Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-03-31

well they may serve the public, or what i'm
sold away from them every year He made a
rough estimate that the corporation would
realize e15o, 900 per year in rents from the mar
| ket under this plan.
| REPLY TO Mr. RIDDLE BY COL PARSONS.
Col. Parsons, in replying to MT. Riddle, pro-
tested in the name Of everything that was
decent or creditabe to the city against having WIN
ness perpetuated on Pennsylvania avenue as
| the butchers proposed. In order to get at some
there he nad tbs 20
| could not be harmonixed, but that MI. Riddle
had replied that the objections OF the butchers
we're fundamental to the House btll-a bill, MI
building that would be creditable to any city in
Mr.. Riddle-Give us the eround-hoor for
market purposes and we don't care what you do
/ with the rest.
Mr.. Parsons, continuing, said:-Ar you want,
then, is an open market, with your beef, pork
| roughfare of the capital Of the nation. He
trusted that Congress would not put such a stig-
ina up n the city, or place upon Pennsylvania
the sale Of pork and cabbage For the past
| twenty years he had never passed along Penn
sylvania avenue without feeling that the street
| and city was disgraced by these miserable old
sheds, offensive both to the eye and smell. why,
| in the summer, the stencil Is 70 great that the
| butchers themselves admit that 1t Is unedara-
| Bile.
| Were we never to be relieved of the market
| house nuisance, and was it because the enter
prise of a few private corporators would relieve
the city that these distinctions had SO suddenly
/ sprung into existence? They were accused OF
| seeking their own interests, and In the name of
all that was manly and American he hoped they
would be permitted to do So What could the
| people of Washington expect, when the Corpo-
| ration was already overburdened with debt?
Where was the money to come from? If the
credit0f the city was SO good why did not its
| bonds command better price? And where
| was the prospective growth that would justify
the Corporation in increasing its debt to the
amount of 81 900, 600?
build market-E0use that would be creditable
| to the city and country. One that would i'm
| every respect accommodate ''the butchers, the
| bakers, and the candlestick makers" an editice
| that would be an architectural ornament to
Washington, and uneAceptionable in all its con-
| veniences.
prise to put up decent building. 1t would be
provided with everything necessary for con-
venence and display. The butchers could have
tesselated pavements, marble slabs, iron graf
ings, metallic roof, anything that would enable
them to keep the market-house clean. The peO-
pie of Washington were clamoring for some
thing better than the present unsightly struc-
ture. Had they not waited patiently long
enough?
The question was narrowed down to the plans
proposed by the Corporation. Even Mayor
| improved. All were unanimous on that point.
The prospective drawings displayed by the COM
mittee would give some idea Of what the COM
was to use the front of the building for stores
| and hotel purposes, and in submitting bill the
Corporation had appropriated the same feature.
keeper, and increase Its enormous debt by
adding another half million to the cost of the
building for furnishing the hotel? Does not
Mayor Bowen know that it would be impossible
for him to keep hotel without perpetual
wrangling? Would it not be the source of in
terminable evil But, laying aside that view
would be as impossible for him to float bonds of
this city at six per cent. as it would be to float
biz. stone in mill-Pond.
designate to what use that portion Of the build
| ing Shall be devoted. Certainly the idea of a
hotel was never contemplated, and if that sec
an examination OF the bill, it should be stricken
out, as it was not intended that it should be a
| part Of the bill.
s MI: Parsons:mWhat do you propose to do with
Mayor BOwen.-When the building is com
Pleted we can very soon settle that question.
| L would state that the gentleman constructs that
| portion Or the bill according to his own views.
The bill provides that the exterior of the struc-
ture shall be in every respect equal to that pro-
Mr.. Parsons then said that the Mayor had
| appropriated the best features OF his bill and
called them his own.
III
was Col. Parsons bill.
Mr.. ParsOns-Neither is it my bill personally.
but in represe nting the corporators speak of il
will call it our bill. He said, in CONCLUSION that
was for Congress to decide whether the eligible
| site on Pennsylvania avenue should be improved
and beautified by stately structure, or one
that would compare favOrably with the great
public buildings of the principal cities of the
lized with great expectations, and generations
follow them without realizing the great need Of
Washington city at the present time. viii you
have a structure upon MIR. Riddles plan with
a lot of huckster shops forevernore on Penn
| sylvania avenue, or will you have a superb
building like the Louvre or Palais RoyaI. with
magnificent hotel, &c, and which will realize
more revenue to the corporation per year than
the market has averaged for the last dozen
| years? Itwas perfectly absurd for the corpora
the kind proposed in the House bi tor thu OF
poses of the market solely. Ii the corporation
builds q market-house, it should be devoted
solely to that purpose AS to the self-seeking
| Of the corporators, it was quite apparent
that the butchers were not a whit behind
them. We hear from them through Mr.. Riddle
that they propose to hold the STALKS in perpetuity
The corporation should incur the expense of
building the market-hOuse, and then allow them
to use the stalls as they pleased; and to accom-
modate them in , this matter, they would have
return.
Mr.. Fardon-Would it not be better for the
sell them at 80 for the erection of a market of
| its own, than to give away franchise worth the
whole face Of the bonds
Mayor BOwen.-I would like to have the gen.
tleman tell me under the provisions OF his bill
what would be done I'm case the books were
opened, and some one person should stand ready
to subscribe for all the stock?
Mr.. Stanton.-Mayor Bowen would have equal
opportunities with the rest.
Mayor Bowen.-But that does no answer nv
question. No doubt would be permitted to
subscribe If 1 was the first person on hand, but
does not the gentleman know that the provisions
Of the company's bill allows q single person to
absorb the entire stock? 1t il believed by almost
every citizen of Washington that foreign
company is ready to step in and subscribe for
the whole amount.
Mr.. StantOn.-That is news to me, for have
heard nothing of it. 1 expect to subscribe for
as much Of the stock as can pay for, and sup
pose Mayor Bowen can do the same.
RRJOINDRR By Mr.. RIDDLE.
Mr.. Riddle, in reply, said 1t was not proposed
| to make his building exclusively a market
house, and he did not propose to allow the gen.
tleman to misstate his views. What they in
sisted upon was, that the first floor should be
devoted exclusively to market purposes. The
Interests OF the butchers demanded that, and
what they did with the superstructure was alto
gether another matter. According to the gen.
0eman's feelings, he would not have it known
that there was q market-h0use in the city of
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