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

ii, if ! supposed the object was an important
one Other States have TO make their own improve
ments sir and how does this question difier from
proposition 10 construct market in this city land am
sorry TO say, sir, that the city needs better market
They parallel cases, both desirable and useful
not informed OF the difficulty OF reaching the navy yard
through the waters OF the Potomac. Ii there be any
difficulty, do not know il. There be none, l
think and view of this matter, if there ia anything
preposleous asked OF us for the District IL the present
appropriation
MIR PEARCE II seems to me there are reasons very
proper for local purposes, in the District of Columbia
As the will recollect. this is federal cityt is
the offspring OF the governments and when the city was
founded, the United States received 5000 of
land as free gift The city did not receive dollar Tor
IT, That was not all, sir. They received many bounues
from Virginia and Maryland Of nearly 100000 Well.
we have an immense amount of public property here
property estimated at seven millions OF dollars The
government great proprietor, and pays no taxes 1t
in that way, farthng towards the city which is
the creature of their will 1t contributes nothing to
the city expenses. The city has laid out the streets
made almost all the improvements which have been
made; and if this government were taxed for it's prop
ery, as private propetors, they would contribute $780,,
900 year whereas they contribute nothing except
that benevolence of Congress which doed very
luctantly. Now, sir with regard to the amount 1t IS
by no means so great as gentlemen imagine The greater
part of il was occasioned by the assumption of the
Holland debt This government received a quid pro
quo Tor t-not an adequate one, perhaps This
the city had incurred the liability, and upon which it
had paid s 900 nteresa stock which, if valueless
now, will be valuable at some future day, when the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal completed The State of
Maryland has expended millions of dollars
that canal, and have secured it by lien the canal
When that canal is completed, there can be no doubt
that the trade transported through it will yield very
large income; and when that income shall have re-
moved the incumbrance upon it, this government will
receive portion of the dividends and cannot doubt
they will be very considerable
Now, Sir the government is very great proprietor
in this District and we have good guarantee that this
appropriation will not be useless in the fact that the
amendment provides that the city corporation shall first
appropriate an annual amount "i money Tor the purpose
Of cleaning out the canal This they certainly would not
do unless they believed for the interest OF the
poraon and citizens and most certainly is to their
interest 1t is channel for fuel, and the government is
knows that shall be obliged large quantities of
Cumberland lumber and coal in the navy yard-in the
iron works there. This coal may be obtained better
and cheaper when it comes through this channel
There will be very considerable saving in that respect
in the simple item OF transportation OF this and other
articles many OF which are carried upon trucks
Thus the government will derive immediate and d.
benefit proportion to the amount transported Tor
their think these gco reasons for the appro-
pration of this money for local purposes.
The question being then taken upon the amendment ny
yeas and nays, the yeas go nays Is, as follows:
YEAs--Messrs Badger, Baldwin. Bell, Benton, Benen.
Downs Fitzgerald, Fooe Greene. Hunter. Johnson of Lou
siana Johnson OF Georgia, Jones. MangIm. Mason Met
Wescott, and YueeI29
..S1
Dodge of low, Felch EzPatrict Hamin. Miles, Rusk'
Sebastian, lurney, ana w alRer-lo
So the amendment was agreed TO-
Mr.. JOHNSON of Georgia moved further to amend the
bill by inserting provision authorizing the Serrelary OF
War to Lease Tor the term q hve o S% me gey
building at the OF and 18th streets, now occu
pied by that department. on the terms originally agreed
upon by the War Department. or to purchase the same at
sum the annual interest upon which. at per cent.
shall not exceed that paid by the government Tor the
rent of the same.
In moving the amendment, Mr. J. said The Senate will
perceive by the BILL it stands, that there is
margin left whatever under the provision OF this bill for
any negotiations be had between the Secretary of War
and the owner of this building and think if the SEN
ate understood properly the state of things precisely
exists in reference to the present occupancy of that build
ment that is offered. This building was con-
structed originally by the proprietor upon qH1si
int the S bue e s Sey Of
price, which ITS dollars per room. The Secre-
tary of War did not, however, it is true, enter into
any positive contract with of the building, for
the reason that he had right TO make contract which
would operate t,turo but only stipulated that if the
house should be completed during the term for which he
cupy the OF the building at that price Accordingly,
at the last session of Congress the Secretary OF War sent
in his estimates at the price OF sl7S per room That
the price of $3.50 per room. think that was the sum
The bill came into the Senate, where it amended by
amount agreed upon by the Secretary of War, $l75.
The bill returned to the House OF representatives at
the last session, and the House refused to concur with
houses STIMULATING to pay $3.50 room and the owner
of the property has been obliged to leave unoccuped
some 3j or 40 rooms of the budding which have been
unoccuped during the whole time and still continue to
be unoccupied Now sir, the condition OF the thing IS
Just this The government is occupying certain por-
ton of tue rooms of those buildings at the price of $3.50
They refused to take all the and the proprietor OF
the building is losing the rent upon some thirty five
or thrty-six rooms which, ] think, are now vacant
And this bill it came from the House. pro,
poses conhne the Secretary of War to that state OF
things and only appropates an amount OF money 70 oc
cupy the number OF at the same price, eaV-
ing the balance of the still vacant and leaving no
discretion whatever with the Secretary OF Var to nego
tate with the owner of this building either for the bal
ing And now ask, Mr. President, and appeal to
the Senate, if this is Just and fair! Now. what IS
the object of this amendment! IL is, Mr. President,
to allow the Secretary of War the authority, to ne
goate with the Of this building for the rent
OF the rooms at the price originally agreed upon be-
tween himself and the Secretary OF Wars Or II IT shall
be preferred by the officer at the head of that depart
ment, TO purchase the building at sum the interest
upon which shall not exceed the whole amount that
is now paid for the which already occupied by
the government. Now, if the government will neither
rent nor purchase all that the of the building asks
is that ii shall be dsncumbered from the government
records and papers, order that he may make other ar
rangemens, and either accept reject the favorable
propositions which pending, for the purpose OF
approprating the building to other uses.
| Mr. WALKER asked how many rooms the govern
ment occupy!
| Mr.. JOHNSON. do not know but the amount OF
the appropriation S., $780, at $3.50 per The gentle
man can very soon make The estimate.
Now, the question for the Senate to determine IS hs
Whether they will still occupy the rooms which they
have absolutely at the price of $50 per room anu
a.