Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-19

THE LIBRARY BUILDING.
Points from the Debate In the House
Yesterday.
AND THAT SUITABLE STRUCTURE CAN BE ERECTED
FOR a, 500. .0O0-MR. KELLEY DEFKNDs TIE SMITH,
MEYER PLAN.
When, in the consideration of the sundry civil
| conference report In the House yesterday, the
Item making appropriation for the new Library
building was reached, Mr.. Payson made . power
full resistance to the concurrence in that amend
ment He took the position OF favoring the con-
struction OF suitable library building and ex.
pending for II whatever was necessary, but
opposed the continuance OF the work according 70
the Smithmeyer plans. which, he said, II followed
out IN It's entirety. would cost no one knew how
much-hfteen or twenty million dollars; and
which, II carried on In part, would look like an ex.
aggerated tenement house or row Of brick dwell
1ngs from back view, SURPRISING In architectural
ugliness even the Pension once building.
Hs consloereo the proposition nov made
erect part Of the building as worse than that 70
cut on was where the books were TO be kept Ac-
cording TO the fragment of the plan, known as
reading room, and that, he quoted Librarian Spot
9a f0ra as saying would be overcrowded In less than
building OF the west front for books
IN Favor OF A NEW PLAN.
He thought that building suitable for the pur.
pose, and such building as would not
| shame other public buildings in Washington,
building that would stand for all time and
that might accumulate in a hundred years,
should be erected and should be erected q COM
plete structure, not In fragmentary form. Such
Duildlng as tne Interior Department occupied
which be considered the handsOmest In Washing
ton-he would suggest as suitable. That building
cost about s, goo 900 He was willing TO vote for
suitable building on the site that the Govern
ment now owns. But after the expenditure Of
not an architectural mOnstrosiIy, that strangers
would have TO be cautioned to look at from but
one side.
BE ATTACKED Mr. sMITBMEYRR vEHEMENTLY,
charging him with retarding the construction Of
much needed building by Misrepresentation and
deception, practiced either through ignorance or
intent He reiterated former statement made by
MIN, ana which had been denied, that in 1884 Ar
chitect Smithmeyer had stated over his own sig
nature, that the cost OF the entire building would
be S. 262 600. Five hundred copies of the State
ment had been printed for the use OF the House.
but all the copies had been lost with the exception
OF One which, until few days ago, had been in
the possession OF the special committee on the IL
brary. But this copy had mysteriouSly disap-
peared and could not be found. However, Mr..
Pelz, Mr.. smithmeyer's partner, had testified that
such statement had been made by Mr.. Smith,
meyer He had no personal reenng against Mr..
Congress had been deceived by him, and he {Mr
Payson) did not propose to stand here as a repre-
sentative OF taxpayers and see SIS, ,OO0, 900 ex-
pended in an enterprise which not man In the
F0rty-ninth Congress would have voted for had he
known the facts II Mr. Smithmeyer should estt-
snd me cost o. building Which ne
he could only erect onequarter Of the building
that sum, he would believe that Mr.. Smithnleyer
had deceived him or that he was an ignoramus
who ought not TO be permitted to build a stable.
TO LIMIT THE COST TO S4,5OO,0OO.
He urged that the amendment appropriattng
$500 900 for continuing the work on the building
be rejected, and said that at the proper time he
would offer q resolution directing that the best
for building to cost 81 500 600 the result OF the
consultation and study or plans to be reported to
Congress sS9 & at any time , as high privilege and
tects had assured MN that q proper building for
the purpose, one to accommodate the books for
hundred years, could be built for much less
money, but he would propose that sum-he did
not think Congress ought TO be nigRardly in the
matter. None OF the buildings in which the great
libraries OF Europe are kept had cost more than
a fourth OF that sum, as ne showed by ngures
His proposition was that there should be suitable
building and that sufficient money for the erec-
tiOn OF such building should be appropriated.
What he said he was opposed TO was spending ex-
travagant sums OF money on no definite plan,
with no certainty as TO what the cost would be or
that they would have suitable building In the
end.
Judge Payson opposed the idea Of continuing the
work under the supervision OF Gen. Casey, saying
that while he was an honest man and q good engi-
neer he was not an architect
JUDGE KELLEY REPLIED
in defense OF the plan and Of Mr.. Smithmeyer He
said we had q magnificent library, not comparable
with some Of the libraries OF Europe but the foun-
dation Of one OF the finest libraries in the world
we have, ne said, librarian in MI. Sp0nord who
is said to be uneQualed among librarians Yet
comparatively small percentage OF the library was
tions for the books, and under the best manage
ment 1t was often impossible to find a book or the
volumes OF a set OF books He said that anybody
costly works of art not in place Be.
cause Congress has not been able TO
supply a place for them. The question, he said,
leve this engagement that will give facility for
the use of the books which will enable the librarian
20 our ,c charts @ and maps and 70 assign
books under the copyright law, and as result OF
the appropriations OF Congress to give facility to
supreme Court, and to the Executive ofiicefs and and
others access to the knowledge OF the world. He
thought Mr.: Payson had lost sight OF this Ques-
then entered into
THE DEFENsE OF Mr. sNITHnBYKR,
giving his architectural history" to show to the
House that he was reliable, responsible and tai.
ented architect fully capable OF the work that had
been assigned to him. He paid high tribute TO Ar.
men complained q was that Involved in providing
housing for our growing library, at q cost OF four
cents head on 60.0o0.o0O people.
The Ohinese Exclusion BAN.
sINAToR nDNuHDe' CALL FOR IT'S RRTuRN-rRI pIrx.
DELLvEnID 10 THE HousB oYvlCsns RIM NORM
ING.
The reslution reported by Mr. Edmunds in the
Senate this morning from the committee on foreien
relations, instruct1ng the President OF the Senate
TO withhold, until further direction by the Senate
the transmission to the House OF the Chinese re-
strction bill has not effected Its purpose. The
passage OF the measure was duly announced TO
feated. The act was then enrolled, signed BY the
stgned BY the President Of the senate.
The clerk OF the committee on enrolled
bills took 1t last night over TO the
House, but that body had adjourned and there
was no one to receive It, so it remained in the Gus
tody Q! the Senate committee over night and was
actually IN the possession OF the senate when the
resolution Of the foreign relations committee was
reported. The rules OF the Senate, at first read.
Ing, seem 70 provide that the defeat OF motion to
reconsider shall Dc nnl disposition. far as the
jurisdiction OF the Senate Is concerned, OF any
pending question, though upon this point there Is
room Tor slight difference OF opinion. Senator
Bowen, Chairman OF the Senate committee on en-
rolled ons. after careful examination OF the rule
held that the announcement to the House OF the
passage OF the bill was virtual surrender OF It's
CUSTODY, and he took the responsibility OF permit
fncY 01oU