National Republican., 1878-05-30
THE PROPOSED Library BUILDING
Some POST Biunders Corrected by Mr.. Amos
Hunt.

Some POST Biunders Corrected by Mr.. Amo,
Hunt.
| WAsBINGToN CRY, d. c., May 25, 1873.
TO hs Editor Of the National Republican;
Tho Washington Post Of this morning has or
editorial article on the subject ofa new Con
gress Library Building as follows:
The Committee on the Library have substantia
" agreed to report in favor Of appointing a com
mission 10 select a site and determine plans ioi
the construction ofa new library building on q
grand scale. This II measure that will probably
meet with, no opposition provided Judiciary
Square Is selected as the site. But n the commits
siqn i.qn goes into the real estate business on Capitol
hlll u VIII lie very likely to breed jobbery, aud
thus encounter antagonsm. In view OF the fncts
onm Judiciary square snlrcady ownedbythe Coy
etnment and Is by far the best site the city affords
II VIII be very difficult to secure public sanction o
an expenditure Of $500 600 or slOOJOOO in buying
up private property east Of the Capitol building
Now desire to say that II the Post man
had carefully posted himself In relation to the
iacts In this case he would probably have ar
rived at very different conclusions. Because
1t is well-known fact that Senator Howe did,
on tho ith day Of February, 1873, intro
duce In the Senate bill No. 6ls, appointing a
commission for the purposes indicated in the
Posts article; and that said bill became a law
more than two mouths since and that said
commission Of five members have had several
meetings, but as yet have arrived at no def
VI IcpDTt. anu US 10 tHeTc
being no opposition to judiciary Square as q
site, beg leave to say that no impartial, dis
Interested public or private individual favors
that site because 10 Is entirely too far away
from the Capitol. Everybody knows that tho
Congressional Library should be located at, or
as near as practicable, the place where Congress
meets and holds discussions and deliberations.
Besides, when the City Hall Is enlarged aud
finished agrccably to tile original plan, and the
Post-Otice and Interior Departments shall have
been erected on Judiciary Square, the ground
there will be fully and appropriately occupied
As to real-estate or land "jobbsry" and rings,
they are combinations aud practices that have
never been created or tolerated on Capitol Hill
or East Washington. Tho City Hall and other
formidable locations in the vicinity of Judi.
ciary Square have heretofore been the prolific
hot-beds Of land jobbery and rings combined
with various doubtful speculations. Finally,
ask where is the public and patriotic man
who has openly declared In favor of Judiciary
Square as the most appropriate site for the
Congress Library Echo answers where? On
the other hand, such distinguished Senators
rs Fessenden, Wilson, Bright, Douglas, the
MOrrills, and host of others have publicly ad-
Vocated the propriety and necessity of adding
to the Capitol grounds the land contained In
the bill No. 57I US introduced In the Senate
tue present session by senator Dawes, chair.
man Of the Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds. The passage Of that bill will, at
u limited cost, afford the United States ample
and appropriate sites for the library, Supreme
Court, aud National University buildings, at
the most suitable location aud will greatly
improve the shape and appearance of the park
east Of the Capitol. AMOS HUNT.