Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-17
The Public Binding Site.

hepTeSen tatlFe NNTWOOu, IL seems. mas
sent to Atlanta a draft OF bill to be in
troduced into the Legislature TO obtain
authority 10 condemn a site for public
building in Savannah. He has found out,
according to the statement In our Wash
ingtOn dispatches, that il is necessary for
the Legislature OF this State, as well as
for Congress, to take action in this mat
ter. In view Of the fact that the Legisla-
ture adjourns next Saturday it is probable
that nothing will be done with the bill
before the adjourned session next sum-
mer. This means that il the course
which Representative Norwood is pursu-
Ing is persisted in the construction OF
public building in this city will be de-
layed for year or more.
There is some ground for thinking that
Representative Norwood is not showing
a proper regard for the will of the ma
jority Of the people OF this city with re-
spect to the public building. The
petitions which are now on file in the
Treasury Department show that public
sentiment here is largely in favor of
locating tn building on the Union Society
lot on Whitaker street. The agent of
the Treasury Department, who inspected
all the sites offered for the building, con-
cuded that the site on the southwest
corner of Bull and South Broad streets,
and the Union Society lot, on Whitaker
street, were the most available,
and OF these two he reported in favor
OF the Bull and South Broad streets site.
The government, however, considers that
fhn MIL ast t.
high, and the impression is that the pro-
ceedngs to be taken in Congress and the
Legislature of this State are to secure
the condemn alton of that site. But is
that impression correctr That can only
be determined by an inspection of the bills
which have been, or are TO be, introduced
into Congress and the Legislature for the
purpose of condemning property for
site. If the bills are intended to secure
the condemnation of property other than
that at the corner of Bull and South Broad
streets the public ou : bit to be apprlsed of
the fact at once. If the bills are wider in
their scope than they are understood here
to be the result may be the selection of
site that will be satisfactory to only
few interested parties.
The chief complaint against Represen-
tative Norwood, however, is that he does
not appear to have given any attention to
the numerously signed petitions which
have been sent to the Treasury Depart
ment lately in favor of the Union Society
lot, and to the further fact that the owner
Of the Bull and South Broad streets site
does not want to dispose of his property.
If the Union Society lot were accepted
the construction of the building would be
begun at once, and perhaps completed
before the question of a site will be settled
if the course now being pursued is con-
tinued.
1t can make no great difference to the
government where the building IS located
so long as it is convenient for the pur-
poses for which it is intended, and the
people OF this city are much better quail
fed to say which site is the most convent
ent than any one who is not resident.
As far as the Supervising Architect can
judge from the evidence he has In his DOS
session public sentiment here is largely in
favor of the Union Society site.