The following passage comes from ‘Presidential Charecter: The Example of George Washington’ by Forrest McDonald which can be found in the collection The Presidency Then and Nowedited by Phillip Henderson.

“Washingon’s actual installation in office was delayed by his characteristic concern with propriety. In December of 1788 the presidential electors met in their states, as the Constitution required, and cast their ballots unanimously for Washington. The results were reported in the newspapers, and anyone else would have set out for New York, the temporary capital. Washing thought it would be unseemly to leave until he was officially notified, which could not take place until Congress counted the votes. For various reasons, Congress was slow in obtaining a quorum, and the result was that Washington was not sworn in until April 30, 1789, nearly two months after the scheduled inauguration date. (Washington insisted that his pay be docked accordingly, so his annual salary of $25,000, instead of yielding $200,000 in eight years, yielded %196,121. He had asked that he be paid no salary, but Congress took the position that the Constitution mandated a “fixed compensation” for the president).