National Republican., 1876-03-30
DISTRICT OPPOSHlgE 10 The UNION BILL
OPTION lF 1RE ASSISTANT DISTRICT tHnAfI
ENDORSEMENT Blythe COMMISSIONERS
ALL ADVERSE TO sRlETMe THE FRANCHISE
Remonstrance OF South Washington Citizens

tnat on the same date Win tne reference several
Of the parties named in the bill as corporators
presented for his consideration sundry arguments
In favor Of the bill; and, at later date, the same
parties, or some OF them, submitted bill with
notifications designed to obviste Q part Of the
objections suggested by him to the original bill.
It drops the lateral horse-csr road from Seven
teenth street, along B and Sixth streets and
road northeastwardIy from Georgetown TO con
meet with other railroads; reserves to Congress
the right to impose terms for crossing the Aque
duct bridge; provides for damages to property
deprecated by the proximity Of the railroad; re
spects the established grades of the streets and
less Open 10 objection IN the point Of fSr@ mako
The language of the amended clauses Is, how.
ever, vague and III adapted TO attain the obieo.
aimed at. There are
FURTHER OBJECTIONS OF DETAIL
which are not obTisted by the amendments.
Among them are:
l. There is no provision that at psints where
the route is not defined the route shall be desig-
mated by the engineer Of the District.
2. There 10 no provision that the proposed
bridge over the Potomac shall bs built under the
supervision OF the Secretary Of " ar, and In such
3. The franchises are not subordinsted to the
municipal rights Of the District Of Columbia and
Of The eaesutiys dspart%sspt q w tns same as sue
of way Of the company should not be allowed to
c0p fict with the continuous rights Of sewerage
mains, gas pipes, sc; and the tracks should be
laid Of such rails ano &C such an elevation as shall
be required by the engineer Of the District.
TO one, except in the immediate vicinity Of the
depots, where the number should be controlled
by the engineer, under supervision Of the CON-
missioners.
THE SIZED OF THE LOCOMOTIVES.
The speed Of the locomotives should be regu
lated by order OF the Commissioners who, q,
prt sent, havo no legislative power.
9. The track should stop At Its first Intersection
-aNNh DaIN NNrrAr DNNA
the Long bridge. As provided in the bill, Il iu-
tersects the Baltimore and Potomac Company
twice, oDco at Long bridge and once at Second
sections its passage would destroy tho value OF
property rhi-s can only be estimated by mil.
:. The right 20 cross the Potomac should be
limited to the hricge TO be built by the company.
There are sounG reasons why 1t should not cross
S. The law should provide for the regular as.
sessment Of the franchises and property OF the
age as real estate In Washington city.
.. The bill should provide sufficient safeguard
for the rights Of original stockholders: the ca Of.
tai should be paid in before any work of construc.
tion is done under the charter; and no mortgage
OF the franchise and property should be permitted
unless In the interest Of the original stock holders
and this fact shoald be determined on full inyes.
tigation by responsible public officers.
10. The right of removal Of the track to the per.
manent wstet front Of the city, or TO loc alton
less Injurious to the interests Of the District,
SnOulO De reserved TO Inc local executive u
thority, as also the right, on six months notice,
TO croer the disconttnuance Of the OF steam as
a motive power within the limits Of the cities of
Georgetown and Washington.
II. The words avoiding the public grounds"
should be changed to avoiding the mall" for
the place to be passed over by the track and
SOMETIMES called the "KidseiI meadoWs" mead i. s1p ia
his opinion, the property Of the United States;
and no phrase should be used in q ststate to iu.
Py ne es PasSR sSi, issued
front Of Washington city, is regarded as one that
will be annulled whenever brought before court
Of competent jurisdiction.
OBJECTIONS TO THE PRINCIPLE OF THE BILL.
But these objections OF detail dwiRdle into in
sgnincaDce when compared with the objections
to the principle itself Of the bill. Why should
franchises Of such immense value, and which be-
private individuals? Why should the District be
deprived Of the large prospective revenues to be
derived from the control Of the most valuable
uhsrfing privileges Of the city of Washington:
Why should the plan OF the founders of the Cspi-
tai 10 secure for Il an extensive commercial front
on the Potomac. with public qusys adequate to
the wants Of all possible future business, be
sacrificed In the interests Of speculative cupid
lty? What ipdueement is there to extend to one
Of the best streets Of South Washington the
ginia avenues BY stear-csr transportation:
TIE VALUE OF THE FRANCHISE
asked for In the bill is 50 great Sc to defy COM
putation. Among them are the following: To
GINA ard Msrylapd; to build a bridge across the
Potomac; to cross the Aqueduct or any other
bridge built y the United States across that
river; TO build tracks without Limitation Of mum.
Der throug what are pre- emlnentiy the CONNER
cial parts Of Georgetown and Washington; to
build them nesr 10 and at right angles with the
part of tho Potomac river front Of Washington,
go as to command the monopoly Of the entire
commerce OF the two cities BY water; TO occupy
the hottom land between Easby's point, Seven
teenth street and the Long bridge, so as to con.
troll wharf front Of great length and incalcula-
bic value; to appropriate X street from the Poto-
build depots; TO take all Government property
without compensation, and to have all private
property condemned to the use Of the corpor alton
under the doctrine Of eminent domain. You
weuld not, am sure, recommend Congress to
grant such immense franchises, without some
and sufh:tent reasons therefor, based upon the
public good. No such reasons are shown.
GREAT DAMAGES TO PUBLIc AND PRIVATE M
TERESTs.
On the contrary, the damage done to private
and public interests would be great. the por
bid lairest to be crowded by population devoted
to business would be raversed by steam cars,
running night and day, without interruption o!
and uninteliigiole baekings and movements Of
locomotives, frightening away local travel, en-
daDgering life and limb, disturbing public
ing public hospitals impossible in the vicinity,
ipjuriDg the sick and making life . burden to the
nervous GsPTeG,;ng public and private prop
through which they run, destroying their dssira-
bility neighborhoods for private residences. It
Is safe to say that the enactment Of this bill into
law would be q serious calamity to Georgetown
and Washington, and an hrepsrable one 10:
many years TO South Washington.
THE NUMEROUS ASD VALUABLE wHLRvEs
OF Georgetown, where tho interests Of the Dis.
endangered, and might be Destroyed in their
value. Water street, In Georgetown, might be
diverted from its general business uses TO the
large part Of the water front Of Washington city,
now owned BY the United States In trust for the
use Of the public, and promising to be, at q not
fsr distant future, Of large value both for COM
mefce and revenue, would practically be conis-
Gated for the speculative purposes Of Individuals.
Il Of he last importance thai its eSecuttVs aS
thority should have granted TO It the full rights
Of the United States over the Potomsc front Of
sOSfos Of revenue mus. BE- made SIaisbie ySa
could not recommend the grant to private par.
ties Of the one next in prospective value TO the
wolves radical change Of the original plan q
the city.
COMMERCE OF THE NATIONAL cArrTLL.
By reference TO the plan Of L'Enfant and the
ptn S .: e
tensive quay with numerous docks and wharves.
The design was that It should be forever dedi-
Of and
was expected that this commerce would be Of
vast proportions. Provision was made for public
street, the fec simple property, and the wharves
:, and docks, 30 Is 70 stamp the latter Is public
property and exclude forever the possibility Of
Gammelipg the trade Of Washington by privste
claims Of owpership In the wharf front or burden
ing It with the exsctions Of monopoly. II would
as faerlnt departure frem this design to con-
hscate all the plblc interests In the wharf froat
Tor the benefit Of railroad company, a fatal
objection to this bill is the large number Of con-
fictipg claims to the water front OF Washington,
between Easbys wharf and street south.
Above the Long bridge the oyerhowed lands op-
posite the mouth OF Tiber creek, being accre-
lions made by the gradual deposit OF river silt
since the construction OF the BRIDGE are claimed
by the United States, and In part BY
TIE CHEsAPEAKE AND OHIO CANAL COMPANY,
py several persons holding under the KidNell
patent Of 1859 and by owners Of upland lots, VINO
claim as riparian ownere. Below Long brfdRe
the wharf sites are claimed BY the United states,
and particular ones By the District Of Columbia,
and by the owners Of lots on the north side Of
Water street, who claim the wharf sites as ap.
company 10 to be created as an antagonist to the
numerous claimants referred to, the passage o.
the bill would lead TO o furious and prolonged
and complicated litigation. II Il IL . friend te
apy Of the claimants and In their interest, tine
DILL may be used to despoil the United States
and the District Of rig hts which they have pevei
willingly conceded. Would II not be better tna'
The United States should vfpdicste Its title pe
fore granting Il TO private partiesf And II ~ U
TO be srantsd, why not to the District, In ordef
that What has beeu public property since the for