Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-22
The New congregational Library
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JUDICIARY SQUARE SETTLED UPON As THE BEST
sITE-CAPTAIN GRANTS SCEEME-TACTICS OF
The CAPITOL HILL MEN.
The joint select committee on the Congress
iouai Library Will, Immediately after the holi
day recess, report q bill making appropriation
for the construction OF the proposed building
and locating the latter In Judiciary square. a
plan OF building viii also be submitted but Il
has not Yet been determined. The architects
have b6en allowed further time TO complete
their designs, estimates, etc, and these viii be
1eady 10 submit with the bill Immediately after
the recess.
THE CAPITOL HILL PLAN.
There was only one site urged with any de-
gree OF persistence in opposition TO Judiciary
Square. Captain A. Grant and others inter
ested in the property east OF the CAPITOL grounds
submitted plan for the extension OF those
grounds beyond lst street east. This plan ln-
VolVed the purchase, by the government, OF all
the property fronting on the east side or Ist
street ithe row where the Oid Capitol prison
stoo0) TO the full width or the Capitoi grounds.
1t would also involve the destruction or all the
handsome residences along that whole front TO
allow OF the extension OF the Capitol grounds
Then, Captain Grants plan, proposed the cree
uon OF library building in one corner OF the
Ing for the supreme Court and law department
OF the government in the other corner. II
would cost, at the lowest estimate,
ONE MILLION DOLLARS
TO purchase the property mentioned. Then In
adGltlon would oe the cost OF tearing down the
buildings, removing the material and cutting
the ground down TO the level OF the Capitol
grounds. After that would come the expense
OF erectlDg the buildings. The committee ap-
parently regarded this plan as too expensive,
as they voted TO TO locate the library build
Ing In Judiciary square. Senator Morrill, the
only member OF the committee who voted
against Judiciary square, has all along favored
putting the library on present Capitol grounds
or SO enlargfng the Capitol as to make room Tor
the library: The parties who urge capt. Grant,
scheme take the position that the Capitol
grounds must oe enlarged In the future, and
hence that the money expended for the ac-
qu1siti0n OF the property east or the Capitol, iu
their plan, must not be counted In the cost ol
the library building. On the other hand the
members Of the committee think that the Cap
ftol grounds are large enough for the presen,
and the future.
THE TACTICS OF THE CAPITOL HILL PARTY.
1t is understood that the parties interested
with Capt. Grant intend applying for an il
junction TO restrain Or forbid the erection OF 3
library on Judiciary square on the ground that
that square was intended for and must be
maintained as park. They hold that the gov
ernment has no right to use fl for building pur-
poses. The joint committee were informed
that such point had been raised, and at their
request Representative Clafiin. OF Mass "a
member Of the committee,) thoroughly exam
ined the whole question OF The right OF erecting
oulIdlng on the square. He ascerta1Red and
reported 10 the committee that the deed con-
veying the squares constituting what is known
as Judiciary square, as signed by the original
grantOrs, conveys II ''for public buildings or
other purposes" This deed was made In the
last century, and is regularly recorded and
signed. GOV. Claflin reported that there is no
question OF the right 10 construct a public
building on that ground, and thereupon the
committee voted almost unanimously in favor
OF that site.
JUDICIARY SQUARE
contains 1917 acres The new library building
will occupy, say the committee, about acre,
leaving l615 acres for breathing pu- poses
Again, the members of the committee and
others who have studied the subject insist tha,
such building as Is contemplated will greatly
Washington the open spaces-parks ETC.. for
breathing purposes-are TO the space covered
by buildings in the ratio OF 8 to Q, being more
than double the space reserved from residences
or public buildings In any other city or this
country, II not in the world.