Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-23
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

prosperity of the Federal city-the creation
and ward of the General Government-need
not despair at the treatment it seems likely to
receive throughout this session at the hands
of the House of Representatives of the United
States, as manifested in the vote of the day
before yesterday upon the Water Works ques,
ton. Much of the existing hostility of honor
able members to the city of Washington land
few Of them cannot hear the name of the
city called without breaking out with some
accusation or other against it, which is wholly
baseless) arises from the deliberate and sinister
misrepresentation Of parties, some of whom
are citizens heretofore supposed to have some
interest here. Others of these parties are of
the class of hawks and buzzards who hover in
the Congressional atmosphere, always sweep
ing around for prey. And, some of the others,
again, are almost entire strangers in Wash
ingtop, who, being spectators in charter
getting, go wherever a legislative body may
be supposed to be open to their peculiar blap.
dishments. Such parties have, for the last
month, been plying the ears Of the members
Of Congress with misrepresentation concern
ing the facts involved in the National Aaue-
duct question. Protesting to be seriously
alarmed at the alleged extravaganza of the
plan of General Washington to construct
permanent Water Works for the supply
of Government property here, they seek to
make capital against it by representing it as
work for the benefit of the individual
citizens Of the Federal city. They know,
while making such representations, that, as
being constructed, no citizen Of Washington
is to be entitled to draw from it a gallon of
water for any purpose whatever; which priv
ilege cannot be accorded by any power short
o. that of Congress itself, and only on such
terms as Congress itself may dictate
They are busily engaged around the lob
bies Of the House backbiting and maligning
the character of this community, in order to
justify and account for the disinterested mo-
tives with which they profess to have entered
upon the crusade against Washington city
involved in their efforts to defeat the National
water Works appropriation, that they may
feather their own nests by procuring Con-
gress to charter themselves, individually, into
awashington Water Works Company. Most Of
the " outsiders" whether residing in Wash
ington or elsewhere, who have urged or recon.
mendedto any member Of Congress not to adopt
the Senate's Water Works amendment to the
deficiency bill are in this scheme, as far az We
can learn. If a single man of them all fails
TO be laboring to turn a penny for himself
while so doing, We have yet to learn his name.
Not long since the prime movers of the
band who are Offering to take charter to con-
struct these works at less than the cost as esti-
mated by those who are charged with their
superintendent, hearing that the Legislature
Of Maryland, moved to pity for the pecuniary
ruin brought upon thousands of Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal stockholders, bondholders,
and business men of Maryland, the District
and elsewhere, by the States system Of man.
aging that work solely for the benefit of its
rVal-the Baltimore and Ohio r ailroad)-vas
ABOUT TO sell Its controlling interest therein to
the tondholders, under a pledge that the
latter should raise the sum necessary to mt
the canal in complete order, went to Amman.
Oils, and representing themselves as capital
lists, offered for it a higher price than the
state authorities had agreed to take from
those really interested in the efficiency of the
canal. The arrangements for the transfer of
the States interest in the work to the bond
holders and Individual stockholders. at An
appraised valuation. had been COMPLETED. and
the sale Eas about to be consumm ated, when
THESE gentlemen made their offer of higher
price Being unknown comparatively, in An
napols, their representations with reference
10 their means Of complying with such an
agreement Of course frightened the Legisla-
ture from their original arrangement; a. it
would never do to face their constituents with
an admission that they had taken less money
for the States property in the canal, than
other responsible parties stood ready to give.
The State accordingly few from its bargain.
ana only found out when it was too near the
termination of the session to repair the ip;urv
thus done, that it was a difieult matte, 20
raise among the whole party of higher bid
ders, the money sufficient to pay for the
oyster suppers and trimmings which went
very lar towards uheedling the members into
that Last act Of bad faith towards the Chesa
Peake and Ohio canal company, and those
whose property and business depend on the
proper management Of that great enterprise.
II some Of them have the first red cent Of the
large amount Of money they proposed on that
Hsioh 10 pay, 1t will gladden. the hearts of
grocers, dry goodsmen, tailors, shoe.
makers ha'ter'' &c of Washington to learn
the fact; as any member Of Congrs.s ma,
certain by inquiring of the FIRST citv t,ad.s.
man he meets.
We state these facts that the memhs -
the House may understand precisely tho $3.50.
about this proposed scheme in lien =, ,ha
National Water Works as being constructed
under the plan long since adopted by Congress.
after careful investigation. 1t is neitbs,