The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-14

In the year 1770 the General Assembly Of
| Virgin then sitting IN the city or VIII
llamsburg, which bad been the capital Of
the Commonwealth since the abandonment
Of jamestown, provided bv law for the re-
mova OF the seat of government TO Rich
mond and the erection there Of q capitol
and other public buildings. IL was deter
mined that these buildings and the land re-
quIred for their use should be located on
ShOckoe Hill. The original purpose was
that the Capitol should be alone used by the
General Assembly; but poverty. that bane
OF States as well az indivduals. made the
housing Of a number OF State officers in the
basement aud apex necessity. The exc
cntion OF the General Assembly's project
was cOnfided 10 a board Of directors con-
ssting OF dve Of The then leading cilizens
Of the Old Dominion. The model from
which the Capitol was erected was sent
from France IN 1856 by Thomas Jefferson.
and was fac-simile OF the Mais0n Quarree
Of NiSIncs, an ancient Roman temple still
eJtdnt after 4 lapse OF 1900 years and in a
fair state OF pre>ervatiOn. In the actual
erection OF the Capitol some departures
were made from The model not 10 the ad.
vantage OF the building ii Is tnugf. These
departures from The original design were
necessary to accommodate the officers OF
government other than the General Assem-
bly,.
The cornerstone Of the Capitol was laid
August IS, 1855. On the 18th October.
1889, The General Assembly first met
therein, the building being still unfinished.
The whole cost OF the building was prOba-
bly, $4,000 OF our present currency. 1t
bad at first fit roof. On the 10Th OF De.
ccmber, 1895, five thousand dollars were
voted the directors by the General Assem-
bly, for the purpose OF altering the roof and
finishing the building.
Since that time the building has been often
altered and amer ded al considerable cost TO
the State. Many world-renowned men have
been temporarily housed under its roof and
many stirring scenes have transplred in its
various chambers-Iegslaiive, executive.
and judicial. The most memorable as well
as the most painful occurrence connected
with the Capitol was the killing OF near an
hundred citizens and tie wOunding and
manning OF many more by The falling Of the
floors Of the room used by the Supreme
Court Of Appeals on April %, 1870.
The General Assembly rs early as 1882
were compelled, by an incursion OF the
| British Colonel TarltOn and the renegade
Arnold, 10 hastily adjourn from Richmond,
/ where it was then in session in framed
house on the street leading 10 MayO's
bridge, to Charlottesville, whittier hat body
was followed by Governor Jefferson, it was
charged at the time with more celerIty than
the occasion called for. BY a happy and
timely evacuation OF Monticello. Governor
Jefferson afterwards escaped dSagrrtable
interview with "Red-COat TarltOn " and
his British draToOns.
! The present iron railing around the Capt.
tol Square was placed there between 1917
ard 1929 by order OF he General Assembly,
because OF fancied insult offered the Gov
erEor at that time by some thUughliess ciii-
gems of Richmond. For some years there
after the gates were kept locked at night
and no citizen permitted 10 pass through
the grounds. The cost Of the railing was
about S23,0J0.
Houdon's statue Of Washington, which
has been in the rolundl vi the Capitol since
Nav, 1895, was contracted for by Mr.. JEFF
ferson with the great French artist in 1885,
in pursuance OF authority given by reso-
luton OF the General Assembly passed the
year previous.
Allusion having been made TO the laying
! OF the cOrneT-.tOGe Of the Capitol, II may
/ be remarked that the Director OF Public
Buildings requested the Ms.ns TO perform
that ceremony, and that they marched in
procession 20 the site OF the proposed
| building, where the Right Worshipful Mas
| ter deposited under The elst cornerstone a
silver medal, whereOn was the following in.
ScIIpiiou
"The Richmond Lodge Of Free Masons,
40. 13, Alexander Montgomery, Master,
/ Joined by the other officers and brethren,
assisted in laying The foundation OF this
fabric on the 1Sth day OF August, a. l..
/ $50. \. d. 1855, in the year OF American
! independence 10. JAMES MERCER,
"Grand Master OF Virginia."
| On May 10. 1860, resolution was adopt
/ ed by one branch OF the General Assembly
requesting the Ati0:ney.Generai Uhen Hon.
j. Randolph Tucker to inquire into the
lille by which the Stale held the public
grounds, &C., no original papers or copies
| relating thereto being found on search. so
! far as appears, no action was taken on said
resolution. The war came on, and the sub
ject was lost sight OF till revived only few
years since. when the inquiry was again set
afOot relative to the early history OF the
Capitol Square. which, while known TO have
been the property OF The Commonwealth
for nearly a century, no record could be
the names OF the former owners Of the lots
composing it. Various traditonary things
were asserted OF portion OF the lot, one
narration being to the effect that valuable
portion was given by a generous Old-time
citizen on condition that il should revert
to his heirs when it ceased TO be used as a
public square. A gentleman Is. Basseit
French well yersed in local history was
charged few years since with the duty OF
eliminating from the miss OF the past the
true inwardnes OF the matter, that the State
might be assured Of its rights therein.
For long time search amongst the re-
cords, either in the Capitol, In the Hastings
Court office Of this city, or County Court OF
Henrico, was unayailing. Finally, an
old citizen Conway Robinson, Esq.,
remembered that be had once, in
1921, seen bundle OF papers con.
tanning number OF inQuisiiions for
the condemnation OF the land In ques.
ton. and, furnished with that clew, for there
was no record Of the matter, the clerk OF
HenricO County Court, Samuel Z. Waddlll,
ESQ, after an exhaustive search unearthed
the reouired documents, aged-stained and
antique. snugly slowed away with other old
papers that on the outside gave not the
Slightest idea OF their contents.
Asiswell known, on the removal OF the seat
of government from Williamsburg 10 Rich
mond in l779, Adam Craig, Esq, was clerk
OF Henrico County Court. On the in-
eorporatiop OF the town CT Richmond, in
1882, he was also appointed clerk OF
the Hastings Court OF this town. The
office was kept in that Of Henrlco county,
tho same i1iI and courthouse being used by