Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-04
THE ROCK CREEK PARK BILL.
Provisions Of the Measure to be Con-
sidered This Session.

| fed and slightly amended in several particu-
| lars. The text Of the bill as it comes before
| Congress at the present session is as follows:
| Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
| Representatives of the United States of America
| in Congress assembled. that tract of land
| lying on both sides of Rock Creek, beginning
| at klingle Ford>bridge, and running north
wardly, following the course of said creek, of q
| width not less at any point than four hundred
| feet including the bed of the creek, of which
not less than fifty feet shall be on either side
of said creek, and Of such greater width
at any point or points as the commissioners
designated in this act may select, shall be Sc
cured, as hereinafter set out, and is perpetually
dedicated and set apart a public park or
pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment
Of the people of the United States: Provided,
no viewer, That the whole tract so to be
selected and condemned under the provisions
of this act shall not exceed 2, 900 acres.
Sec. 2. That the chief of engineers OF the
United States army, the president of the board
| of Commissioners Of the District of Columbia
and the Engineer Commissioner of the District
| of Columbia be, and they are hereby, appointed
| a commission to select the land for said park,
OF the quantity and within the limits aforesaid,
and to have the same surveyed by the assistant
| to the said Engineer Commissioner in charge
Of public highways, which said assistant shall
also act as executive officer to the said COM
| mission.
| Sec. 3. That the said commission, immedi-
ately after making the selection Of said tract,
| shall make application to the Supreme Court
| of the District of Columbia at q general or
special term by petition containing a particu-
lar description of the property required, with
the name of the owner owners thereof and
his, her or their residence, as far as the same
can be ascertained, and said court is hereby
| authorized and required, upon such application
| and without delay, to ascertain and assess the
| damages occasioned by the taking of said land
| to each owner thereof or to any person having
| legal claim to said damages in the manner
| provided with reference to the taking of land
| for highways in the District of Columbia.
| Sec. 4. That the fee simple of all premises SO
appropriated for public use, Of which an APP
| praisement shall have been made under the
| order and direction of said court, shall, upon
payment OF the appraised value to the owner
| or owners, respectively, or to such persons as
! shall be authorized to receive the same
| for any such owners, be vested in
| the United States; and if, in any case,
| the owner or owners of any por-
that OF said land shall refuse or neglect, after
the appralsement of tho cash value of said
lands and improvements by said court, to
demand the same from the said commission,
/ upon depositing the appraised value in said
court to the credit o. such owner or owners,
| respectively, the fee simple of all such lands
shall be in like manner vested in the
United States. And the said commission is
| hereby authorized and required to pay to the
several owners, respectively, or to such persons
| authorized as aforesaid, the appraised value of
the several premises as specified in the appraise
| ment by said court, or to pay into court by
deposit as hereinbefore provided the said APP
praised value.
Sec. s. That said court may direct the time
| and manner in which possession of the property
| condemned shall be taken or delivered, and
may, II necessary, enforce any order or issue
| any process for giving possession.
Sec. 6. That no delay in making an assess
| ment of compensation, or in taking possession,
shall be occasioned by any doubt which may
| arise as to the ownership Of the property, or
any part thereof, or as to the interests of the
| respective owners. In such cases the court
| shall require deposit of the money
| allowed as compensation for the whole prop
erty or the part in dispute. In all CAGES as
soon as the said commission shall have paid
| the compensation assessed, or secured its pay
| ment by deposit of money under the order
of the court possession Of the property may
be taken.
Sec. Z. That to defray all expenses of in
quiry, survey, assessment, payment for lands
taken and all other necessary expenses Incl
dental thereto, and for the maintenance and
| improvements Of such lands as public park, the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia are
hereby authorized and empowered to have ex-
ecuted and prepared bonds of the District
OF Columbia of the denomination of 800 and
81, 900 to an amount not exceeding 81 zoo, 900,
to bear interest at a rate not exceeding three
per centum per annum, payable semi-annually
on the LIST of January and July in each
year, to be dated July l, 1890, and to run and be
payable fifty years from July /, 1890; said
bonds to be signed by the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia and countersigned by
the Secretary Of the Treasury of the United
States. When such bonds to the amount
Of $4,000 are properly prepared or
the Secretary of the Treasury of the United
shall be the custodian of the same and shall
sell said bonds at not less than par and as the
money may be needed from time to time in the
execution of this act upon the written request
OF the commissioners appointed by this act.
The sum Of money realized from the
sale of said bonds shall be. deposited
in the Treasury of the United
States. and the money to be disbursed for said
condemnation shall be held subject to the draft
thereon of the said commissioners appointed
by this act, accompanied or preceded by the
proper papers of condemnation: Provided,
That no money shall be paid for any land or
Improvements condemned in pursuance of this
act, except upon the certificate of the Attorney
General of the United States that a
good and sufficient deed of the land and i'm
provements in question has been duly executed
and delivered to him, vesting the title to said
property in the United States Of America. 1t
shall be the duty of the Commissioners of the
District OF Columbia to provide for the semi
annual payment of the interest on the bonds
hereby authorized from the revenues of the
District of Columbia and provide a sinking
fund of $4,000 per year to pay the principal
| at maturity. And when all the land has been
taken. condemned, and paid for necessary in
carrying out the provisions of this act, any
money then remaining in the Treasury of the
United States to the credit of said Com
missioners shall pass to the credit Of
the sinking fund created for the payment Of
the principal of the bonds issued under the
provisions of this act and any bonds pre-
pared under the provisions of this act which
shall not have been sold at that time shall
treasurer Of the United States in the Gus
tomary manner: Provided That one-half Of the
sum which shall be advanced or expended by
the District of Columbia. as aforesaid, and one
half of such sinking fund, created as aforesaid
shall be refunded or paid by the United States
to the District OF Columbia, and one-half
thereof shall be charged against and paid out
Of the revenues of the District of Columbia,
in the manner now provided by law in respect
to the other appropriations for the District OF
Columbia.
Sec 8. That the public park authorized and
established by this act shall be under the ex-
elusive control of the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia, whose duty it shall be as
soon as practicable TO lay out and prepare road
ways and bride paths, to be used for driving
and for horseback riding respectively,
and footways for pedestrians; and whose
duty it SHALL also, be to make and publish such
regulations as they deem necessary or proper
for the care and management Of the same.
Such regulations shall provide for the preser-
walton from iniurv or spoliation NJ all fimbar