The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-16
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.



The bill (B. Al approprlatlng s766.5o to
pay the deficiency In the amount expended
In entertaining visiting ilremen on the 4th Of
March, 1909. Referred.
Mr.. Boyd, from the Committee on Canals,
submitted the following report
Toths Precedent and h' Hard q Common Couneii
GENTLEMEN The Committee on Canals
beg leave to make The following as brief
report OF their labors for the last two months,
during which time the committee have had
several sessions, to some OF which the public
were admitted and allowed to submit plans
and discuss the question OF Its permanent
Improvement; and to say that the committee
are under Infinite obligations to the several
scientific gentlemen, engineers, and highly
intelligent mechanics, and other citizens who
appeared before the committee from time to
time, and who very earnestly entered into
the discussion Of Its permanent Improvement,
but family conveys to your honorable body
and TO the public at large, our high appreci-
alton OF their counsel and encouragement on
so Important an improvement, and in SO try
Ing an hour, when the inyetcrate enemies Of
every good internal Improvement (always)
raise the cry Of !" No money! no money! and
burdening US with taxation"
where men Of judgment feel their way,
Inc positive pronounce without dismAyi
Fling at your head conviction In the lump,
And gain remote conclusions at q jump"
Your committee, therefore, after hearing
every plan for cleaning out and otherwise
improving the canal by several very dlsinter-
csted gentlemen whose strongest motive was
evidently the public welfare, and two or
moro gentlemen who evidently tried to throw
learned dust In the eyes OF your committee,
that they might report Ia favor OF their Pc
culiar hobby or company
We have therefore seen through the mares Of
their speech
That to lease out the canal to q company, or
TO arch II over, would be TO admit what some
Of those very interested gentlemen, who ad-
vocate Its being leased out to company,
say-that the city government Is incapable Of
making II permanent Improvement, thing
which we cannot for n moment admit, for
the following good and sufficient reasons,
Wis first, to arch II over would necessltate
an expense that cannot be met by the city,
considering Its present state OF finances. 1t
Ia estimated by those who are competent TO
make such estimate, that at the lowest cal
culation II would take no less sum than
e., 100000, some making the estimate as
high as $4,000, 900, besides necessitatlng a
stupenduous alteration of the grades Of sew
eral streets leading thereto and parallel there
with In Its immediate vicinity, thing that
neither the mercantile interests Of the neigh.
borhood nor the people are prepared to carry
2. Your committee are OF the opinion (al-
though not Of the legal profession,) that
the city government has no power to do
other than to pass such bill as was pro-
posed to these Councils on last Monday eve
ming, September 0, 1869, and ordered TO be
printed In the journal Of proceedings, to be
found on page 3S Of the Journal; from the
reason that the first Tor primary reason,
why the United States granted to the ctl.
zens Of Washington the right OF way and
bed OF the canal was for the purposes OF
navigation only, and for no other purpose
whatever. Such right having been granted
by the General Government to the people
In fee-simple to all future generations, the
present city government can have no right
either TO give or to barter away that right to
any Of the people OF the States or Territories
Of this Union, no matter whether under the
name OF company or Of a State, or Of any
of the people thereof. Besides, every such
company would study only their own and
not the interests Of this community, and
would therefore be utterly inimical to the
Interests Of the people Of this metropolis in
every respect.
8. And because the moment we allowed
any other corporation to step In between our
right OF way as granted by the Government
without It's consent thereto, would abso.
lutely inyalldate our right OF possession or
claim thereto, and be rulnous to the inter-
ests Of the people; and for the reasons stated
above the city government has no right to
arch II over and then expect to hold 1t by
right Of possession, since the right of way
was granted for nayigoblc purposes only,
and for no other purpose whatever: there.
fore If We attempted to close It to naylga.
ton by arching II over VIC would forfeit all
right and title thereto at once.
There are many other additional reasons
why we ask the passage of the present bill:
!. Because immediate and permanent re.
lief must be given to all the sewerage that
emptles Into the canal from Seventeenth to
Third streets west.
9. To have good dow of water It's entire
length, so that the waste material that Is
constantly being deposited therein by sewers
and other sources may be properly deodor-
lied and carried OF for the health of the
community at large. On that head sec the
very interesting paper read before the COM
mittee by Benjamin severson, esq, civil en-
gineer.
3. Because the opening Of the canal to
navigation will so cheaper every article OF
produce and manufactures as TO be lasting
benefit to the people Of this city of more than
100000 annually and because ii will he
benefit of no less sum, on the article of
coal alone, than $500, 200 every year. And
how much 1t would cheaper brcadstufis
would be impossible for your committee to
say
the general revenue arising from rents,
wharfage, foliage, &C., to amount annually
to from $50, 900 to eco, 900 u year; so that If
II should even cost as much as $4,000 per
year TO keep II In navlgable condition, re-
pair bridges, &C., we would yet have from It
net income Of from t35, 900 to s45, 900 per
year, and would lessen taxation Just that
amount.
X as n matter NJ econnmy I,,cauao of a, n
widespread distress that may be expected
iu the city this winter, knowing, as your
committee does, that from 5000 TO 5000
people were receiving relief last winter, and
because there has been little or no private
enterprise during the summer months Of this
year, aIordng the people but little relief In
the shape OF work, and which will necessi
tate very large appropriation for their re-
lief this winter, should there be no work on
general improvements we, therefore, think
the proposed bill would Obyiatc any such ne,
cessity on the part Of the city government,
and would really be a matter OF great
economy.
Your committee have made no provision
In the bill for the building of new bridges,
nor for the repair OF the old ones, and would
most respectfully recommend an amendment
10 the bill Of go, 900, or 80 much thereof as
may be necessary, for the erection ofthree new
bridges, one at Sixth street west and Canal,
and one at First street west and G street
south and Canal, and ono Of solid masonry
at Virginia avenue aud Canal, of one arch
span, the entire width Of the avenue.
Your committee also recommend tie pas.
sage Of tho resolution offered the same date
by the chairman, Mr.. Boyd, with the follow.
Ing amendments; Insert after the words
"eastwardly direction" "aud TO build ship
canal from Virginia avenue bridge along
James creek to the Eastern branch" Tho
bill to be amended 80 as to read, "to a
depth Of Ave feet" instead OF four feet, &c.
The bill and accompanying resolution
would then read Us follows
A BILL TO clean out and otherwise improve the
Washington Canal
Be Il eNdfied BY he Hoard Of AIlFrmrH and
Hoard Of Common Council OTHc cir Of Wdstiug.
ION, That the sum Of slOO, 900 be, and the same
10 ereby,appropriated out Of the general fund
for dredging or otherwise eNchvRting and
cleaning out OF the canal Its entire length to
q depth of ave feet below the lowest tides the
work to be under the control Of canal board,
to be composed OF the Mayor and two alder.
mep and three oouncilmen, who shall be
elected by their respective boards, the canal
board to elect competent engineer or super
lntendent to supervise the work. the work to
be done by days work, and all dredges, scOws,
and other utensils and material to be hired or
purchased A. the board so elected may decidei