Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-12-01

| first cost OF these holdings appears 10
have been Sl,2l5,ll0 10 centa
With the view of better understandins
the grounds, and probable ACCURACY OF tie
| Reports and Estimates. the committee al.
tended personally At TO Capitol, and exam.
ined the state Of Inst bailding, where, after
conference, and making such inquiries Of
an architect on the spot as were consider
ed proper, they were induced 10 believe
that the walls Of both wings Of the Capitol
may be safely built on, and that the est.
mated expence of about ESQ, 600 dollars for
! repairing the same, was as nearly accurate
and as much to be relied on, as could be
reasonably expected, or as circumstances
either admitted or required
With the foregoing information, the CON-
mittee proceeded to due and genesal con.
| sideration of the subject matter referred to
! them, and readily came to the decision.
that it was expedient, either TO repair the
late Buildings, or to build others in their
| stead on different settles; but as ii appears
that the latter could not be affected with
out mourning a great additional expence.
so much greater las the committee con.
ceivedl than would be counterbalanced by
any public interest or convenience to be
| derived from change of settles, " they
were of opinion that 1T would be inexpe-
! dent to make such change. Connected
with this part of the duty prescribed by
the committee, 1t may not be improper that
they should state to the house the represen.
tatioEs OF suadry individuals, who alledge,
and offer to prove, that the designation Of
the present scites by President Washing
eon, who possessed full power, having been
always considered by him as part of the
permanent plan of the city, they purchas-
ed at very advanced prices, and improved
lots on the faith of those designations near
those scites, the supposed perEanency
whereof has ever since sustained the val
ue of all adjacent and contiguous property,
but that if those settles were now to be al
tered or abandoned, without seine equi-
Valent public establishment: being made
thereon, they appfehend that this proper
~ would become comparatively valueless
during the lifetimes Of the present holders
at least. The comnlittee however desire
it to be understood, that other views and
considerations having induced their deei-
sion on this member of the resolution un-
der which their enquiries were directed,
they did not enter into the discussion of, or
give any opinion on the force or validity
Of these considerations.
From the suggestions of the architects
consulted, and also from the observations
of the COM mittee, they are of opinion that
parts of the walls, arches and columns Of
the late buildings are in state requiring
a small expence for workmanship and una
terals, TO preserve them from injury by
the weather, and from falling down. thsfe-
by endaHsering the saultng which supports
some Of the floors, and which is at present
very little, if at all, weakened by the
burning, but as there is TO money applics~
bic to the payment of such expence, in.
considerable as it may be, the committee
beg leave to suggest the propriety Of an
appreciation for that object.
The Committee think it not irrelative 70
the object of their inquiries, though il is
not specifically enjoined, to state also that
the several banks within the District of
Columbia, DESTROYS of facilitating an OBJ
ject 80 interesting to the district, have made
a formal and binding offer in writing to
advance on loan to the government, upon
reasonable terms, the sum of five hundred
thousand dollars. to be applied exclusive
ly to the purpose of rebuilding or repair
ing the Presidents house, Capitol and pub
lie offices
Conformably to the foregoing statement,
the committee ask leave to report bill.
Mr.. l., also reported bill making ap-
proprietions for repairing or rebuilding the
Public Buildings in the City of Washington.
THE bill proposes to authorize the Presi-
dent of the United States to cause to be
forthwith rebuilt or repaired the Public
Buildings on their present settles; and for
this purpose exclusively, to borrow such
sum as may be necessary for the purpose.
from the banks or individuals within the
DISTRICT Twice read and committed.
On motion of Mr.. Humphreys of Ten
esolution was adopted for instructing
the military committee to inquire into the
eApeaIcncy of making an appropriation,
by lAw, for the payment of the expenee