Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-19
District Affairs I'm Congress.
BILL FOE IMPROVEMENT OF THE HARBoR o


| Secretary Of War to proceed with the improve
ment of the harbor of Washington substantially
in accordance with the plans proposed by the
board OF survey created by the act of Congress.
approved March 5tb, 1874 In their report pre-
ssnted to Congress Dec. 18th, 1872: Prociied
That the portion of said improvement to be frs,
CONNIE need shall be the closing of the presen,
eastern channel of the Potomac river, bet geen
Eashy's point and the line of the Anscostia
channel; the hliiDg of the flats between the main
channel and the north shore of the river; and
the excavation, to the depth of twenty three
feet at mean low water of said main channel,
between the above points. Sec. 9 That the
sum OF sone million dollars is hereby appropri-
ated for the improvement aforesaid: and il is
hereby provided that the proceeds of all sales OF
lanus reclaimed by said improvement hereafter
to be made by direction of Congress shall be
applied, first, TO reimburse the amounts expend-
ed by the United States, and, after such full
reimbursement, all additional sales shall be for
the benefit of the District of Columbia The
bill was referred to the Committee on Com
merce.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE RIVER FRONT.
He also introduced a bill relating to the i'm
provement of the river front, which provides
that, Ior the purpose of improving the harbor
OF Washington substantially in accordance with
the plans proposed by the board of survey Gre
ated by act of Congress approved March 5th,
Io.z, IN theLr report presented to Congress De-
cember 18th, 1872, the said board is Continued
aud established as the Washington Harbor
Commission" any vacancies hereafter amen
ing therein to be filled by the President, with
the advice and consent of the Senate and said
commission is invested with supervisory power
over the harbor improvements authorized; that
ssid commission, as coon as practicable after
the passage OF this act, shall open books of sub
scrIption TO the capital stock of the corporation
me books OF subscription shall be kent omen
during ordinary business hours of two consec-
utlye days, and other days If necessary; five per
centum shall be paid in cash by each Subscriber
at the time of subscription, to some depesitary
appointed by the commission to hold the moneys
L hat the general management Of the business
OF the corpo ration shall be vested in the djrec-
tors, who shall elect president secretary
treasurer, and such other officers as they deem
necessary. The directors may call for the re-
naming ninety five per centum of the stock in
the company at such times and in such amounts
as they shall find necessary, not exceeding five
per centum per month, and they nav declare
forfeited the shares of any subscriber neglect
ing Tor thirty days to pay any assessment and
sell the same to other parties. That it shall be
the duty OF said harbor commission, as soon as
may be, to prepare working plans and specifi
cations, substantially in accordance with their
report to Congress, under the act of March 9TH,
IoiZ ior tne dredging, excavation, and filling
necessary to open to the depth of twenty-three
feet at mean low water the main channel of the
fotomac river, from Easby's Point, about
tWenty-lour thousand feet to the line of the
AnacOsta channel, and to close the present
eastern channel between the above Doints and
TO reclaim the flats between the aforesaid main
channel and the north shore oil the river: said
plans and specifications to be submitted to and
approved by the President of the United states.
and II shall thereupon become the duty of the
drnlDBtOn nafDOr improvement COmDanv n
90 the dredging, excavation, and filling neces-
saiy Tor said Improvement. under the super-
vision OF and to the satisfaction of said commits
non, IN me manner and within the time pro-
Hiueu Dy SAID plans and specifications
Ihat 10 aid said Washington Harbor Improve
ment company in performing the work re-
Iu i1 oy this act, there Is hereby granted to
said corporation all the land reclaimed by such
Improvement embraced within the limits of
sald Improvement as defined by this act; patents
ior lhe same to be issued to the company by the
"a.
OF said commission that the company has he
come entitled thereto under the pro visions of
tn,s act Ihst the plan and specifications pre-
pared by said commission shall provide for
suitable and adequate docks, wharyes, and
piers, to be constructed by the company aud
cnm uL leased az prices to be approved by the
commission, which shall also fix and determine
Al wharfage fees and charges; and subject to
the above conditions, all wharfage priyiIepe.
along tue waterfront of the lands reclaimed
shall belong, and are hereby granted to said
company; but any private owners if such there
De, OF wharfage rights hereby transferred to
saia company shall have compensation therefor,
and be entitled to the remedies to obtain the
same herein provided for the owners of pro-
perry taken for the purposes of the i'm pro yemant
Ihst there is hereby reserved from the grant of
reclaimed lands hereby made, the right to the
Board of Public Works of the District of Co
lumbia to lay out, through said lands streets
ana avenues, and to establish all reservations
the city OF Washington; the filling within the
limits OF said streets, avenues, and reservations
70 De paid for by the District, at prices to be
tracks may also be extended over said lands
with the approval of the Beard of Public Works;
ana the board shall construct all necessary
sewers. lhat there is also granted to said
company the old canal extending from ITth
street to Georgetown, with all lands per-
tanning thereto the same to be filed and i'm
~ uSder me direction Of the commission.
mar the secretary OF War and the Secretary OF
1ne Navy are hereby authorized, if they shall
S ihe II 10 De ior the public interest, to ex-
cnange, upon Just and equitable terms, the
present army arsenal grounds for the pres
ent navy yard grounds, and the Secretary of the
Navy is authorized in addition to purchase not
exceeding two hundred and fifty acres of the
Iahu, created or reclaimed under the provisions
OF thls act, adjacent to said army arsenal at
prices 70 De approved by the harbor commits
s hon aor ,he location of the navy yard. That
70 remove the present naval observatory to some
otheL suitable location within the District in
winch wnicn event he may require the company
created by this act TO remove, without charyT
me earth from the present lot down to a suita-
pie grade to be determined by the commisson
anu ne may sell the present lot to the best ad-
vantage, at price not less than u sum su ficient
70 purchase the new ground and to erect the
pniiuings required for the observatory The
merce " o
NO MORE STREET RAILROAD CHARTERS.
Inc Subcommittee on Railroads of the
rouse committee on the District of Columbia
composed OF Messrs. Rice, Chapman, and EId-
ridge, held meeting this morning at which il
was decided to grant no charters for any new
ZINES OF railways in the District of Columbia,
put allow all such enterprises to come under
tne PROVISIONS OF the general incorporation act
OF Congress Of May 5th, 1870. wv
- WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
MI. Butter, OF Mass, introduced in the House |
To-Day bill to amend the organic act of the |
District OF Columbia providing that the act be
amended by striking out the word "male, in
tne nrst line OF the seventh section thereof.
OTHkR HARBOR IMPROVEMENT BILLS
Mr Chipman also introduced a bill which
PROVIDES for granting to the District of Co. |
Inmbia the authority to improve the harbor of /
ashington and Georgetown substantially in
1ccordance with the plans submitted to the 42d |
congress BY the board of survey created by act |
or Congress of March s, 1872, and that ali the |
lands reclaimed by the improvement be granted |
to the District of Columbia; provided il any
land thus reclaimed be required by the United |
states In the enlargement Of its public grounds |
a. the navy yard, arsenal or elsewhere, the |
district shall reconvey such lands at valua- |
tion TO be liked by commission of five persons |
to be appointed by the President; and that the |
District 10 hereby authorized to enter salt in |
the Supreme Court of the District against any |
and all persons claiming title to any swamp or |
other lands reclaimed, and also to enter suit |
against the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal COM |
pany for possession of that portion of the line |
OF !, their canal abandoned BY said company, and