Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-04-01

The CAPITOL ana the Library.

Hartwick. 11s Boulevard Magenta and n T. Herald
o6ace. - Avenue de fOpera. Paris.
The Capitol and the Library.
The proposed plan of providing accommoda-
ton for the library of Congress by an annex TO
the Capitol has been sharply condemned By the
art and architectural authorities of the coun-
try; and Senator Morrill yesterday. In speech
showing a thorough study OF the subject, ex-
posed the g1aring faults and plumbers or the
project in the most convincing terms This
plan is brought forward directly In the race OF
the report of the Congressional commission
appointed two years ago, that it would De poor
economy to deface the Capitol-which Is uni
versally conceded to be very fine structure,
and which cost more than thirteen million-in
order to provide for the library. Mr.. Morrill,
first presented the facts showing the necessity
for provision on large scale for the
present overpfus of books, and for the
vast accumulatiOnS Of the future. More
than 10000 volumes, or more than the
entire library contained In 1860 are now
tumbled about On the floor or stacked up In
alcoves wholly inaccessible. The annual In
crease of the library from the various sources
OF purchase, copyright, Smithsonian exchanges,
&C., is now fully 40, 600 volumes, and reaches
rate equal to that Of the British Museum con-
Quoted On an immensely costlier scale, and
WHICH CONtTS elSuJ dCrto vi STUu10. 1uc fdtl0
of increase for the future win continue to grow
larger and larger. "The unyielding truth is,"
he said, s'that we have got to move Congress
out to give room for the library, or move the
library out to give room for Congress. We must
stop all further increase, and either reduce the
library TO the stinted and specific wants Of Con-
greSs alone, or permit 1t to advance to national
importance, and give 1t room equal to the cul-
ture, wants and resources OF great people.
Any mere enlargement will be a temporary
expedient, and by the time completed more
room would be required
Mr.. Morrill, made warm protest against the
proposed extension Of the Capitol for the ac-
commodation Of the library as an architectural
01Shgurement,-a huge eXcreScence upon
whatever there Is OF simplicity, grandeur, or
Of classic beauty, In the present appearance of
the Capitol. The present site OF the Capitol
was indisputably one OF the finest that has ever
been decorated with parliamentary or leg1sla-
tive buildings. No other Is comparable to it
save that at Versailles, and that is not better.
What nature has lavishly bestowed, he argued,
should not be irreverently sQuandered In the
name OF art. The grounds are none too extern
sive; the vista on the western front is too short
and brief. II the mass of the buildings was to
be increased, good taste would require more
than proportionate increase Of the grounds;
but the natural features OF the grounds
forbid their occupation by buildings or
greater bulk. Capitol Hill cannot be ex-
banded and may easily be overloaded. The
suggested rectangular extension OF the wings
In the western front of the Capitol he de-
nounced as an architectural atrocity nearly as
1ndefensible as Berninis elliptic extension of
st. Peters. ANY extension which could posi-
bly, furnish one-fourth Of the room needed for
. new library would not only cruelty dlstort the
Capitol itself, utterly destroying its singleness
Of purpose, but would be an equally fragrant
maltreatment OF the Capitol grounds. The
proposed extension of the central portion OF
the east front he also opposed by half dozen
conclusive objections The Idea Of a western
extension Of the Capitol wings was also thor
oughly Objectionable, as he pointed out. He
also combatted the notion that it was neces-
sary to build extensions to the Capitol to pro-
vide better ventilated legislative halls than the
present. Despite all that has been said about
the ventilation there he contended that No bet
ter ventilated hall Of equal dimensions could
be found than the present Senate cham
Der. In regard to the objection made
that the Senate and House are inner rooms,
and ought to have windows opening directly
upon light and air, he showed that the Houses
OF Parliament In London, the German Parlia-
ment House at Berlin, the House of Peers and
the House OF Deputies In Paris, the House of
Deputies at Versailles, the House OF Parliament
at Vienna, as well as that at Pesth In Hungary
and that at Sidney In New South Wales all
modern structures are all con-
structed with their legislative halls completely
EMBODIED In the interior, like our own; lighted
from skylights, and similarly surrounded with
corridors and offices. The sources of light and
air are not greater than In ours, and the air is
all admitted at the bottom and exhausted at
the top, as In ours. Legislative halls with
external windows would not work; "O2en win
COWS beyond being an enemy to all executive
or secret sessions Of the Senate would often fur
dish too much OF windy currents to those near
est, II just enough to those remote, and would
always add to the noise within all the noise
without. Moreover, the laws Of acoustics for
Did open windows. They neither admit OF ease
ID speaking or hearing, as every current OF air
musicals the voice or the sense of hearing
He concluded with vigorous protest against
further patchwork on the Capitol, either In the
shape OF ''swag- bellied centers or right-angled
tail ends" and expressed the opinion that
when the east and west centers shall each he
brought out twenty or thirty feet as they Will,
be when the soft sand stone shall be replaced
with marble, and finished In harmony with the
wings, 1t VIII be all that was originally de-
signed or that Is desirable
MI. Aorrill from years OF capable service on
the committee on public buildings and grounds
Is well qualified to express an intelligent opIn-
lon upon these matters.
Whether DR.. Talmage is guilty or not, as
charged before the Brooklyn Church council,
he seems TO be responsible for some pen and ink
work OF sufficiently dubious character. We
have circular setting forth the thrilling inter-
est OF his last book, "a large octave volume OF
over FIVE hundred pages, elegantly illustrated
with about fifteen full page engravings, giving
DIR. Talmage's experience and observations, as
lately seen by HMM company with two elders
of his church and three high police officials
during their midnight explorations in the
haunts OF vice Of New York city" 1t is further
stated that the book Is written In his strongest