Evening star., 1864-12-24

by any Of the United States property. In re-
lation TO this, the Commiss ioner says: rI have
alreaoy been called uron BY the city authori-
ues dru oy your Depar tment to pay the dow
errmsnt proportion for the improvements
coming within The purview of the eeot,on
suoted, but there being no money approprissed
ing" He asks for an appropriation of $500
TO meet the demands OF the law. I.a
NUISANCE FUND.
In referring TO the uieance fund, the Com.
missioner says hat on the Cd OF March teda.
an Appropriation OF $500 was made for he
removal Of puisancee. This sum has an been
expended, and he remarks that like sum
should be appropriated for like purpose, as
In the present state of the city nIisances are
continually existing that cannot be removed
In aEy other way than through an approprta-
THE STREETS AND AVENUES OF THE orrY.
The Commiss sloner refers to the streets and
avenues of the city, as follows:-There is not,
perhaps, IN this Union, a CITY the streets and
avenues OF " hich are in so bad q condition as
'hose OF the city OF Washington. During the
wet weather OF the winter, many Of the streets
are more like Quag mires than streets, aud IL 10
LEX TO Impossible to pass along them with
carriages, and In the dry weather of simmer,
ine hoies left where the water and mud stood
III inc winter, are such as to render dri wing
over fhem az u faster pace than q walk, dan
gereus. Ine INJURY TO the streets thus promi-
RENT, IL manly caused by army wagons, which
have seen moving along them in long train
heavily ladea, each tcaSca hauln5 one vh.s.
locked, so as 10 drag through the M I'D and alone
The payements, and doing more injury in q
single hour than the ordinary travel would do
IN years. This is, individually, necessity but
1t certainly presents very strong reason why
the United States should do something to wards
repairing these dilapidated streets The city
has been doing much at q very great expense.
"Nirginia avenue never has been properly
opened and improved, and is in q very bad
condition. 1t has become a great thoroughfare
for the travel between the west part OF the city
ard Giesboro, and presents very strong
case for the aid of Government in its improve
ment.
.Much has been said not only in the public
press, but among our citiDeps s, IN relation to the
improvement OF our streets and aven ues, and
elaborate bills have been prepared by some OF
our most reliaole and respectable eiizens for
the consideration Of Co Dgress, bnt thus far
nothing material has been done.
81 have considered IL my duty to thus Gall
attention to this important beet, and leave It
for such action as Congress may think 1t expe-
dent to take.
June 30th, 1861, authorizing the Secretary OF
The Interior to reclaim and preserve certain
property of the United States, submitted to this
office by the Hon. Sc ecretary for q report is
now under consideration by me. Ihavs visit
ed personally the varieus localities where pub
lie streets, avenues, squares, and reser vations
are occupied by private individuals, and am
preparing special report oa that subject,
which hope soon to be able TO submit NAV
briefly say the conclusions already arrived at
are that the United States has, at this moment.
a
and public reservations Hs laid down in the
original nay OF the city, approved by Presi-
dent Washington, and the power to control
Them rests exclusively In Congress"
FRANKLIN SQUARE
An appropriation was made at the last ses-
sion to enclose Franklin Square with q wooden
shrubbery. The square has been enclosed in
conformity with the law, and will be graded
and planted as soon as possible. 1t Is beau
uful square, and one which could, with q
small annual appropriation, be made one OF
the most beautiful enclosures in the city.
STREET RAILROAD
The Commissioner QuOtes from his last an.
nual report in relation to the running of the
street railway through the Capitol enclosures,
in which was cited the Inconvenience arising
therefrom, as the cars run without reference TO
hours, and sometimes after midnight; SO that
the gates, north and south. must be left open to
suit their convenience. or they m ust stop run
last report that the law be SO Amended as to
permit the company to run their track along
north street east, and along Firet street east
to Pennsylvania avenue; and cs now says,
"the subject was considered by Congress, and
the House Of Representatives passed bill
making the change suggested, but the Senate
did not concur. If the track is to be continued
through the grounds as IL now runs, see NO
way OF remedying the incon venence now eY-
perlenced, in consequence Of the common oc-
cupancy OF the grounds at all hours Of the day
and night by the United States and the railroad
company, but by the erecting Of an iron fence
on each side OF the track, with proper OPEN
ings in front of the Senate and House entrances,
TO be closed with gates, thrs leaving the rail-
road track TO be controlled exclusively by the
company, and the grounds exclusively under
the control of the Government"
EXTENSION OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS
On this subject the Commissioner refers to
the arguments in his former reports to which
reference is made, and remarks, ''as the years
roll on. and the Capitol extension approaches
ITS completion, the absolute necessity Of en-
1areiLg the grounds north and ssuth becomes
more and more apparent To the eye Of one
ha in orlu lnft0 nf fha koa.
architecture, or the fitness of things, IL 10 GER
tan)y anything but pleasant to see the beauti-
fnl north and south facades perched up on
unearthly banks of rough earth, and approached
by an nnseemly flight of wooden steps that
would be pronounced inappropriate TO the
most humble private dwelling
THE WASHINGTON CANAL.
In speaking of the Washington Canal, the
Commissioner quotes from his last annual
report, in which the canal was termed "noth-
ing more or less than a public nuisance, and
grand receptacle OF nearly all the fifth Of the
city,"
He says that in that report he went on to
suggest plans OF Improvement, but since then
many plans have been suggested, ana some OF
them have been presented TO Congress, but
nothing tending to the abatement of the nuI-
sance mas been done. He again calls the atten-
toA OF Congress TO the subject, and makes an
extract from the report of the able secretary OF
the Smithsonian Institute, Prof. Joseph Henry,
to the Board of Regents on the subject, and
concludes as folio ws -" w hen it is apparen.
TO Tie eye by the constant rislrg and burs ting
of bubbles all along the canal that it is an I'M
mense laboratory OF mephitic gas, and when &c
ls known as fact that the prevailing summer
winds are from the sonth west, and that
through their influence this deadly poison is
being cons family waited over the denses DOB
nIaiIon OF Washington, we can only thank
merciful and benificent Providence that our
city has TINS far escaped pestilence."
In conclusion the Commissioner SAYS:
"Doubtless, III the course OF the ensuing sss-
sion, other matters will he brought TO my es-
peclal notice, requiring leeislation. If so, i
shall. as usual, call the attention of the proper
committees to them"
The tabular statement accompanying the re.
Porto Commissioner French show tn At during
the fiscal ear ending ] Rne 80, 1864, there was.
under the direction of the Commissioner of
Public Buildings, appropra ed s165, ,6l6 5l; ex-
pended. Sl5S,s5S Sc: leaving balance due the
United States of 1857 ei, and a balauee due
the Commissioner af Public Buildings Of a.
260 90. :
u ). SUPREME COURT, December 23--No 24s
ha hay r. fin har ta,tyIa G..