The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-21
WASHINGTON, March 81.
To The Editor of the Union:

10 We EuHU " We CHtoH.
In communication signed by Mr.. Robert Dale
Owen, in your paper of the 18th inst, we find this
remark:
"You have also alluded to plan from the Topo-
graphical Bureau, made in reply to resolution Of
the House, which proposes tco wings, each about
100 feet by $780, the North and South extremities
of the present Capitol, at an estimated expense Of
nearly 100000; one wing only being necessary
for hall, and the other being added for the sake
Of uniformity This, of ITSELF is sufficient to Justify
the rejection Of the pan if there were not other
elusive objections to it; as, that the wing added on
the south Of the present hall would shut up all its
south windows; and that access to that wing from
the rotunda could only be had by passing through
the present hail."
The following are the errors in the foregoing
"One wing only being necessary for the new hall,
the other being added for the sake of uniformity"
1t is true that one wing only is necessary for the
new hall for the House of Representatives but the
other was not added merely for uniformity. The
objects Of the other wing are to give new hall for
the Senate and by vacatng the present Senate cham
Der, to afford better accommodation for the Supreme
Court. Also the new wing for the Senate would
enable better and more suitable gallery to be ar
ranged and would furnish additional and more suit
able offices for the Senate chamber The Senate
chamber will have to be enlarged before many
years, and the question is, whether proper plan
for its enlargement should not be considered in any
plan for improving the Capitol.
g. 'That the wing added to the south of the
present hall would shut up all its south windows,
and that TO that wing from the rotunda could
only be had by passing through the present hall"
II is correct that the present south windows
would be closed, but the present hall would yet
have abundance Of light It's, however, incorrect
that access from the rotunda to the wing could be
had only by passing through the present hail. An
examination Of the plan will at once show this err
ror. Large passages on each side of the hall, and
within the present walls from the wing to the rotun
da, will be found designated on the plan from the
Typographical Bureau.
Mr.. Owen also says that the estimate for the plan
from the Typographical Bureau will cost $500, 900,
while the cost Of the addition which he proposes
would be 100000. This is an unfair comparison.
He takes the two wings Of the plan Of the bureau,
and compares the of these, which are to furnish
additional accommodation both for the Senate and
House Of Representatives, with the plan he recon-
mends, which contemplates only accommodation for
the House of Representatives Let him take the
| cost Of one wing ony--namely, the one for the
House (S296, 24s)-and then compare It with his
plan, and he will soon see on which side the balance
lies. We cannot Judge of the estimate furnished to
Mr.. Owen by Mr.. Mills. II is not given in detail.
But the plan involves the destruction Of the pres
ent east portico and the rebuilding OF il again, in
addition to the construction Of the new hall,
disposed to think the real expense VIII much exceed
his estimate, while the space furnished by his plan
will be vastly less than that furnished BY the plan
from the Typographical Bureau.
Both plans contemplate the use Of the present hall
Of the House Of Representatives for library. The
advantages of the plan from the bureau are, that,
without destroying or inuring any part Of the pres
ent building, it viii furnish the additional accommo-
dstion required by the House Of Representatives,
and for the library, by the erection OF one wing in
Greek cross plan; and then, at future day, when
required, i certainly will be- the other wing can
be added.
The present building is reprosch to architectu-
raj by its contracted appearance and dspropor
toned dome. The two wings Tor more correctly,
the two extensions) proposed would relieve il from
This appearances, by giving to II properly proper
! toned length.
We snoud doubt, from Mr.. Ovens arieie, Il n,
has seen ell the reports Which have bean made or