Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-31

THE RIVER AND HAgBoR IMPROVEMENT.
The Senate committee on the District Of CO.
lumbia to-dayressmed the consider alton of the
bills for the improve ment Of the river and har-
Dor Of Washington, and heard arguments Of the
friends and opponents OF the proposed improve
mebts. There were present Capt. Carlisle Pat
terson. Gen X. ID. Mussey, Col j. q. Berret,
Col. W A. Cook, ex- Gov. Wells, OF Virginia;
A. p tsormar, president Chesapeake and Ohio
canal company; Columbus Alexander, DIR. y. l..
others
Nr. T. A. Lambert was first heard in be-
half Of
CERTAIN WHARF OWNERS
in Washington and Georgetown. His argument
against the Improvement Of the river and barber
was substantially the same As that delivered be-
lore the House D,str1ct committee about a week
since, and which was reported in The stan.
In concluding, he said that il either bill shOnli
be considered favorably by the committee. he
hoped il would be the one which gives the gov
eminent charge of the work.
Ar. I. j. Miller, representing
OTHER WHARF OWNERS
along the river front made a brief argument, in
which he Claimed that these wharf owners, by
old act OF the Maryland legislature, have the
right Of extending their wharves out to the
channel. He therefore believed that his clients
proyement in front of their property which
Congress may fit to order, and that they
should also be entitled to any profits which may
accrue from snch Improvement.
HORATIo N. EAsBY
read long paper eBlbodying his views in regard
Ia the improvement of the river and harbor,
which are opposed to the plans of the board of
survey. He urged that some provision should
be Incorporated in the hill finally adopted by
Congress to compensate the owners of private
property along the river front, and gave at
length his peculiar ideas in regard to the i'm
proyement of the channel. He believes the
plan of the board Of survey impracticable, and
that should il be executed the Potomac would
at high water overflow the " Valley of the
TiSer,' and cause great destruction of prop
erty. He referred to the report Of Lieut.. Rives,
of the engineers bureau, made in 1857, relative
to tie improvement Of the river, and thought
the plan OF Lieut.. Rives far preferable to that
of the board of survey.
Mr.. r. Fendall, representing the nine chill
dren of the late DIR. Bradley, who own certain
wharf property, made a few remarks similar in
tenor to those Of Messrs Lambert and Miller.
THE AoUEDUCT BRIDGE COMPANY AGAIN.
Ex-GoS. Wells. formerly of Virgins, but now
resident of Washington, said If the amend
nents recently proposed by Gen. Mussey to the
government bill are adopted, he, as q represent
tatsxe of the Aqueduct bridge company, had
plated by one of the bills, draw is to be made
in his bridge, he was present to protest he then
went on to repeat his '.vested rights speech,
made before the House District committee
about a week since.
COL. cooks ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF THE
IMPROVEMENT.
Col. William A. Cook was next heard in favor
OF the plan Of the board OF survey. Reviewing
the different interests conflicting with the plan,
he read the acts of the Maryland legislature
relative to vacantlands, and the act of Congress
of 1850 referring to the same class of land. He
denied that at the date of the passage ofthis act
the kidwell Meadows existed, and read from the
records of the general land Office relative to the
action OF that office IN regard to the lands in the
from The STAR the letter of Commissioner
Drummond to Mr. A. r. Shepherd on the same
subject. The question which now arises is, was
this land claimed by kidwell in existence at the
date of the passage of the act 1880 under which
il is now claimed. The secondpconficting inter-
est is that of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal.
MIR. Coax then recited the claims Of this cOmpa-
ny, which they make by virtue of certain acts
passed lOxg ago by Virginia and Maryland, and
held that when the District was ceded to the
government the rights of that company passed
into the ha,sds of the District and the general
government. That that portion of the canal
within the limits Of the District of Columbia is
subject to the jurisdiction of either Maryland or
Virginia is an sbsurdity which no man having
common sense believes. At the hour of twelve
O'Clock Col. Cook suspended his argument, and
the committee adjourned until ~ O'clock Mon
day morning.
xIsCELLANEoU BUSINESS.
The comIrittee agreed to report favorably
House bill 4s2, prohibiting gift enterprises in
House bill 3,4sI. to authorize trustees of the
Presbyterian congregation Of Georgetown to
dispose Of certain real estate; also, House bill
ing of the accOu nts), providing for nine trustees
Of public schools instead Of three; also, Senate
bill .464, amending the charter of the Grutli
Verein Association of Washington.
METROPOLITAN RAILWAY EXTENSION.
The committee considered Senate bill $50 pro-
viding for the extension of the Metropolitan
street railway to Georgetown and UniontOwn,
and agreed to report favorably with amend
ments revOking al former rights where substi-
tute rights are granted; and striking out Of the
bill all sections granting the right to cross Penn
sylvania avenue; also the section Of the bill al
lowing the road to cross the Aqueduct bridge
over Rock creek and the Anac0stia bridge over
the Eastern branch. The bill is further
amended in several unimpOrtant particulars.
THE HOUSE DISTRICT COMMIrTER,
at their regular meeting yesterday agreed to
report favorably Senate bill ,O16 to extend the
works of the Georgetown Gaslight company.
House bill 3,701, supplementary to an act en-
titled San act to authorize the Washington
City and Point Lookout Railroad company to
Extend Railroad into and within the District
of Columbia, was referred to q sub committee
consisting Of Messrs. williams, Cotton and
Crebs, to report. House bill 3,477, relating to
in the District Of Columbia, was
discussed at some length, but no conclusion
reached.
EDITOR EVENING START noticed that In
your issue of Tuesday, the 2sth instant, in COM
menting upon the resolution offered by Judge
Roosevelt for the appointments Of a committee to
state the accounts Of the District, you say that
1.-THE resolution was In the hand writing of
John II. Crane, with interlineations by n. &.
Qrdway." Now. while am in favor of having
careful and truthful statement of the dis
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