Washington sentinel., 1854-03-12
PUBLIC BUILDINGs-PUBLIC
GROUNDS.


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PUBLIC BUILDINGs-PUBLIC
.s GROUNDS.
The subject of providing new buildings for
the State, War, Navy, and Interior depart
ments, so long delayed, has been specially re-
ferred to committee from whose action the
best results may be anticipated.
The following are some of the reasons which
require prompt action. There are cardinal
points necessary to be considered in the erec-
ton of public buildings, viz: lst, fre-proof
character: I'd, convenient arrangement with
abundant room and, Sd mutual proximity of
the departments.
The buildings now occupied by these de-
partments, possess none Of these indispensable
requisites, but the contrary, by their absence,
are constantly exposed to the most serious
dangers and inconyeniencies.
The first great serious defect of the existing
buildings, is, their combustible character, keep
ing in perpetual jeopardy, documents of the
highest value and last importance, the loss of
which would be deplorable and irreparable.
The loss of the public archives in these de-
partments, would leave such great gaps in
our history, would deprive the government
of such indispensable information in rela.
ton to our domestic, and particularly our
foreign concerns, as would expose US to the
most serious losses, annoyances, and incon-
veniencies. A Secretary of State stripped Of
the archives of his department. would in his in
tercourse with foreign nations, be placed in a
situation alike SO disadvantageous, perplexing,
and mortifying, that posterity would, with great
Justice, brand US with reckless disregard oi
the muniments of our history, our rights, and
our glory while we were wasting millions upon
matters which could readily be deferred, and
while we are actually paying in premiums foi
the privilege of redeeming small portion o.
the national debt, in anticipation of its MATURE
ty, larger sum than would be necessary to
provide appropriate accommodations for the
archives and Offices of government With
the means in hand and no reasonable excuse
for delay, if nothing more than security were
obtained by appropriate buildings, it should
suffice peremptorily and promptly to secure
their erection.
The records of folly, in confding valuable
documents to combustibe buildings, are suffi-
ciently long and sad, of the destruction Of docu-
ments, for the recovery of which, mankind
would cheerfully pay thousand times the ad-
ditional cost which would have been requisite
to render their repositories safe.
But there are other and pressing reasons to
urge the immediate construction of these build
ings. The business Of the departments has so
greatly augmented the documents, models
instruments, cases, &C., have so multiplied
that all is confusion and constraint. There
being no room for appropriate arrangement Of
the numerous documents, &c, there can be nc
stringent responsibility and it may be safely
asserted as fact, that if record were made
of the losses of books and documents, they
could not be replaced by an amount that would
erect suitable building.
There is also the essential element of mutual
proximity; for although there are six depart
ments, including the Attorney Generals Office,
yet their. duties are so interviewer, and their
intercourse so constant, that it would be as
convenient to dismem5er department itself
as to separate the departments one from the
other. The incessant intercourse going on re.
quires imperatively, for the proper facility of
business, the closest contiguity; and this
can be best attained, consistently with the
strictest and truest economy, and securing at
the same time the finest architecture as one
large building can be erected at proportiona,
bly less cost than could several smaller ones o.
equal aggregate accommodation. As an ar
chitectural ornament, one large building j:
worth q dozen small ones, and will sdmit OF su
perior arrangements. The annoyances OF De
lay, which every member Of Congress, and in
deed every one having much business with the
departments, must have experienced, from in
ability Of instant intercourse, must have i'm
pressed them with the importance of contiguity
If, for instance, the Pension Office were at q
point distant as is the Patent Office, the delay
and confusion would be very great. A senator
would 20 to the Pension Office on business
in very many, probably in most cases, imme
diate resort is necessary to the Surgeon Gene
rails or to the Second Auditors office; mes
senger is despatched distance, going and
returning, of some fifteen squares, during
which time the senator must wait; the mes.
senger, unless he waits for written instructions,
takes verbal communication, liable half the
time to be misstated or misapprehended. Mea3-
time, the messenger has hardly left, when an.
other senator or representative comes in he