The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-14

laton OF Congress in regard 10 this shall see, to b
sure, many surprising things, but nothing crminale
the present Executive, though much 70 surprise us ~ those
who went before Them The chairman OF the COMMITTEES
thinks the Secretary Of the Interior should not have au
thorized the proceeding with this building upon The
plan upon which II has been going He thinks i
ought TO have stopped and that he ought TO have adopted
different plan which he has suggested in consequence
OF the smalness OF the appropriation Now, sir here IS
the provision Of the act Of Congress which was the sole
guide OF the Secretary OF the Inferior:
"Towards the erection the wings OF the Patent Office
building, according origi,ai plaza and under d.
econ Of The secretary Of the INTERIOR $50OO, 10 be paid
This was plain that nobody could misunderstood it
undoubtedly the first thing was to ascertain what
have sent to The Office OF the OF Public Build
Dgs, 10 what information might there be found in re-
gard to original plans. beg leave TO say here that
the original plan was the only plan that recog-
nised BY the legislation OF Congress The history of The
Patent Office building was this; was member OF the
House Of Representatives, when the law under which it
was created passed. In 1896, Congress authorized
the erection Of Patent Office building according to
plan 10 be adopted and approved by the President OF
the United States In pursuance Of that law. General
Jackson invited plans for such building be sent to
him. Several plans were sent in, and he adopted one
proposed by Mr. Elliot, architect of this CITY, copy Of
that plan was at that lme hanging here for our nsec
ton, and copy is in the OF the Committee
Finance. Congress made an appropriation BY which Mr..
Elliot was paid $500 for that plan That the only plan
he e gwen to AZ
authorizing Mr. Elliot be paid for it.. According to
that plan the present structure, 50 far as It goes was
what has now been erected has cost over 100000 This
Is the only plan which has received the appreciation OF
Congress All other plans simply things PROJECTED by
individuals having no authority under the law. Mr..
Burke had authority project plan from Congress
or anybody else All these other plans, excepting that
Of Mr.. Elliot were things projected by individuals
at their responsibility. All this was ascertaned
by the Secretary Of the Interior, as soon he had
examined into the case He that he to proceed
and apply the money which Congress had appropriated
Tor the erection OF these wings upon that original plan
Ii he had departed from that plan, he would have viola
ted his duty II he had undertaken to that work.
because in bis Judgment the appropriation Of Congress
usurpation upon the authority Of Congress- and have
been guilty OF derelicon of duty devolyed upon him by
Congress II was not in his power to suspend or to re-
peal an act Of Congress- to change the plan which
Congress had adopted.
admit sir, that the chairman has very properly and
truly stated that Congress had bundered in their legisla
ton. Congress has often done They blundered
about the original plan OF the Patent Ofice. In the
House OF Representatives speech was made BY an hon.
% ,h "a i VINO doubtless was entirely h @
$i50000 would erect wings for the Patent Ohlce build
ing He did not say-he could not have said, if he had
any information at all upon the subect-tha $l5o000
would be sufficient to construct wings upon the original
plan. No doubt he referred to the plan OF restricted
and diminished building suggested by Mr.. Burke, which
not tor the accommodation o the Patent
Office, and which, add. would have been entirely in.
sufficient for the accommodation Of those other officers
which il is now proposed 10 place in this building when
il is completed.
The chairman asks by whose authority did this plan
originate of putting other officers the bading. Ali
can say is this The present structure ls nly adequate
To The wants OF the Patent Office, and the additional
must have been intended for some other purpose take
for granted that that other purpose must have been
public purpose, and that must ther eiore have been 10
accommodate other public Offices in this building That
the only opinion that the Secretary could entertain;
Tor it the only opinion which il would not be s,ul
lying Congress 70 suppose them capable OF having formed
know that when the act passed at the last session.
Congress did not know what they were about they did not
know what the original plan was; they had no idea
what the would be. But it no to pass this
bin in this way than what they have done a hundred
times before. member in the House OF Representa-
ves some ago, attempted TO procure the passage
buildings proposed, plan and estimate accurate
could be got up SHOULD be submitted to Congress for
plan of the whole building, TO provide them with all
the necessary information before the appropriation
made. But il was thought that Congress ought mol to
tie their hands in this way; and so the thing fell
through.
said there was something curious in the history OF
this Patent Office building and will relate it. In 1896,
bill passed this body, for the erection OF Patent Office
building, and appropang 100000 for iis erection and
for furnishing it, That bll tailed in the House OF Rep
resenlaves but in the House OF Representatives at the
session, Congress appropriated the same sum- limit
ing the whole expense 10 $soOD0, and submitting to the
President the adoption OF The plan. Congress not SO
stupid, the Executive, then as now They were al
lowed latitude, and consideration, and discretion. In
fact the Executive in those days was permitted TO as
little responsibility, and TO show more regard TO
good taste public spirit, and national prde than lie
did to the stntng economy OF Congress Instead OF
iraciing upon plan which would make the building cost
100000, he adopted this plan of Mr. Elliott which sup
pose will make il cost not Tar from Million Congress
very meekly kissed tue rod with which he chastised
them and voted at the next session another 100000
and so they continued until the present structure
completed which is less than quarter Of the whole
plan, and has cost Si50,000. That is the way things
were done ten years ago, SIR
Now the Secretary OF the Interior does not take il upon
himself to be quite magnificent all that He is
tent with looking at the letter OF the law, and following
as closely as he He for copy oi the plan and
instructions to Mr. Mills The instructions to Mr.. Mills
were as follows:
81 further appoint Robert Mills architect to aid In
forming the plans, making proper changes therein from
time time. and seeing the erection OF said dings
substantial conformity te plans hereby Adopted, which
their general outlines 10 be- the Treasury build
Ing that plan annexed by. said Mills and the Patent
Office, that annexed by MI Eiot-the former building
erected the old Site and the the square
nouh of the Post Office.
"ANDREw JACKSON"
Now, sir when the Secretary had got the plan and the
instructions OF Gen Jackson what could he dot What
ought he to do! 10 appoint TO enter into the
for the building OF both wings OF the Patent Office
building He had no discretion to begin and 10 leave
the other SO he made the excavations and established
the foundations on the western wing and the eastern
wing he raised the building few feet above the surface
The view which he naturally took OF il was that he
was not TO exceed $4,000 until Congress should meet
again. II must have been the intention OF Congress to
have the foundation oil one wing prepared, so as to be
able to proceed next srmmer and then 10 60 with the
other wing as lar as the appropriation would last. lie
did and when the appropriation was out he directed
all the work TO cease. But BY authority OF his
that work was afterwards done upon the building The