The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-02-06
WASHINGTON CITY.
DESIGN OF THE CITY AND DrsrRIcr-THE
THEORY OF ITS AVENUES, ETC.

Incidental to the discus sion Of "claims
against the District Of Columbis In the
House, recently, Mr.. Garfield, Of Ohio,
stat 4 p' follows:
This city was laid out because very great
event had occurred where Congress was sit
ting. The revolutionary army became mu-
tiuous because they did not have their pay
what had been promised them-and there
wa such q terror at one time 1t was
thought ursafe /, continue the Copgre
longer In 81 ion at that city. An appeal
VIZ ms ie D the authorities Of tho city, but
they could do nothing. Api cal was made
to the authorities Of the State, but they
could do nothing. The Congress was there,
pilgiims : I'D strangers and guests in city
that ,uld not defend then, and In State
that could not defend them. Now. there
fore, the fathers said situation OF that
kind leqri % that we shall have Territory y
and district of our own, ,over which no Stats,
no mayoralty, or no city organization can
have any control whatever, except what 1t
derives from us. That was the oi.gin Of
creating district ten miles square, or less,
in which the government should be solely
vested in the Congret Of the United States,
In order that Congress should be a. supreme
there as it wouli be on the very floor Of It's
Capitol.
That was the reason, then, Of the estab-
lishment of this District !; and when 1t had
been establishe d under the dirt c,ion Of
Washington, whose far-sightcd wisdom he :
marke with his finger-marks all this dis
trict, remembering what had occurred in
Paris, where they had seen barricades, and
mots, and menace about the Corps Legis-
latif, be directed bis French engineer to lay
out this city you sc it, with great dag
onal avenues radiating like the SPOKE of .
whesl all about this Capitol, SO that II the
time should ever come when We we're men
A. | by . mutiny or mob We might fill
ther great avenues with our artillery to
protect tho Legislature Of the nation, and
do the same around the Executive Mansion
to protect the President of the Unite !
Stat =.
These broad avenues then we're laid out
for the United States, and not for the ex-
pectant populations which would stay here.
What people Of the globe, setting for COM
mer,ial purpose 5, would lay out an avenue
like that of Pennsylvania avenue, or Me- 3
sachusetts avenue,or any Of the other great
avenues of this city? What broad. minds d
craftsmanship can come in and say let this
people pay all the vast expense Of this cap
itale 1t 1t be remembered that this II the
only city on the round globe in which the
| Government owns the fee-simpls to every
foot Of every street and avenue In 1t. W.
could to-day, ii we pleas I'D, pass law which
should build solid block of buildings from
the western foot of this Capitol to the Trea y
ury, filling either side of the whole of Penn
sylvania avenue with buildings, or to mak'
| it canal, and not one man living along the
street would have any lawful recourse
against US ex pit as we choose as mere
matter of mercy to give it. The citizens
who own property on our streets do not owl
to the middle of the street; they do not owr
even an ef ament on the strt At, except th'
| grace of the imperial ,wer OF Congress
| within this District grants to them.