The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-17

fSuxxssfed BIZ q recent editorial! in tie Republic
lst. We must have Centre Markell
building wsrhy of the city-cost what il may. IL
will pay we'll. The City Councils appointed
committee to inquire into the subject 1t is to be
hoped we shall hear from them.
3D. We must have principal thorou ghiares
lighted with gas, and that before another session
of Con yress. Congress have done their share in
tlis respect and have a rightto expect that Will
do something for ourselves The process 10 very
simple An ordinance of the Common Council
provides that " benever majority on any square
shall apply for it, lamps to the number asked for
snail be provided out of the ward funds, and the
expenses of lighting them shall be annually
assessed on those owning the property on the
square. The coss to each taxpayer is so sriang
that who would refuse to sign such petit
ton can have soul no bigger than the point of a
pin. Wherever there is a member Of the Common
Council residing, he should show example by
drawing up petition and taking il to his nei gh-
bors
Sd. We must have some kind of a decent fence
around the City Hall square. An iron fence would
be the most economical in the end; but neat
wooden fence would answer for some years to
come; and some must be planted also, and
taken of, so to make them grow.
This thing, and the absence of lamps, does
more than any one other to prejudice Congress
against US.
Attn. We must have those canal bridges lowered
in Georgetown, and must torture the directors of
the Canal Company Zone OF whom is the mayor
until something igdone.
1t ID true the canal has proved failure thus far;
but the writer of ths knows that boats have tried
to come here, and found it troublesome as to be
deferred from trying it again. Wemght al least
have enough coal for our own consumption landed
at our wbarves.
Perhaps the writer who talks about sewering the
canal in your last number ia not aware that it
brings revenue of over 5000 per annum to the
Corporation.
Perhaps he is not aware of the number of streams
which empty into that canal, which would make It
easy matter to sewer with an arch large enough
to resist the quantity of water which in time OF
fresnets must come down.
Perhaps he has not remembered that soon as
the Great Falls water scheme shall have been car
ried into execution the flow into this canal will be
largely increased.
And this reminds that
5th. As soon AZ the water works approach COM
pleton must make provision for distributing
the water about the city in suitable pipes. This
must be done by We cannot ask Congress to
do it. except far the public buildings con-
cerned; and even then ought to lay the pipes
ourselves as to be able to tap them. We must
also provide sewerage to carry off the waste waer.
large sum will be required for all these pur-
poses.
And this leads me to inquire whether. it has ever
occurred to the writer of the recent editorial that
the water of the Great Falls will furnish facilities
for mill-sites and manufactures which will give
as internal resources, without the necessity of
contri buting to build railroads elsewhere?
IT,. Al N
road will be built without aid. Our citizens
should subscribe, and subscribe literally; but the
moment our Corporation goes into road that
s1iH pay, another road that ,cont pay but will be
Of quite as much benefit to the city, (the Metro
po.itau, } may come in and ask with equal pro-
priety that we should contribute. We shall now
have a heavy debt shoulders, the interest
OF which will delay all the Improvements and
necessary expenditures before enumerated. As to
the argument that we must subscribe 10 this road
in order TO have a connexion by branch road
with Alexandria: in the first place, should only
get passengers over such a branch road-little or
no freight would here; in the next place,
passengers the Orange and Alexandria road
would come here necessarily if, would probably
be the case, they wanted to go to Baltimore, and
they would certainly come here for pleasure rather
than remain at Alexandra. We have a fine river
with hns OOat5, anu every tacllty mas been pro-
vided by nature-supposing that the local jealousy
at Alexandria prevented making the branch
road, which can scarcely suppose.
But there il another thing to be remembered
The charter of the Potomac Railroad Company au
thorizes the company to construct branch from
Aqua Creek to Washington, on the Mary land
side; and am informed, on good authority, that
il ia the intention of those concerned in that pro-
iect to construct this branch. This will not only
accommodate travellers by the Petersburg Fred
sricksbur and Charlottesville roads, but it will
necessarily lead our neighbors, for their own pro-
lection, to give the privilege Of constructing a
connecting road with the Orange and Alexandria
road.
Apropos of the project of giving US the right of
franchise.
There never was a wiser measure than that
which disfrauchised this District, preventing the
sessions of Congress from being incommoded by
local contests and indictments party bitterness.
and preventing the Executive from being harassed
by the claims of persons in the District to office by
reason of alleged exertions on this sPo. as cleo
tioneerers.
As to representation, it might crafty some pc
Gtical aspirants if they could get into Congress;
but whether il would be of any special advants ge
to us ia questionable. Every thing would rest on
his shoulders. We have the District Commit
tee all of whom are bound to take an interest in
our affairs, and some of whom do have so much
regard to duty as to attend to their duties; though
there are, and always will be, too many chairmen
ike o. B Fickln.
AN OLD TAXPAYER.