National Republican., 1873-12-02

gestions fer New Edincss-what Has
Becn Accomplished In tho Di,trict-
What He Proposes shall be Doms-Can
the Treasury be EnInrscd and Besn-
tiaedt
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, |
OFrroE OF rHE EbrPEANfsiso ARonIrIqI..l |
Sin: have the honor to submit the fol-
owing, being my eighth annual report Of the
business transacted by this Office, and Of the
progress and condition OF the public works
nnder Its charge.
Sites have been purchased for the public
at Coylngton, Ky, Dover, Del,
ron, Mich, and Parkersburgh. W. Va; the
property necessary for the extension Of the |
public buildings at Indianapolis, Ind, and
additional land adjoining the public build
ings at Madison, Wis, and Springfield, ILL.,,
tho original lots having been found too
small. The sites for the buildings at Hart
ford, Conn, and Lincoln, Neb., which were
presented by those cltlos, have been exam
ined, found satisfactory, and accepted. II
has been found impossible TO purchase sulta-
bic sites for the proposed buildings at Gin
cinnati, Ohio, Utica and Albany, N. Y, or
the addition to the site Of the post efhce and
treasury building at Boston, Mass, at fair
prices; preceedlngs In condemnation have
and arc now In progress. part OF the site
for the new post Office and courthouse a.
Philadelphia, Pa, was purchased on satis-
factory terms but some Of the owncrs hav-
ing refused to dispose Of their. property for
reasonable sum, proceedings In condomns-
ton have been instituted In those cases. Ne
gotiaiions have been entered Into with view
70 procuring suitable sites for the proposed
buildings at Atlanta, Ga, Jersey City, N. Jl
Little Rock, Ark, Memphis, Tenn, and
pittsburg, Pa, aud arc now In progress.
The alto Of the old custom-house at Ply
mouth, N. c., has bccn sold, the building
having been destroyed during, the war, and
that place. The marine hospitals at New Or
leans, La, and Natchez, Miss, have been
offered at public auction, but not sold. no
satisfactory bid having been made.
Plans have been commenced, and are now
well advanced, for tho public buildings at
Philadelphia, Pa; Cincinnati, Ohio; Parkers-
burg, W. Va; Evansville, Ind; Dover, Del;
Grand Rapids, Mich, and for the marine
| hospital at San Francisco, Cal. Preliminary
|.surveys Of the sites selected In other cities
| have been made, and the plans will be COM
mcnced at an early day. :,
The custom-house at Saint Paul, Miun, u
now complete and occupied; 1t Is O. commo
dious and substantial building, and has beer
found, In spite Of the charges OF extrava
gance In size and construction, no larger O.
better than Is demanded by the business o
that city. The lot on which the building ]
l erected Is, however, too small, and woult
earnestly recommend that an Appropriation
DC obtained for the purchase OF sufficient I'D
ditlonal property to provide the necessarIi ,I
ISOLATION and protection. The public build
ling at Astoria, Oregon, has been completed
furnished, and Is now occupied. II has beel
constructed, In permanent and substantia
Imanncr, Of undrcssed stone, and VIII M
ldoubtedly he ample for all future wants o
,lhc Government In that city. 1t gives m
vyreat pleasure to report that the marine hos
pitai building at Chicago, H., has been CON
plcted, as well as the grading and fencing
tho grounds. II Is now occupied, and Is pro
| nounced by the supervising surgeon to be tn
best arranged, best lighted, and best vent
lated hospital In the country, and Is undoubi
| edly one Of the most substantial and thor
oughly-constructed buildings Of tho class eve
erected.
The extension, remodeling and repairs O
the custom-house at Baltimore, Md, ar
| Icompleted. The building now provides &C
kcommodstions for all branches Of the publ
service In that city, excepting only those 10
1.-The courts and officers Of the judiciary
vs3hould tho busiuees Of the custom-house cor
tinue 70 increase, additional space will 500
be needed, and as the Merchants' bank 10
part Of the building, desire to renew m
Recommendation that 1t be purchased; IN
increase Of the business OF the post Office
Norfolk, Va, has rendered 1t necessary
remove the United States public stores frol
| The custom-house and post office building
| that city, In order TO provide the addiron
3 space required; this has been done, and 4
entire building rcatted and furnished, and
Is now In better condition than when mr.
completed. The public building at Mobll
Ala, which was In bad condition and muc
in need OF Improvement, has been thorough
= | remodeled and repaired. The best portic
!, | of II was occupied by largo but usele
| staircase which has been removed, and mu'
/ | valuable space gained without detractil
! from tho convenience Of the structure, b
S sides rendering 1t practicable to rearrani
/ the post ofiice, which has been done In
y most satisfactory manner; II was also oes
y tute of furniture. which has been supple
: and Is now In excellent condition. The pu
lie building at Galveston, Texas, has be
remodeled and rcfurnished, and Is now
- better condition than when first complete
The great increase Of public business In q
city made It necessary to rent building
the use OF the custom house, the post of
requiring the entire fret floor, and the cou
and Offices Of the judiciary the remand
The business Of the port Is rapidly increi
ing, and, rs II is the most important on
Gulf Of Mexico, would recommend to
favorable consideration OF the Departms
4 the propricty Of erecting suitable and 81
Il stantiai brick building for the use Of I
custom-house, appraisers, and United Sta
: public stores In that city. The public bui
Ing at Saint Augustine, Fla, which "
erected by the Spanish Government prior
the acquisltion Of that State, has been
paired, and In now In as good condition
a, the nature Of the case would permit, q
od provides satisfactory accommodations for
sw custom house, post office and courts.
ae The remarkable increase In the ananc
lo department OF the New York post office n
lu. dered 1t necessary to provide accommo'
~ tlons for that branch Of the service In
: second story of the new post office buildi
To accomplish this the rooms intended
the offices Of the judiciary In that story "
\ appropriated, which Of course made 1t nee
y, sary to provide for them elsewhere. I
could only be done by the addition Of fou
story to the building, which was authori
BY the act approved March 8, 1878. ORD
were Immediately given for the preparat
osf OF tho necessary granite, which has been
delivered, and IL now In place. The worl
this time Is In such condition that ! feel
doubt OF the completion OF the roof dur
the present season, or that 1t will be occuI
by the post Office by the 5th Of July, 1874,
be entirely completed during the coming y,
The great size Of this building and Its c
struction, which has been entirely exp
mental, have rendered 1t impossible to .
mate Its cost with the accuracy that wo
IL otherwise have been attained. tis,howe'
a. so far completed that II may be safely sta
55wv that It's cost viii not exceed s8, 500, 900,
ri: elusive Of fencing, grading, sewerage,
ny chinery, furniture and fixtures, or $1,000,
liz inclusive OF these Items. This amount
re undoubtedly appear enormous TO persons '
,ne an have not investigated the subject, but, vi
ini. compared with tho size OF the building
I'm. with the cost Of other great structures cree
by the Government or BY state or munlcl
0. authorities, II will be found to be o ch
arc structure. The building will be, when G.
All pleted, larger than any granite or maj
hat building yet commenced by the Govcrnm
ns outside Of the District Of Columbia, and Is
ma only the largest post office building In
Ice. world, but will have unequaled facilities
. accommodations for the transaction Of b
. ness. Being sutisfed that an undorgrol
ts- way through the city Of New York n
,n Sn sooner or later be constructed, and that II
ooi other manner con quick and ample transi
assured, and that such connection betw
the various railroads centering In New
We and the post office is Indispensable,
and made provision by which the mails can
sei IN such an event, be received and delivere,
rem the basement In the same manner as will
9 70 the case In the new post Office at st. Lo
II has also been so arranged that the var
Newspaper offices can, at o very trihlng
the pense, arrange for the delivery Of their is
nj | In that norton of the building, and thel