National Republican., 1873-12-02


nleo a badly arranged and inconveuler
building, without ventilation, and soradlcall
defective that II would cost more to rcmod,
and rcarrange II than TO erect n suitabl
building. The property II now q part OF tn
city OF Detroit is valuable, aud bellev
could be sold for q sum sufficient to obtain
suitable site and erect q satisfactory building
The marine hospital at Louisville, Kg.,
too small. II ia, however, built on q larg
and desirable lot, and can easily be eNtende
and made one Of the best and most valu ,bl
hospitals In the possession OF the Govern
ment. As Louisville will, In all probability
remain one OF the principal dcpota Of marin
patients, would earnestly recommend ihi
improvement TO the favorable considcratio
of the Department.
desire ouce more to call attention TO th
quarantine warehouse below New Orleans
and to the station at Philadelphia, known a
the Iazarctto, both Of which involvc consld
cradle expense TO maintain. Il does not up
pear 10 me thet there Is any greater necesslt,
Tor such buildings at those polnts than a
others, aud that II necessary there, they or,
equally so at each OF the principal ports. 10
deed, an appropriation for a .quarantin,
December 10, 1854, but was carried 60 the
surplus fund, tho amount being considered
inadequate for the purpose. IL appears 10
me, however that, as quarantine !. State
aud not national institution, the states
should furnish the necessary means to carry
out their own legislation, aud that tho De-
partment should not be called upon 10 furnish
warehouses for tue storage OF goods quarau-
tined under State regulations. would there
fore recommend that authority bo obtained
20 dispose of the buildings In question, cor
that some definite system be adopted.
l desire 10 call attention 10 the fact that
the continued growth In the business OF the
Treasury Department renders IL indlspens-
ably necessary that action be taken 10 regard
TO the rebuilding OF the cast front OF the
Treasury building. The Statistical Bureau
has been removed from the building since
the date Of my last report, but the space so
obtained has been absorbed without proyid-
ing any material relief, and the removal Of
some OF the larger and more Important bu-
rcaus cannot BE- long delayed. 1t may seem
an exaggcratiou, but It Is nevertheless fact,
that the Treasury building has not more than
half the capacity that Is required TO accom-
modatc, In a proper manner, all OF Its differ.
cnt bureaus. OF these, however, the Second
aud Sixth Auditors and the Coast Survey are
well provided for In other buildings, and
need not, at this time, he considered. The
rebuilding Of the east aud centre wings would
add very materially to tho size Of the build
lug, increasing the accommodations In that
portion about ono.t third. II may be added
orablc or adverse, should be made at the ear
lest possible moment, inasinuch rs It se-
riously affects the Interests OF q large num-
Der OF property-owncrs who are naturally
unwilling to improve their property until q
decision Is made, as It necessarily Involves a
change In the line Of Fifteenth street, be-
tween Pennsylvania and New York avenues,
as have heretofore explained. wouldalso
recommend that authority be obtained Tor
the erection Of u building for the accommo-
dalton OF tho Note Printing Bureau and for
the records Of the Department plans and
estimates for which were submitted at the
last session OF Congress. Should this be au-
thorized IL would provide, in addition 70 the
improvements heretofore indicated, sufficient
space for all the legitimate wants Of the De-
partment for many years to come, aud Is, In
my opinion, an improvement second In i'm
portance TO none now under consideration by
The Department.
desire once more to call attention TO the
necessity for increased Accommodation for
.hc customs department In New York city.
The apprehenslons expressed In my previous
reports have been verified, IL having been
lound necessary to rent buildings for the &c.
OF portion Of the officers
and clerks. The present custom house build
Ing Is not half the size necessary for The
proper transaction of the business Of that
port. The officers and employees Of the de-
partment are packed into rooms destitute Of
and deficient in light. 1t is, under
snch circumstances, impossible for them TO
perform their duties In prompt accurate,
and satisfactory manner, and / have no hesi-
Iation In expressing the opinion shat great
portion Of the delays and errors In the trans
nctlon OF the public business in that city Is
Attributable to the unsuitable character and
of the accommodation. The
building was not erected for q custom. house,
and cannot be made convenient or suitable
Tor the purpose. Ii Is, at best, but q tenn
porary eXpcdient, aud should be considered
as such. ! therefore desire to renew my
that immediate steps be-
laken TO secure, II possible, from the city of
New York the whole Of the Battery, or such
portion thereof Us may be found necessary
believing, as do, that there Is no other spot
In the city Of sufficient capacity, or 30 well
adapted to the purpose, or that can be OBJ
tained ut reasonable price. l am aware
hat the project involves large expenditure,
hut 1t should be remembered that more than
Iwo-thirds of the entire customs revenue Of
Ihc country Is collected at this port, aud that
i would not, at the highest estimate, require
more than the revenue collected In two weeks
10 erect suitable building; in addition to
which the custom-house property, the assay
Diiice property, and the old post Office site
roud bo sold for sum which would 90 very
lar toward detraying, II IL did not meet, the
nntire expenditure.
Z In this connection ! desire 10 renew nv
that suitable appruIscrs'
tore be erected In the same locality, beliey-
nc, as do, that 1t is Of the utmost import
incc TO concentrate, rs far Us possible the
'ntlre customs department in one locality.
leslre to call special attention to the urgent
,arasaitv fhat eriafa for nadIa,. a.,t.,, l..
cgard to the barge office In New York. A
Inc granite dock and pier was erected some
'ears since, but no appropriation has been
made for the building. he surveyor OF the
'ort reports fhat 1t Is impossible for him 10
nforce the revenue laws In a proper manner
nth the meansnt his command, and strongly
rges the immediate erection OF the building.
have examined the question fully and concur |
nth the Views expressed by the surveyor, and /
would recommend that an appropriation be /
btained to carry them into effect ] have
eretofore called attention to the unsuitable |
nd unsatisfactory character Of the accom- |
lodatlOns provided for the appraisers de- |
artment in the city Of New York, and TO the |
xcessivc rental demanded aud necessarily
hid for the same. The lease having expired,
proposals. were invited for the rental 10 the
careful and exhaustive examination OF the
offered, the block Of buildings
oundcd by West, Hubert Washington aud
.aight streets was selected. The buildings
\ question are probably better adapted TO
he wants Of the Government than any other
n the city of New York, and can bc made
ntircly suitable by comparatively moderate
Expenditure. The locality-though not, In
ny opinion, equal to the Battery-is a good
ne, and convenient TO or readily accessible |
rom every foreign steamship line sailing /
rom New York, and Is n every respect su.
crior to the building now occupied. had
reyi0usy called the attention Of the Depart
lent To the great danger TO be apprehended
rom FIRE In the building at present occupied.
'hesc apprchensions were verified on the o0th
{ July last, when the upper stories and
lrgo amount Of valuable goods were de-
lroyed-a danger which will be avoided In
he new building, which is nre-proof.
The public building at Pensacola, Fla, re-
uires immediate enlargement and repairs To |
ieet the ordinary wants Of the Government |
D that city. ! have caused a careful exami- |
alton Of the matter to be made, and have
repaired an estimate OF the cost Of the altera-
Ions and repairs necessary to put the build |
ng In proper condition, aud strongly urpe |
hat authority be obtained to proceed with |
le work. The building Is at present occu-
led by the customs department, the court |
ousc and the post office, neither OF which |
MS sufficient room for the proper transaction
{ iu business. Indeed the building is no |
srgcr than could be used to advantage by |
he custom house alone, and as there al- |
ears 10 bc no possibility OF renting suitable |
In the city, earnestly rec
mmend It 10 the favorable consideration of |
N npnnrfmpnt