The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-07

Maryland. and Virginia could all participate in
such location
On the 10th July, 1890, Congress passed can act
for establishing the temporary and permanent scat
Of te government of the United States" which
having been subsequently amended by act Of Sd
March l79l located the district as the same existed
up to the time Of the retrocession to Virginia of
that portion of it west of the Potomac II
next became necessary to lay out the city, which
was done without delay and plan thereof Off
cially submitted by Gen, Washington to Congress
on the 18th December, 1871 which received the APP
proyal Of that body.
la these and subsequent proceedings Congress
sumed all the authority conferred upon it by the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. jurisdiction The State of Mary
land was induced TO pass law condemnng for pub
lie private property, in certain cases where il
could not otherwise be obtained, that no possible
impeachment should exist to the full exercise of such
authority. BY such means, in part and by
rapgement with the proprietors in other instances,
every foot of ground within the limits of the city
was decided in fee TO the agents of the government,
who then conveyed back TO the original owners one
moety of all the lots not needed for public uses.
| And now, let inquire, how the city laid
out2 Certainly not with an eye to the advantage of
| the former owners of the SOIL for that would have
sacrificed all the broad avenues which so greatly
contribute TO the beauty and healthfuess of the city
and reduced the width of the streets to dimensions
adapted to business purposes This would have given
the propretors much larger number of lots for
sale on their own private account and rendered the
city more compact aud far less expensive to improve
and keep in order. This, however, would not have
answered the ends Congress had in view for it was
evidently its intention only that the capital should
not be a commercial city, but that it should not be a
very large one This must be apparent to any
one who will examine the plan of the city
with the least care. OF its entire area five
| hundred and seventy-eght acres permanently
reserved for public uses and this extent large as it
| is, must be still further increased by the extension
| of the grounds of the Capitol and Navy Yard And
then the reservations making up this large surface
are so distributed the city to sever it into
several almost distinct, because disconnected commu-
nities rendering impossible that oompaotness of pop
ulaton which is so requisite for extensive business OPP
| erations.
| Was this the result of mere accident or of
ful forethought? Doubtless Of the latter. Congress
had sat in New York and Philadelphia, and each of
those places had been found objectionable, because
1 of its commercial relations Hence the projection
of wide streets, broad avenues, and extensive reser
vationsr -unfrendly indeed TO business pursuits but
conducive to health comfort and security against
loss from fire. Hence the absolute reservation of
large share of the river 'front.' and the withdraw
| NJ n "a.
here. Look at the enormous relative area covered
by reservations avenues and streets and then at the
limited extent allowed for residences From off
cial report lately made to Congress, it appears that
| the government originally owned l0,ll8 lots. An
equal number Was assigned to the original proprie-
tors, making in all 2O2a6 lots Suppose these to
/ have q front of fifty feet each, and we have lots
enough for 40, 472 houses Of twenty-five feet front
each. But we know that very many of the more
fashionable residences cover several lots, and that,
in some cases. they have several more attached to
them, SO as to be efectually withdrawn from use for
| building purposes. We also know that hundreds,
and perhaps thousands, of lots, along the canal
| upon the Eastern Branch, and in various other
parts Of the city are wholly unavailable for build
ing purposes and many of them must remain
4
| 80 for years to come, while others never
be used except as places for business Add to all
these thn squares recently purchased for the arsenal
and those used for buryinggrounds, and the lots
occupied by churches, school-houses stores, shops
\ of various kinds and numerous other objects than
dwellings and it will be found that the number thus
! Withdrawn will be 50 fnr increased to leave
for not more, probably, than 10000 houses, which,
at eight souls EACH would only accommodate pop
ulation of 100, 900. Is this large population? Let
Boston, Brooklyn Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincn-
natl answer the question. Had we this number,
| however broad as are streets and avenues,
should yet be Qbe to improve them and to do many
other things for the general good of the city with
comparative ease But this may not soon, if
eyer, expect for what is to sustain it, since all
! merciai advantages denied usg
The simple truth sscgps to be that Wash
ington was laid out by the government upon
| an extensive scale, as the capital of mighty
people, with the distinct understanding that it
| would be expected, aS . matter Of course, to
contribute largely to its improvement, The Father
Of his Country selected its site, and thought ii not
beneath him to project its avenues streets, and res
ervations, which each years development is proving
! to be more and more beautiful To carry out the
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