Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-08-07

No Senator or Representative shall during the time Tor
which elected be appointed TO amy civil once under
he authority Of the United States which shall have been
created tho enouments whereof shall have been
during such time and person holding any once nee Tue
United States shall be member OF eltner HOUSE uurng m
continuance III Once.
The CHAIR ruled the amendment TO be IN order stating
that it for the Judiciary TO decide upon the consutu
tionaty Of any measure.
The smendment of Mr. BAYLY was then agreed 10
Mr. BOWIE moved to amend the bill by inserting
therein item appropratng hve thousand dollars Tor
the repairs OF the bridges over the Eastern Branch
He remarked that they informed by the report Of
the Commissioner of Public Buildings that the bridges
across the eastern branch in precarious and dan
gerols condition, and the Of eight thousand dollars
required for their repair These bridges, with the
one across the Potomac, public highways and had
become the property of the United States 1t proper
that they should be kept in repair otherwise life and
property would be jeoparded.
Mr. FICKLIN chairman of the Committee for the
District of Coumbia) trusted the amendment would not
be adopted At the last session four thousand dollars
appropriated for the repair OF these bridges and he
should like know how that money had been expended
Mr. BOWIE replied by reading from the report OF the
Commissioner ofPubc buildings showing that the money
had all been used for the object for which it was APP
propriated
MIR FICKLIN said that they asked blindy to APP
proprate this money without knowing how it was to be
expended or what was 10 be accomplished by its
He hoped the amendment would be rejected.
The amendment then rejected
Mr.. JOHNSON, of Arkansas, offered the same amend
10 81 500 and adding provision requiring the Secretary
of the Interior report to Congress the of
pending this appropriation
He said that Mt this very time there increase of
thirty per cent in the expenses of living in
this city, and this caused mainly in consequence of
the loss of the bridge across the Potomac Now, this ex
pense would be largely increased if the bridges the
Eastern Branch should be swept away as the city would
then be of from supplies from the country There
was no person who kept house here who not
of the extraordinary prices at which every thing was
selling There who boarded here who did not
have constantly rung in his by the clearinghouse
keepers that they losing money by boarding them
while at the time the boarders retored by saying
you taking every thing have This what they
all must know Now those who desired to render justice
could always find ground upon which to do it; while
those who did not wish to render justice could find
any ground upon which to do it.
Mr.. SHELTON remarked that the gentleman had said
that these bridges falling down. and the people In
this District suffering He would ask the gentle
what interest this to the people OF the United
States?
Mr. JOHNSON, of Arkansas. None upon the face of
the EARTH if il would starve hreeourhs OF the members
here Laughter
Mr.. STANTON, of Kentucky moved to increase the
to eight thousand dollars stating that he did so be-
cause he did not deem the OF 81, 500 sufficient for
repairing these bridges He remarked that the gentle
from New Jersey SAIr SKELToN had said that the
people of the District should build their bridges.
The people did build their bridges and taxed the COM
munty to pay for them But Congress snterposed and
passed law saying that the rights OF the people mere
should be protected and appropriated sum Of money
to build new bridge running parallel with the Two
bridges in controversy before this committee. 1t
interference with the rights of the corporations,
leaving them the alternative of taking the the Gov
eminent proposed for building new bridge and sur
rendering their corporate rights have the oher
bridges destroyed by the building of new one between
then which would charge toll This the history
VI TIN case.
the committee rose and reported progress, md the
hvuse adrurned