The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1856-09-05

lated, in some occult particular, to the vel
low Tiber of republican, and afterwards o
Imperial Rome. Much ridicule attended
this attempt to ape Capitoline Rome, ant
the new name has, believe, fallen into desue
tude, and is now only among the things tha
were.
The act Of Congress locating our nationa
capitol at Washington was passed aud rati
fled on the 10th July, 1890, but it wa'
therein provided that the seat Of govern
ment, then being Philadelphia, should no
be changed till 1900, in order that in tn.
intermediate time suitable legislative ant
executive buildings might I've constructed
The removal from Philadelphia to Wash
ington took place, according to the act O
Congress, in 1900. This location Of tho
capital was made at the suggestion of Gen
Washington the embryo city received tn,
baptisma name of "Washington," as the
just and fitting tribute to the father Of our
country and the founder of our Republic
The corner stone Of the District of Colum
bia was laid on the 18th April, 1901, and
that of the capitol, 10y President Washing
ton, on the 18th September, 1893. Major
L'Enfant aud Mr.. Ecllicott were the archi,
tects, by whom the design Of the city was
planned, and the streets laid out, in the
present eligible mode. The ground on
which the city stands, together with what
is now the rest Of the District Of Columbia,
including the city Of Georgetown, was ccdcl
to the United States by Maryland, on the
22d December, 1888.
The capitol of the United States crowns
a central cminence, in the plan of the city,
called Capitol Hill, 81 feet above tide wa
ter in the Potomac, and commands most
extensive and varied view of land and river
scenery, embracing the cities Of Washing
ton, Georgetown and Alexandria, and the
fertile fields and forest clad hills of the nd
jaccnt portions of Maryland and Virginia,
hy the intervening Potomac. The
original building, directly in front of it, on
the Virginia side Of the Potomac, distant
about three miles or more, and 200 feet
above the river, is Arlington House, the
elegant country scat and residence of the
venerable George Washington Park Gus
tis, was commenced in 1893, and the work
was carried on, under various architects,
(Messrs. IIallct, lIadfeld, Hoban and La
trobe,) until it was suspended by the war Of
1912, and the building burned by an in
cen,liary foe, during the capture and occu-
patton Of the city by the British, army, near
the close of the war. Its reconstruction
was soon after commenced and completed :;
and it is now i'll the process of enlargement,
by the addition Of two elegant and spacious
wings, which are to contain, when finished,
the Representative Hall and Senate Cham
Der, in substitution for the present legisla-
tive chambers. The capitol grounds, en-
closed within the iron railing, contain 80
acres; :he length Of the foot walk, outside
Of tho railing, exceeds mile /; the area oc-
cupicd by the cdificc, is one acre and half,
and 1920 feet the length Of the front is
35 l-2 feet, depth Of wing 1ol l.2 feet {;
eastern projection and steps G5 feet west
crn projection and steps s3 fact; altitude Of
wings TO top Of balustrade 70 feet; height
to summit Of centre dome l45 feet height
Of present Senate Chamber 40 feet, and
length "A feet /; height Of present Repre-
sentative Hall 60 feet, and length 95 feet :;
heigth of the great central Rotunda, to the
comlnencent Of the small curve 06 feet, and
to the sky.light 1872 l-2 feet deep diane
ter of the Rotunda 9G feet. 1t is cncom-
passed by balustrade of stone, and cano-
pied or covered with an immense and lofty
dome, (now undergoing repair or reconstruc-
tion,) in the centre, and tlatdo on each
wing. The projection on the east or main
front is adorned with spendid portico of
22 corinthian columns, and portico of ten
columns, in the same style, adorns the west
ern projection. The building is construct
ed of white marble, and its architecture is
Of the corinthian order-and can say, to
certain extent from personal experience in
Europe, that, in ample proportions, in ar
chitectural style and execution, and in both
external and internal embellishments and
convenienccs, it is fully equal, and, I think,
superior to any Senate house in the world.
The cost of the entire edifice was nearly
$2,0OO,000. Spacious and commodious as
it il, in its original dimensions, the pres.
ent massive structure, as already intilnated,
is in process Of enlargement and improve
ment. Two new wings, in place of those
now occupied by the Senate and House Of
Representatives, are iii progress and near
completion, each 23s by 40 feet in ,di.
mensions, 80. that when finished, the area
of~the Whole structure will embrace more
than four acres. ~ 90 : ia'''f"'5 49,. -
The building presents eastern and west
ern fronts each, with fine and spaciou,,
lawns or grounds, tie westerni lawn being
elegantly tsrraced and cafpeted with yer
dure, and provided and adorned with walks
iron settees, trees, shrubbery and flowers