The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-02-17


with the other The treasury building cost Soioopo
This building cost larger sum than the senator rom
Pennsy estimated Ii has iron beams and giru
ers there is rot particle Of wood in IL is supported
by arches upon which the floor rests and the ron alone
in the building must have cost more than nan Inc sum
which the senator from Pennsylvania guesses thc whoe
building to have cost This building, IS true Is lol
ornamented like the treasury building u mas nor me
same architectural display but is. perhaps better
Treasury building is only suitable 10 lhe ancient re-
gious outdoor worship of the Roman tunes and Is
not suited to the purposes OF public offices This
building is in better condition than that OF the Treas
ury Department. If you should place your public
in Would ns em utterly Worthless sfs sr
few years Those rooms are constantly damp whereas
the in this building are dry and ay they are
procure for its purposes The Secretary of War says that
the public interest requires building of this sort There
snohng unfair in the terms upon which they are offered
than what the government pays for rooms not so valuable
nor suitable. is necessary that the documents OF the
department should be preserved; because, they are
destroyed. they never can be replaced. Why, then,
should not the government make arrangements with Mr.
Winder', Why should it play the Jew with him. more
tor from Georgia e to eass the building for the term
of five years. else to purchase it upon the terms
mentioned conceive sir that the proposition Is per
Mr.. ATHERTON. hope sir, that the amendment
will not be adopted Ii refers to agreement as having
been made between this gentleman and the Secretary OF
War, when there has been agreement made II binds
the Secretary OF War TO rent this building Tor hve
years at certain price. which has been considered
by those who have examined the subject, high; or
il binds the Secretary to purchase the building at
price mentioned. Now, sir it appears from what was
read by the from Maryland that the Secretary
tered into conract-hat he studousty avoided en-
tering into any contract The senator from Maryland re-
feed the terms of the having been agreed upon
between the Secretary, OF War and Mr. Winder Now,
sir the Secretary neither agreed to rent the building
did he upon the terms on the contrary he stu
dously avoided making any agreement
Mr.. PEARCE, Qnterposing) did not wish TO be un-
dor thatt ho hld ms
contract but that he gave to Mr. Wnder that
he would rent certain portion Of the building; What
| he said was, that when the building should be com
peted, he could promise that he would transfer many
Of his Offices and was understood that he was to pay
$l75 rent for each room
| Mr. ATHERTON Then it appears that was right
in regard to this suggestion as to the Secretary OF
Wars DESIRE his design, to transfer some OF his rooms
offices to that building understood the senator from
Georgia say that it very unjust to Mr. Winder that
should allow only part OF the building to be rented
and that the department ought take the whole at the
he should want the whole Of the building The very
words of the Secretary that he would take part OF
the rooms if he was authorized 50 to a. he never con-
| emplated taking the whole of the building
i suppose. sir, that the department knows what is
necessary and their estimate. it, made in ref
erence to the value Of the building and the room that
they require feel bound to say that the estimates OF
ty rooms at $3.50 each The House Of Representatives
proviso-which think very rroper-that the depart
ment shall continue rent the after the appro
pration exhausted This to provide for the excl
sion OF the dea that because the government now takes
these rooms they under any lawful contract, i'm
piled otherwise. to occupy them when they can be
provided for BY buildings OF their own The most. it
of that for think the subject has been in the
other Housethe utmost stretch of berality to which
go, s to increase their appropriation to $4,000
Mr. BADGER. feel no particular interest in so much
OF the amendment authorizes the Secretary OF War to
lease the either the whole or part OF them. for
the term of five ycars Bai am decidedly opposed 10
much OF the amendment gives the Secretary OF War
authority purchase this building for the government
In point of architectural appearance, think it is the
Senator from Pennsylvania Mr.. CAMERoNl has said :
the building is nothing but new barn. 1t may. for
aught know be necessary for the government to buy
but not disposed unless such necessity shall appear
to authorize any officer to make purchase OF that huge
mass of brick and make it the property OF the govern
nj Of
may have opportunity at the proper time to consider
whether we shall choose to purchase this house, erected
by private ndivdual-probably with some expectation
that he might compel the to become the pro-
prieor Of t-or whether will hereafter take
measures to suitable building for the accommoia
! plan which will once forward and facilitate the bust
ness of the departments, and al the same time ornament
the capital OF the nation with buildings suitable for the
! capital of nation, and with view to taking the sense
of the Senate, move to amend the amendment by strik
ing the latter part. which authorizes the purchase
Mr.. ALLEN. shall vote for this amendment of the
senator from North Carolina for it strikes me that We
labor under the very great disadvantage of proposition
!
we know nothing. We have evidence before as
to what the building is worth-whethsr it is worth
$3.50, 900 or a230O00, any other sum: Yet we know
very well that discretionary amount IN bill IS
sered by the department perempory to Them, and the
party who TO receive the money always claims the
benefit OF the largest amount naned so that 1t Is, IN
point of fact, positive contract to give so much
/ money for this bulling, without any evidence be-
fore us whatever that the building is worth 100000
The rent cannot be taken very correct criterion
because, when necessity compeis the government TO
l rent particular suite of rooms, whether they will
or not it is very easy for the government to give a
little than these worth. do not say that
that ia the in this instance because have evil
dence upon the subject; and it is just because know
government to make contract We had better go on
renting the have been doing and it should
be necessary to purchase hereafter, let investigation
be made as to its actual value, and reported here
MIR. JOHNSON OF Louisiana. | rise simply to say that
accept of the modification OF the senator from North
Carolina and to reply to single remark of the senator
from New Hampshire, lMr. ArBERroN] lie intimated
that this amendment bound the Secretary of War; and
made il obligatory upon him to rent the That is
altogether a mistake. 1t only authorizes him to do
in the event that shall be exp,dient II imposes
junctoa-no imperative Obligation but simply author
him to do so; and that is carrying out the idea
pressed by the senator from New Hampshire when he
OF the necessities OF the department That is the very
object OF the amendment Here is the bill it originally
stood. 1t leaves the Secretary discretion at all 1t
places entirely OF his power to negotiate for other
rooms il they should be desired Bat this amendment
gives discretion to that officer 10 such
necessary. As the amendment now stands modified by
the senator from North Carolina differs from the bill
to the Secretary of War to negotiate for the rooms;
yvh he MI nOyy