Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-13
OUR PUBLIC BUILDING.
MIR. NORWOOD'S BILL TO Re-
PUT THROUGH CONGRESS.

The Appropriation Cut Down from
$500. 900 tn 5000. .OOO~Mahono at the
Head OF the Senate Committee Having
the Bill in Charge Complaints About
the Present Building.
WASHINGTON, April l2.-It seems pro-
bable that Mr.. Norwood's bill ap-
propriating 100000 for the pur.
chase of site and the erection of
building for post office and United
states court house at savannah will pass
Ihe senate and become law at this ses-
sion oil Congress. II viii be remarked
that the bill, as originally introduced, ap-
propriated 100000 and that this amount
was cut down by the House Com.
mlttee on Public Buildings, one-thlrd
uhuer general rule adopted
oy the committee eariv in the session.
IL Is probable that the Georgia Senator's
WIN make no attempt to have the appro-
! prlation increased in the Senate. partlv
because 1t is now thought that 500 O0A
! VIII enable the government TO nut up a,
satisfactory building, and partly because
II the Dill should be amended in tho
senate IL would have 10 90 back to the
house again, and so its passage would be
delayed, II not jeOpardized. Senator
| ANW" mas Hau lue Dill referred IN
| the senate to the Committee on Publi0
buildings and Grounds. The members of
the committee are Malone, Of Virginia,
| Chairman; Morrill, OF Vermont, Stanford
OF California, SpoOner OF Wisconsin, Jones
OF Florida, Vest of Missouri, and Camden
OF West Virginia. Jones and Vest are
absent from the Senate, the latter on ac-
count OF illness, and so the difficulty OF
| gettlnG quorum, always cons siderable i'm
| GOtnmIffpn
But Senator Brown has asked Malone.
! 10 nave the savannah public buildingl
Dill considered the next time the COM
mlttee gets quorum at a meeting, and
! Malone has promised that he would.
senator Colquitt and Representative Nor
wood nave talked with other members OF
the committee TO the same end. Senatorl
| Brown Will present to the Senate COM
mlttee letters addressed to Mr.. Norwood
| from Justice Bradley, Justice Woods and
| Judge John Erskine, which were re-
| ferred to by the House COMMITTEES
In reporting the bill, and also a letter
subsequently received from Judge Emory
| Speer showing the necessity for better ac-
! commodatOns for the United States
| Courts. Justice Woods says that the
! united states court room in Savannah ia
| the worst in the whole OF the Fifth United
| states judicial district, which extends
| from the savannah river TO the Rio
! OTauue. justice Bradley saws: 81 re-
member perfectly we'll the disagreeable
surroundings OF the court room. The
noise was sometimes deafening, and the
location and plan OF the building are very
untitled for its purpose" Judge Erskine
says: "The noise and rumbling Of draws
and wagons during the day is 80 continu-
Gus and loud that to hear at all in the
court room the windows on the sides have
to be kept closed, and consequently the
room IS deprived of fresh air and at times
is really sitting. Moreover, it seems to
me, If may judge from my long expert,
ence, that the architect has violated every
lesson in the science OfsOund; the accou-
stlcs OF the room are simply bad, so much
so thatit Is often impossible for the Ordi-
nary ear 10 hear the Judge, counsel or
! witness; and in many instances that the
jury might hear the charge of the c0urb
| distinctly | have left the bench and sat
! near the panel, this necessity TO say the
least was awKard. The Office rooms are
insufficient in number and too small for
the transaction m the public business.'S
Judge Speer's letter is to the same effect.
IL Is only necessary 10 state the bare facts
about the present quarters of the Savan-
nah post Office to show why it should be
| removed.