The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-03-19

| THE DlSThICT AND THE GENEIkA
GOVERNMENT.
speech of Hon. N p. Chapman ON thel
Relation TO Each Other.
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BEAR TT
JUST PROPORTION OF EXPENSES Oh
IMPROVEMENTS.
From an able and exhaustive speech pre-
pared by Hon. N. p. Chapman, our dele
gate in Congress, on the relations of tn
general government to the District of Colum
bia land which explains the bill printed
elsewhere), we make the following ex
tracts
THE PURPOSE OF THE FOUNDERS OF
THE CAPITAL.
After referring to the location of the
Capital, Mr.. Chapman said: 81 asser,
that the history of'the location of the Cap
ital, the declaration of its founders, the
provisions of the deed of conveyance made
by the proprietors of the soil, the cotem-
poraneous acts, the plan Of the city and
the legislation of Congress, show q distinct
and unmistakable purpose on the part OF
the United States to build here federal
city at federal expense. There was in
volved in the very idea Of building up q
great political and non-commercial city,
with the chief view Of accommodating the
necessities of the government, the implied
pledge that government would take upon
itself the burden of public improvements
in that city. A city deprived Of commerce.
and manufactures is deprived of the means
of self-support. The founders could not
have been ignorant of the fact that to
make the Capital what they designed it to
be was impossible, except under the fos.
tering care of government.
WHAT THE OLD WORLD DOES FOR ITS
CAPITALS.
No nation before had ever attempted it,
and it is absolutely certain that ours never
intended to do so. Turning to the Old
World, we find that all the great cities have
been either the creation OF the state, or
have been fostered and aided by the state,
Notwithstanding most of them have large
commerce, manufactures and revenues. |
will venture to say that since Washington
city became our Capital the government of
France has expended not less than $780,.
600, 900 upon the city of Paris."
After speaking of the character of the
deed of conveyance from the original pro.
prietors of the soil, and
THE PLAN OF THE CAPITAL.
as submitted by President Washington to
Congress in 1901, Mr.. Chapman says |:
''If members will take the trouble to ex-
anime this plan, now on file in the office of
public buildings and grounds, all doubt
will disappear as to the fact that the gov
erment intended this city to be developed
and improved at government EXPENSE
He gives table Of the ratio of street
areas of certain large cities, which show
that Paris, thought by many to be the
most beautifulcity Of Europe, potwithstand-
ing its grand boulevards and its Champs
Elysees, has less than one-half the street
area Of Washington city. The greater
part of the business streets of Paris are,
for the convenience Of business, made mar
row, while their avenues and boulevards
are broad and beautiful f; but here there is
not street less than double the width of
Broadway, New York.
A NATIONAL CITY.
Mr.. Chapman next brings forward some
correspondence between Washington and
Jefferson, and some interesting facts in re-
lation to the loan of money by the state of
Maryland, and quotes at some length an
article from the Philadelphia Herald of
January a, 1895, and says: Here,
think, Mr.. Speaker, is the absolute proof
of my proposition, that contemporaneously
with the location of the seat of government
it was the well understood purpose of its
founders to establish city which was to be
national, and in whose growth and pros
perity the whole. country was to take an
interest.O
THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD
DO ITS SHARE.
He calls attention to the opinion with
regard to the duty of the government ex.
pressed in the report of the committee
charged with the duty of examining into
the affairs of the District, and as the sub
sequent legislation was that recommended
by the committee, he concludes that it is
the highest legislative confirmation of the
proposition that he is endeavoring to es-
tablish, to wit: That the burden of inn
provements here should be upon. the gen.
eral government, rather than upon the
citizens.
The United States have stood by and
have seen their Capital become bv-word
and scoffing throughout the civilized world.
They have seen the shafts of scorn and
contempt and satire pointed toward it
without making single creditable effort to
avert them.
PARSIMONY OF CONGRESS.
For thirty years it did little more than
hew out some paths to the public build
ings, and stake off the streets and avenues
for the people of the District to improve !;
the exact amount expended by government
in this period being 500, 00O-less than
500 year.
Who can defend this miserable parsi-
mony, and who can justify the conduct of
government in thus trihing with a great
public duty imposed upon It by the found
ers Of the Capital, especially when it is re-
membered that during the same period 1t
had realized $500, 200 from the improvident
sale of lots-funds which had been pledged
for the benefit Of improvements.
Look at your superb Capitol building.
There has never been moment since it
was erected, when its surroundings would
compare fayorably with New England
barn-yard Twelve million dollars in this
marble pile, Of grand promise without and
disappointment within, but surrounded
worse than Western courthouse. 1t only
lacks horse-block and hitching-rack to
make it perfectly primitive and rural.
WHAT THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTES
| TO THE NATIONAL GOLFERS.
In answer to the charge that the people
| of the District are thriftless set. doing