, nor the president lacked the specific authority to compel senators' attendance. Perhaps there is some connection here, but I will have to dig some more for it.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29439
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1793_Philadelphia_yellow_fever_epidemichttp://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2015/05/how-philly-lost-the-nations-capital-to-washington/
The Senate 1789-1989: addresses on the history of the United States. page 282
http://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Yellow-Fever-1793-jpg.jpg
https://mowryjournal.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/adams-john.jpg
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