Washington sentinel., 1854-06-18

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 dismember department itsel
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 contguity and this can
be best attained, consistently with the strict
est and truest economy, and securing at the
same time the finest architecture as one large
building can be erected at proportionable
less cost than could several smaller ones oi
equal aggregate accommodation. AS an ar.
chitectural ornament, one large building is
worth dozen small ones, and will admit 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 Ffrom in
ability of instant intercourse, must have i'm.
pressed them with the Importance of contiguity.
II, for instance, the Pension office were at a
point distant as is the Patent Office, the DELAY
and confusion would be very great. A senator
would go to the Pension Office on business !;
in very many, probably in most cases, imme-
diate resort is necessary to the Surgeon Gen
erals or to the Second Auditors Office a mes
senger is dispatched 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 Inexperienced. Mean
time, the messenger has hardly left, when an
other senator or representative comes in he
must wait until the messenger returns and
goes again, unless another messenger be dis
patched, in which case, as remarked by dis.
tinguished senator, this segregating the depart
ments would give occasion for corps of mes
sengers larger than both houses of Congress,
and then very, very imperfectly supplying the
advantages of mutual proximity, as it is well
known that personal conference of FIVE min
utes would settle matter which through mes.
sengers would take month, and just as likely
to complicate as to adjust.
These are some of the reasons for mutual
proximity. Ifthere be asolitary reason on the
other side, showing greater facility for the
transaction of public business, for economy, or
to obtain architectural beauty, it has not hith-
erto been devised, or at any rate divulged.
The sites of the proposed buildings should
be SO selected as to leave to posterity no cause
for regret. In regard to these matters there
has been an universal error, alike by the ma.
tional government, by States and by cities, all
OF which have had occasion bitterly to regret,
having ceded or having encumbered ground
which should have been kept sacred for the
public benefit. Already we have, in this city,
to deplore the unhappy policy which restricted
to pitiful limits, the capitol grounds of coun-
try destined in few years to number one hun.
dred and fifty millions of people; and there
was one act Of General Jackson which has re-
commended itself to universal commentator,
to wit: that of enlarging the capitol grounds
Perhaps no public verdict would be more
unanimous than that the contemplated build
ings should not be erected on the " Presidents
square" The space there is already SO small
that to prevent intrusion upon buildings con-
nected with the presidential mansion, the Trea-
sury building was thrown forward some thirty
feet from the site intended, and thus excluding
the front steps originally intended, and SO
marring the general aspect of the front, as to
render the entire architecture Of the building
one ofa very questionable character. Similar
results would flow from the erection of appro-
pirate buildings on the sites of those now &C.
cupied by the War and Navy departments.
The evils would be aggravated by the addition
of two wings to the Treasury building and sur
rounding the Presidents mansion with Gordon
of unsavory odors. Besides which, it is per.
fectly manifest that very extensive additions
must be made to the White House, or an en-.
tirely new and greatly enlarged structure must
be erected to meet the augmenting population
of the city, and Of the number of citizens from
every quarter of the Union visiting Washing
ton. Even now the rooms are crowded to suf. |
focation-the very windows being converted
into doors of exit-and the number would be |
greatly larger were the reception rooms suf6-
ciently capacious for comfort.
The custom of having music in the Presi
dents grounds may be considered as estab-
lished, and abundant room should be given,
and the grounds rendered accessible from the
avenue, as would be the case when the build
ings now disfguring those beautiful grounds
shall have been removed. 1t is to be hoped |
that this musical recreation, so universally &C.
ceptable, and SO readily commanded by gov
ernment, will be continued, and with every pos
sble Improvement. Government spends mil
lions in architectural ornaments, all of achich
united cannot compare acih the beauty of these
grounds, achen cleared from the disagreement
ofhe present buildings. Besides being orna-
mental in an eminent degree, these grounds
would ha M 1aco boalfbfn1 Tf a hn;ld;nc H.