Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-13

and absolute control over ali the avenues ss dstn-
gushed from the streets, to the extent Of closing
ik and ehanEiug streets and the canal, and retain
ins 10 itaeif hats efehted thereby. -
,n5ss ~ pG" hs.s,ion ~ ,Se Thenl @ ppssasnt Gen.
Whshtngton, e0nseived the resiEh Of q city, and
plan Of Tho Fe'Srsi Capital and NAtion's City was
sub Mite hy Gen, Washington In t79i-A city Tor
the rrayrih 'cnt capital OF the srsat nation we
haye becolue-with extraordinary reservations for
the public use and public bniIdinaa, WITH atrests
and avenues with width and extent such no
community, had there been one to consult, would
have thought of-.nd which wss adopted by Cou.
FreHs.
ptietora 81 tile SOIL hercsbout were joint owhert
n all tho property lland) OF The Federal city ia
acres OF the Goyerhments portion having been OBJ
taiued without cost, and bi2 Aerei nominAuy nur-
chased, bot really paid for out Of the moneys srs-
eTousiy given by the proprietors OF the soil and
the General Government was bound by everG prin-
siple OF Iq.,lce 70 Pay .gtorortion Of the expense
tent OF lS intcreSt, aud which ws6 70 beineteased
In vnlue and be benefited by such improvements.
Congress, the President and Executive Depsrt-
ments, Tho oombiis'lonerS with the etuseht OF
Conyress, borrowed nom the state ot. Nir6iuis
repay these staes and the sum OF sJs Ooo due from
the Government 10 the original propristors ofthe
,ol for the sI sere, noninslly pureaa,ea aetu.lly
but few bidders 6ti Of the is9 building lots -
generously giyen by the propristors OF the sell
tow srLs building the Nstionl Capitol, And s9t0.
es2 81 towards the erection ci nars'on for its
Chief Magistrate. d.
TO the General Government ,swas well under
stocd at the time, "that wha,cvsr moneys were
realized thefetrom would at least he eIperded for
the benent Of that city, Of all the soil hleh the
donors aud the Generd Government vsre the Just
owners were, with the exception Of s9S 900 worth
sy 20 ,ss S% SSos
nd 81. yinoenrs Orphan Asylums FROM tirs 70
time sold, and the money expended 10 imnrvins
msni, the ssis'ies snd once expenses Of Its own
Offices the Commissioners superintendent OF
Public BuildlnEs, and Prssident's garden, sr' for
msuure and utensils for his garden,
Neither the donors, the erisinal rroprle'oia Of
the soil, or the donees lthe General GoverLrnentl
a, that tins contemplated that ne iarse sum, Of
other way than in the improvement Of their Juint
property, aud certainly no one supposed that the
opsntnE and Keeping in repair streets laying ride
walks, building bridges ehd doing whs,ever m4y
he uScesiAry TO new and large city, intendei for
quently m maintaining and supporting II, should he
borne by its citizens.
While the city has expended out of the isI,s
repairing and paving streets and Sidewalk, re-
quired by sparse population scattered over q
large ares, sd has opened and inrt9ysi Sssis-
inRs and reservations OF the General Government.
cling the value Of the natisn'a property, that
ala out 70 suis i,s oWn purposss and
over part OF which they exercise exclusive con
trnl, comparatively little, and that little on Penn
inmpd Ntely around the Capitol, ,PresIitnts 4ouE",
| Exc ut'e Departments, and other Of tu ovr cN.
| elusive property, the Improvement OF whicj e B
| indiBPen 'ablo to its convenience and pionol"s Of
Its interest
Upon those reservations the Govern men, had
expended 10 buildings and other impr- yrmentS for
| IA OVvu = eli Df
partly taken from the public Treasury ard partly
from the sale OF lots dOnstons of privste lhdiyid.
ucd by swoln assessors at SIsIi2,7gS iS, making
the Aggreg ste value OF the nations r, al prop rty
in this ely to be s2s lH eSlte, nearly tqi1l o ,ii
ss%s Ss'aSG TO Tie Safa city ~ s saSus "'
TGI' linn, i%SsPs Ss.gD gG2sy q. Sg.E sSs 9s b.:
property OF Individuals has been subject ~ N.
Holdlrg here greatly more property ban else
10 private property have been from time 10 time
r1aie the Govern utent hiss been sutiSet 10 no i'm
position Of ths kiRi, and taxes eO.itceE oaly from
TSe nv"uuss vary from one has ri and
twenty 10 one hundred ALd sIty Zee "A with, AMI
| the streets from eighty - one huHt o. shd f'rty
fee, the averAge being niuety fstt, rGsu .esrlT
double The amount II streets the same rps'h, ant
more moderate dimensions, Of whieh nearly two
huudred and twenty-sevcu niles inicng'h cfhsm
have Already been made.
The plsn Of the city wAs one "C & eel nssni.
tuic, far too great fbr the number of Inhabitants
twas To he, and is the natioLs city, the eApital
OF the eouutry, the property the nntl0a, and 10
| al Americans should be MISTER or pride and Ia
t"rc't
nj htS neesNsrily bCea created in a short tlnt,
the pressure for inProveuSn:hRsb been bur'e s7ms
! " ia citizens,
The city OF Washington is tho creature Of Con.
Sress and the Government ior their own purposes,
and where they have unliuitod CONTROL and can
| regulate and govern without tina Interference
Of the States, and 10 not depsndsa. upon the will
| or resources OF any particular portion Of the
Union, and can never he the tuajes' o. loSAl In
| tsleIt.
Much 10. bsen done by the tiOVernmeui o " ards
! the Improvement Of the city, yet not 90 much a.
shsuld be. Charge the General Government G'th
the money received ON the tA!e OF lots ard Wh ell
should have enured TO the henent Of y sity, ne
interest thereon, and with the rate - Ion oa
credit Il With sysfy dollar spent iI and proosTy r
ohaTgeable to the Improvement Of the city, II will
be found that the General Government IL fsbtnr
| II, therefore, Congress would allow, and G~s uu
reason why they should not, the property OF the
General Government to bear Its equal proportion
OF the burden Of mAintaiRinE and supporting tins
city government OF improving their own and tho
citizens joint property, OF supporting the nlmbst
eminent, and OF educating the children OF The
thousands nookins here from all sections Of ou,
common country, no more could or would be asked
Many Important Improvements have bean ma q
during the last term OF the mAyoralty, and thOst
without any additional indebtedneGs to the city
two stAtion-houtcH for the use And convenience o
the police, and = hchool-house OF great e'pseity
and OF ornamental structure, have been furnished
and mArket-house on the site OF the old Centre
MNTke, suitable In capacity and appearance TO tht
city, bSEun.
the erection of public works 10 In some inGtsnoei
&c rnOmy, In others otherwise, especially when /,
tsUla TO increase the burden OF taxation. ] there
fhre recommend Greit caution In references 10 thi'
subject.
Ler me iAvlte your attention to tho very inpor
tAnt subject Of our streets, and the necessity o
pdoptinK some plan for their durable paving, II
lieu OF the present ineffectuAl mode Of gray cling
The whole area Of the city, exclusive OF all cas-
OF Twenty-hth street east, and OF the basin AZ th
west end Of the canal, clio acres, or ass Iel IS
square feet, divided AI followsi
!. Square Feet
Public reservations. nH................... 2o,l69 40
bullulng slzluboiz
Alley ...ss.ss...s.s..ss.'.,' IlAl,lO
Avenues, streets, and open Spaoes.."il2, ,I67 90
Total. ......,'.,,,.,.......,,,..2b .2bsl9a ~
The total length OF the streets sss Il
The ttal length Of tho avenues is".,., 1927 n
. Aggregate, I3Og&oO u
Or .s5 miles.
OF the 227 "a 100 miles OF streets, nearly all hEV
I been opened and graded, and to pave them, witt
their unuIuAl widths, especially the AVenueB,
keep them in repair suggests the necessity OF don
something TO relieve this corporation and property
owners from the very heavy TAX on their resource
: fhst would be necessary.
The adoption OF the plan OF wide streets an
{. avenues were by General Warrington for som