The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-02-04
From LA Globe.
NATIONAL EDHICEs-ExTRAoRDlNARY
FACTS CONCERNING THEM.

lion Tor The TRANSACTION Oh inc BUSINESS VI uio " "
and Navy Departments, is abundaDtly manifested IN
the reports submitted by the Honorable Zadok Frat
as chairman Of tho Committee on Public buildings
and Grounds. These reports present the facts VI
light which will surprise many oil our readers IL
that than double, perhaps treble the room
contained in the War and Navy buildings, Is mus
pensaby necessary 10 the convenient discharge ol
duty deyolying on the various bureaus Of those de-
partments: And it is a striking fact, that the war
alone is compelled 10 hire tn prira.s houses
thirty four rooms for OF us most Important ou
Teaus at an annual expense OF several Thousand doi
lars 4 bis number OF rooms exceeds the "ho'e
number excepting the hooks OF the atte) Contained
ia the sdifce purposey erected for the War Depart
ment; and as we have intiInated before, double or
treble the whole amount Of room thus occupied IN
public private buildings Is necessary Tor The pro
per accommodation of the business and records oil mat
important branch Of tho government
The expense and Inconvenience Of thus quarlerin8
many important bureaus in private buIdl1ss, are
not mole worthy Of dsration than The iaeI that
this scattering OF public Offices among private houses
largely increases the danger OF the public records from
fire aud other casualties: And, speaking Of IRE, The
fate Of the former Treasury and Post Otce buildings
(includiDg the Patent Office, with all It's model')
shoud warn Us most seriously against longer allow
ing the War and Navy departments 10 be subjected
to the dangers Of conhagration for Il is fact not
less remarkable itself than IL will prove surpris-
ing TO many OF our prudent fellow-cnlzens, there Is
reaus Of elher department. whether in hired houses
or public edlhces!
"The destruction Of the buildings formerly occu-
pied by the Treasury aud Post Office Departments,
and also by the Patent Ofiee-conhsgrations invoy-
Ing vast cost and Incslcusble Inconvenience to ndi.
vduals and 10 the government" as - well remarked
by Colonel Pratt, " furnishes solemn admonitioD
against allowing the public records, and other proper
" In the War and Navy Departments, from being any
longer subjected 10 the dangers of ire
10 addition 10 the warnings of prudence and econ
omy" continues the report Of the Committee on Pub
lie BuIldngs-" in addition TO the warnings Of pru-
dence and economy, sdmonlshing Us sgainat The ca
smities which destroyed the important edhces above
mentioned we have the strongest testimony from the
Heads of the War and Navy Departments, and from
the chiefs Of every bureau in those departments as
shown 10 the report No 20 from this committee on
the 3Ist Of December that almost treble the present.
extent OF rooms are absolutely necessary TO accom-
modae the public officers in the convenient discharge
of the public business in both departments"
That our readers may be better able to appreciate
the ncony resulting from the want Of suti-
cient room IN the War department, we may mention
that all the officers connect, with the eight important
bureaus named below quartered in hired rooms in
private houses:
l. Bureau Of Engineers and Fortfcatons.
?. Bureau Of Engineers OF Topography and Civil
Works
d bureau oil peneTdl
L. Bureau Of Commssary General OF Subsistence.
g. Bureau of POymaster General.
g. Bureau of Surgeon General,
Z Bureau Of Ordnance and Small Arms
3. Pension Office.
As a specimen Of the statements elected from the
chiefs Of bureaus, through the fundamentally Of the
inquiries directed by Col Pratt the Secretaries Of
the War and Navy Departments, we deem it proper
TO add brief synopsis, as follows:
Col Totten states that the building occupied by his
bureau is unfit for the purpose-much exposed to ac
cidents by ire and old and uncomfortable. Records
very valuable, and heir loss would be irreparable.
Colonel Abert's bureau is in building unfit, lesky,
and damp, with much exposure Of valuable records.
"The records and property exposed, under present
temporary arrangements" says Colonel Albert, &" are
extremely valuable and if destroyed, could not be
replaced IN many years, nor without eIptDding many
hundred thousand dollars True economy, therefore,
would seem to be essentially involved in the early
erection Of adequate hre.Proof budings."
General Jesup, Quartermaster General, reports
that
additional rooms are required, not only for the
transaction Of business, but for the preservation Of
the plans, returns and records of the Office Most
OF the papers," he adds, are kept in damp
basement room, where, IT is apprehended they will
DC seriously injured, if not destroyed in the course
OF few years
General Gtbson Commissary General of Subsist.
eDce, mentions that room is required, and in
better quarters, the records much exposed and
the building has been on fire three times.
General Tow .on, Paymaster General, says the
building occupied by his bureau neither safe
convenient, and the records much exposed to ac-
cidents from fire.
Colonel Talcott, Of the Ordnance Bureau me n'ions
that the documents of that ,fhce much expo, ed
and that, if destroyed it would be exceedingly diff
cult to the loss and Inconvenience,
J. L. Edwards, Esq, Commissioner of Pensions,
reports that the rooms occupied By his bureau are
most oncomior'ao'e and involvement; The records
Sa.e., :" Nunu.i .ne uniop " we
Co.., ,a.ss,r ~, J,oi ha '"a' :" su e' All
tho os;cors ofh;s hnptoa, ox"a1t ,,,a ~ r III ~
, no p'N' VI "'' ou'eau' eN'rP' wv oieihs, ai0 J"
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j.; n,r,,o hni,,;ng bi,ad fr ,bs;, aan(e
r.. ofica,s nc,cn';r,, 800 - ny Wn. b;,a
&c uiy'uF ,o'''' Al ."e " al cunning