The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-10-17

Nc. Jonss tooIorsd) aid II was strange thai
no eonmittss could arrive ct the correct hgurei
q (his bill. He thought there was some cheat
Mr.. Fielder Carroll toolorsd) said that they
aud he had nothing len now but this, Exhibiting
miniature American hag,) and he would spill
his blood again to keep II from being destroy cd.
II these mon In ONCE did not do Justice they
should be removed At the hrst opportunity.
Mr.. Brooks (coiored) said he was drafted In
1854. He went to the Mayor for his money to
pay for his substitute, but the Mayor said,
There 10 no money for you niggsrs." He
thought oil the oolored people should 20,
shoulder to shoulder, for the purpose Of securing
the money properly due to solOrsd men who
were drafted.
A motion was here suggested to stand by the
school bill, Ind Il was adopted.
| Mr.. A. Watson here moved TO instruct the
| Councilman and Aldermen to attach 10 tho gen.
erh appropriations bill rider to pay to the
drafted coiored men Of 1864 the draft money due
them, and TO stand by II whether II defeats the
appropriation bill or not.
Mr.. Brooks said the mayor remarked 10 him
that 1t would break the corporation ITO pay all
these niggers," and yet he acknowledged that
they had been taxed for the draft money.
When our reporter LEFT tho hall, the question
was still under discussion.
| ANOTHER CHURCH DIFFICULTY In the col.
umns Of morning contemporary We find tho fol.
lowing:
The square on which the Church of the Ascen.
sion stands, II Is well known, was q part Of the
estate which descended to Mrs Van Ness from
her father, David Burns, whose plantation
formed a large portion Of the site Of this city
When tho daughter, and only child, Ann e.
bertha Van Ness, who had been married 10 Ar.
thur Middleton less than q ysar, suddenly died,
In 1928, the afflicted parents erected a memorial
temple In the ancient family burial ground Of
| the Burns family to her memory. II was not
long after this period that Mrs. Van Ness and
her husband, Gen. John p. Van Ness, deter.
mined to eonsecrate to the purposes Of an Epis-
copal church the lot adjoining tho mausolsum
grounds on the one side, and the lot on the other
side for Protestant orphan asylum The re-
mainder Of the square was verbally given BY Mrs
Van Ness to Mr.. Middleton.
The asylum building was commenced in 1921,
and the lot was, Of course, decided at the same
timo. Tho structure was completed and occu.
pied for Its purposes In 1922
The church lot was conveyed for Its purpose
BY deed dated 18th January, 1927. The width
Of tho lot on II street was designated to com.
mence on ii street at point twenty-five feet
east Of the centre Of the mausoloum, and to
carry width on that street Of one hundred feet,
more or less, but in no case to interfere with the
wall Of the mau,oeum grounds. The corner
lot at the junction Of II and Ninth streets with
the unoonveyed remainder of the fquare, was
conveyed to Arthur Middleton by General John
P. Van Ness, by deed dated April Q, 1888. This
deed gives n width Of one hundred aud four feet
on street to the corner lot. There Is tho full
number Of twenty Ave feet, commencing at the
centre Of the mausoleum, together with the one
hundred feet named In the church lot deed, and
the one hundred and four feet specified In the
decd Of the corner lot; In all, two hundred and
twenty mine feet on II street. It appears, how.
ever. that there are twenty eight feet and two
and half inches width from the centre Of the
mausoleum to the east side of the wall Of the
east wall Of the mau,oleum grounds The
church lot as enclosed embraces one hundred
| feet width, measuring from said east side Of
said wall, and Of course runs into the corner lot
three feet two and a-half inches. The Middle.
| ton heirs claim, under tho provisions Of these
conveyances, that the church has title to only
so much Of the one hundred and twenty Eve
feet running esstorly from the centre Of the
msusoleum rs lies outside tho east wall Of the
mausoleum grounds, and, consequently, that the
parish has three feet two and q half inches Of
width belonging to the corner lot They further
claim that the church lot which runs back from
tho line Of street one hundred and twenty
four and half feet-the adjoining lots having
la depth Of one hundred and twenty three feet
to tho Middleton estate. 1t Is to recover this
handsome ave hundred and fifty square feet 10
all-that Mr.. James Towos, the agent Of the
heirs, Mrs Middleton and two children, residing
In Italy, has Instituted an action, and called the
parish into court. The counsel for tho PLAINTIFF
Is William F. Msttinglyj for defendants, Walter
Coz. The case, by arrangement Of the parties,
has been referred to the court. Tho church
building was erected 10 1915.
In connection with this case, It Is not inappro-
pirate to mention tho fact that a petition, nu-
merously signed by owners Of property in that
neighborhood, headed by Joseph +. Brown,
praying the removal Of the mausolsum and the
remains from that square to more appropriate
place, was, on Monday last, presented to the
Board Of Aldermen. The reason. alleged for the
removal are that the enclosure Is disagreeable
and unsghtlyi that II discourages improvements,
and that such removal would DO in accordance
with the precedent established In the case Of the
vault, the removal Of which was ordered some
time ago from the st. Patriok's church grounds.
| There is no doubt that the transfer Of this
mausolsum and the remains Of this very ancient
graveyard would be q relief to the neighborhood;
but we do not apprehend that It will be done
without full understanding with the Burns and
Van Ness families, so long as the monument and
enclosure arc kept In respectable condition. The
| removal OF the receiving vault from tho st.
Patriok's church grounds Is not very solid pre-
cedent for this case. The impression which this
petition produces upon US Is not favorable to the
project. 1t seems like an attempt for the graft
| fcation Of personal taste and for pecuniary con.
| siderations to violate the slumbsrs Of the hon
ored dead. Perhaps we do not look justly upon
tho case. Tho authorities will, no doubt, act
| considerately In the matter.
This monument has not, II Is quite true, been
particularly we'll cared for at some periods since
the death Of General Van Ness, in 1916. Al
one time the vault, entered by the small win
dows In the rear, was converted into den for
graceless boys to carry on gambling operations,
the coains being used as tables 1t was used,
also, at this period by them to secrete their
plumber. During the war, while the church was
used as hospital, tho monument grounds were
used with tents for the same purpose, and the
msusoleum was much cut and dis6gured by sol
diers, as II had been injured in the same way by
others before that period.
For many years the old citizens will remember
that this monument and the asylum building
stood solitary and alone on the north section OF
this square, with no building near them in any
direction.