The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-10-26


A controversy has arisen as to the location
of the railroad depot, between the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company on the one side,
and the people OF Washington, represented
by their City Council on the other. /; seems
that In April, 1867, the city Council passed
Al ordinance, under the authority vested in
them by Congress. land which pertains to
every city OF the UnIon,) to hx the grade OF
| street BY that ordinance this grade was
cstabli she'd, without objection, so far as We
know. Congress, in aid Of this work, appro.
pTistOd 5000 The grade of second street,
conforming TO that Uf street, was also estab.
lishrd BY the Council aud carried into effect
ny laying the cutbstones through Second
street, from ID to street, and then, with gap
At street on to X street. Now the railroad
company insists that this gap shall not be
hlled up; or, In other words, that street shall
not be graded in accordance with the ordi
nance-Nnd that, consequently, the whole OF
the grade for more than half mile from u
street to K street, now established, shall be
rbandoned aud the curbstOnes removed. The
claim Of the railroad company Is this: that
the grade established along Second street and
for l street will elevate the ground SO much as
to make II difficult for the cars TO pass on
thence to the present depot.
Nov, III, YurstIUn 10 this Shall the people
oil warrington, through lHtT NlIy AouuClI
nx the grade OF their streets; or shall the
railroad company do 1t for them1 In no
other city, except this, has such a demand
been made by any railroad company but
the grade of the streets OF the capital city
of the Union, 1t is claimed, should be liked by
srairoad company. Was Washington selected
as the capital city OF the UniOn and built up
for the benefit of the railroad company or was
the railroad, so far as 1t connected with this
city, constructed for its benefit The time
has come for settling the question. Is the
railroad company the master OF our destinieS,
or are they In the hands, SO far as police reg
ul4tions are concerned, Of the people OF the
city and their reprcsentativcs'
1t Is said that this road Is a post route, and
therefore II msy enter the city wherever It
pleases, and at any grade 1t may direct II 1t
may tear down the grade OF Second street
from d to X streets, and change that Of
street, why may 1t not dictate the grades Of
all the other streets Of the city, All the rail.
roads OF the country are post routes, but who
ever dreamed that therefore the railroad cor =.
porations could dictate the grades Of the cities
which they entered, or through which they
passed. Such claim was never pre-
ferTeI by any other railroad company, and
would not be endured by the people Of any
other city Of the Union. We know that all
the cities fix and change the grades OF their
Streets that this is essential to proper drain.
age and sewerage, and Indispensable to the
health and business of the city,
The post route power Is n totally different
thing and has always been held, as well as
the commercial power, subordinate TO the
police and municipal power OF the city. such
has been the universal practice, and such the
repeated decisions Of the supreme judicial tri.
bun,l. In this very case Congress, 10 the act
which permits this railroad to enter the city,
req Ires them 10 conform the level Of their
roads to the grades adopted or changed by the
city ordinances, In this instance the case 10
still stronger, for Congress have appropriated
Ave thousand dollars to aid In carrying out the
projected improvements of street.
1t Is said the present depot Is raOrc convenl.
ent to the people Of Washington and the dis
trIct than the proposed depot at the intersec.
ton OF street aud Delaware avenue. Who Is
to decide this question Tor the people OF
Washington and the District Is 1t the rail.
road company, or the city cOuncill But we
deny that the present location 10 more conye.
nient to the people Of this city than that pro-
posed. Taking, for instance, the Patent OF.
hce, which Is \ central point OF populations
indeed, majority of the population OF the
District is upon and north Of r street, c0ntin-
ued through the city from west to east, aud
majority of the population Is upon and west Of
seventh street. This, then, is 4 central point,
with the vast increase OF reputation progress
log north.
Now, continue the street road, directly TO
Delaware avenue, aud thence down that ave.
nue. 10 the proposed depot, and II Is 4 nearer
snd better route than the present one by Penn
sylvaniN avenue to the present depot, or by
IniIanN aycsue to the present depot with
better grades aud fewer curves. Bat, suppose
we commence At the Intersection Of street
rui PrnuHylYtnia tvenu" west, cpn'Iru' tho
o., r,,l ~ lirer, line 70 The pT'p"-cd Il.
90 h n ~ fNHft - ~ '.. '.-