The Arkansas advocate., 1832-06-20
rHE 1.EEg SECTIONS.
TO THE EDITOR.
NO.3

second and fourth, objections of Goy- ernor Pope to the Ten Section Bill; and 1t will be now proper to examine the third, fifth and sixth, conjointiy, which are in that from. the locality of the building, the public pro- pcfty would be less safe there, than nearer the river and business part of town, and less convenient for trausac- tion of business; that it is impolitic and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the act of Congress to sell the land x oiiii i o5sijeetafal estimate, aud that 1t would be premature and rash to make n final disposition of the fund beyond the control of the people, To sup port which the Governor says-"the capitol ought to be within reach ofi good supply of water to extinguish fire in case of necessity, that q stsfe house built with taste and elegance, near the fine river which passes Little Rock, would command the admiration and respectof the passing stranger, and have a moral and political influence OH the whole community; being the property of all, it would be the pride of all, aud constitute 4 strong bond of union; that the best interests of the people should prompt the Legislature to commence a building on durable basis, suited not only for their present, but future con ditioa, and that their representatives cannot rightiulls appropriate the funds for any temporary purposes; that f 1t be advisable to commence q building in short time, which lie inclined 10 think 1t WAS, 1t could not be finished in less than three or four years, as funds would be wanted from year 10 year as the work progressed; to meet these oe- casional demands, let two, oreyen three, sections of the land be sold at a price not less than three dollars per acre. If, however, the Legislature are disposed toreaIize Che probable advance in price of tue lands, they can, when located, borrow from five to ten thousand dol. lars without difficulty, for five, seven, or ten years, at an interest of five per cent, by pledging the lands or the pro- ceeds for the payment of the loan; that
 
 hazarding any thing in the disposal of the lands at present; that there seems to be no cause for haste Or precipitancy in granting away valuable property of the people, before they can be in- formed of its value and consulted on the subject; that from every view he had been able to take of the subject, he must believe the General Assembly in the passage of the bill, have acted under mistaken view of the extent and true construction of the act of Con. gfess."
 First: In respect to the locality Of tho house, although more plausible than any other of the Governors views on the subject, it could not be consid- cred serious objection to the exchange, as there will be found as many reasons to object to the location of public build ings in the centre or business part of a town, and more particularly so in Lit tie Rock, as there can be to one in the suburbs. Capltols are seldom built ia the centre of town, and whenever they are, they are generally secured from the contiguity of other buildings by a large square ofground set apart for pub lie use; there being none such in Little Rock, 1t is to be presumed, if the pub lie buildings were erected in the bus- < ness part Of the tova, near the river, ;ts the Governor would have them, that they would soon be encircled by other buildings as various in their materials, as might best suit the means of the owners of the ground and answer the purposes intended. The consequent risk from fire to state house so sit iated, would be much greater than if apart and distant from other build ings; an insurance office would cal culate the risk in proportion to the number of adjacent buildings, and the materials of which they were made; and l venture to assert, that a policy can be effected on CritteEden's house at less per cent than on any other whatsoever, situated in the busi- ness part of town, or than there could be on a house of similar construction placed on the lots in front of peay's Tavern, where the owners of the adja- cent property and others, were so anx- ious to have the public buildings cree ted. As to the inconvenience. it could not have been so great 10 the members ot the Legislature, and to the ssJudges.