The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-04-22
The City Hail ana stssise.
nc Edik0v az The IilsDulCk :

To the EdtMF or ITO htspu'H' f'''f'' ID
The writer OF the communication in
your issue Of the Goth instant has point
cd out succinctly md WITH 'fbrce some
Of the reasons why the proposed new cry
Hall should be located on the old site. lie
very Justly observes that The sum apprro-
priated for the site building, and equip
ment is only 100000, and II Is wei known
that OF those whose yoteswere polieu upon
the question when twas s,idniued 10 Ihs
peoplc. by far the greater number Vo,ed
for the appropriation upon The ground tnat
II was limited toas total sum OF x3so,ooo,
and that the concentration pi TINS sum
upon the City Hall wonld have the erect OF
checking unnecessary and iinproveientai'-
propriations for less useful PURPOSES. f,Bnt
Tor this idea Il may be confidently asserted
that the recorded vote would have been
against any appropriation at alt, ~ was
never dreamed OF then that the esti7
mate Of 100000 was to be merely
the thin edge OF the wedge 10 be
driven In until we were launched
upon an enterprise OF indefinite extent.
Accordingly. in good faith the Counch,
comfortably to this expression OF public
opinion as indicated hy that vote E'hough,
in fact. very meagre one, and by no means
representing the property'of The city, have
selected the old site so as fq utilize u as iif
as il would go. and thus TO bring the cost
OF the building and eduipmehts In good
faith within the estimate; but no sooner is
this done than the cry is heard mot from
the people or the taxlparers) from official
ouarters that a larger LOT Is needed. and by
conseauencefa larger building. With the
larger part, Of the present appropriation
swallowed up at the start IN the purchase
OF the new site, it needs no prophet 10 Tore
cast the result OF this movement. III means
on its face vastly increased expense, and
its concomitant Of increased taxation. we
hear nothing OF this just now. but the work
once begun we shall begin TO realize that IL
is TO "begin TO build before we have
counted the cost and the trouble
then will be to lind that possibly many
OF the promoters OF the new scheme
will not be found among those 10 bear It's
burtbens. There are other good reasons
(besides proper regard to the finances OF
The city) for retaining the old site. 1t is
the traditional historical site, endeared to
almost every old citizen; 1t il the geo.
graphical centre OF the city, and contiSu-
Gus TO the Capitol, Governors house,
and the business centre OF the city.
The location opposite the public square is
the most beautiful and airy that can be
found. Ii Is bound by three broad and
quiet streets at once convenient to business
centres and TO the whole people. and al the
same time removed from the noise OF
crowded thoroughiares and the dust and
heat which necessarily attend them. We
need no courts or parks surrounding the
building. They will add nothing to the
beauty Of the building, but only furnish
a resort for idlers. The city Of Baltimore
has recently erected a grand City Hall.
costing several millions. ii has no court
ward or park about it, but j. erected, as we
recoIlect, on the street lines. The same Is
true. we believe, OF the costly structure now
being erected by the city OF Philadelphia.
While it is very well TO have an eye TO
the future, vet il is not incumbent on us
to strain our resources OF cripple our
credit in an attempt to discount an imagi-
nary future. Fifty or one hundred wears
is quite far enough Tor us TO look ahead,
and at the end OF that time ii the people OF
Richmond find il eXpedicnt to enlarge their
CITY Hall or build neiC one, they will
have plenty OF time. and. hope, means to
do so. There is such thing a. improving
ones estate, and such thing rs being nm
prored oft OF ones estate, and when n
sensible man is left 10 think and act for
himself he generally prefers the former TO
the latter. All that we want, and all that
We can really afford, is to have conye-
nient, well-arranged, respectable building,
large enough TO serve our purposes for the
present and for generation or so to come,
and that we can have and must have iii at
alD within the limit Of the present estimate,
and which can be as well done upon the
present site with the additional Topper
property, and in many respects better,
than any other site that can be suggested.
II