Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-02-16
THE COLLEGE LANE.
Reasons Given by the authorities OF
the College for Refusing 20
Reopen IL.

The foilpwing is a copy IF the reply
adopted by the Visitors and Governors Of
ST. Johns College to the application made
to IL by committee Of the City Council
for the reopcning of what was called Col
lege Lane:
Messrs. James Reyell and others. Com
mittee Of the Mayor and City Council of
Annapolis, Md. Gentlemen:-TheR oard
Of Visitors and Governors of ST Johns
College has received your communication
dated Feb. 9th. 1889. asking that the lane
be re-opentd which ran across the corner
Of the COLLEGE campus. and connected
College avenue with the road to The Gov
ernment Farm aud Severn River Bridge.
and have considered Il at a NEE ing held
this evening. February IA, SO. You in
form US that by reason of the closing of
that lane great inconvenience has been
undergone by our citizens and especially
by those residing on the other side Of the
Severn River. The Board Of Visitors
and Governors cannot comply with your
request, but it is desr not Ia be
thought discourteous by making a bare
refusal, nor exacting in having at last as
serted its right to close up that lane
against the public.
A review of the circumstances involv
ed will suffice to convince you that the
board has Icing since given thorough con-
sideration 10 the views which you present
and has shown tue utmost lenieBcy in
dealing with what had become to il an
abominab'e nuisance.
That lane was opened during the late
war. whilst the College property was oc
cupitd by the General Government as a
Hospital Advantage was taken of that
fact by the adjoining property owners,
and they built, on the rear Of their Col
lege Avenue lots. houses fronting on this
lane. access to which could only be had
by trespassing on College property.
These houses gradually came to be
classed among the viest and most disrep.
able in the city. Remonstrance with
their owners and occupants was Of no
avail. Crimes and violations of law of
all degrees Of euormity were constantly
taking place there: aud the morals of tho
young men under instruction at the Col
lege were imperilled by the open debau-
cherry there constantly going on before
them.
Whilst this Board cannot remove all
pit falls from the path of the youth com
mitted To lis care, il was not TO be en-
dured that the very property ot the Col
lege should be used for immoral purposes.
Many times orders were passed by this
Board To straighien the College enclos
ures and 10 close up the lane 10 question
Three such orders were passed within
the past three years, namely April
1885; June IL, 1886. and June "a, 1888;
but the Board has too often allowed the
considerations of Public. convenience,
which you again now present to 1t, aud
the enlreaties and promises of interested
property owners 10 swervc it from the
line of its duty. and from time To him
has postponed tinai action.
The free bridge across the Severn has
recently caused the erection Of saloons
and other public houses along this imagi
nary thoroughfare and it became evident
that the private property of the College
was by many considered permantly dedi
Gated 10 the public and that the longer
final action was postponed the more diff.
ticult it would be TO take. SO the lane
was closed in the Fall of 1888.
1t is respectfully sugges ed, however,
that the ony proper Ilution OF the diff
culties TO which the public Is now sub.
jected and to which you refer, is by The
extension of King George street through
the Freytag aud other properly until it
meets the thirty foot right OF way granted
to Anne Arundel County by chapter 1913
of the Acts of the 47lh Congress of the
United States. LIST Session, approved
June 10lb, 1882 That right of way is
stated in the Act to be from the bridge
over College Creek ito and following the
road leading theretrom TO the City of An.
napolis." Now the road which is tho
exteuiion of King George street was the
mt
between College Avenue and the College
Creek bridge at the time 1.-THE Act was
passed. aud would seem therefore to have
been the only one over which a right If
way was granted TO the County by that
Act; and. as condition of the cession,
the County Commissioners we're required
To keen that road and the bridge over tue
College creek in good repair TO the salts
faction Of the Superintendent OF the Ma
val Academy.
The Acts OF our General Assembly of
1866. chap. 6s; 1867. chap. 294. and 1867,
chap. 3S7-all cede jurisdiction to the
United States over Inc property which
shall be acquired lying to the ncrth and
east Of The line of King George street ex-
tended, ''or to the north and east of the
or,h-east line of King George street ex-
tended - although the deed frnm the Col
ege ~ the United States covers what
would be the BID of King George street
extended, aud has as its northeast limit
the present College fence. 1t is evident
both from the Acts of Assembly and the
Act Of Congress mentioned that the bed
of King GEORGE St, extended was intend
ed to be preserved as public highway.
and is now that over which. in part, the
right of way TO the Severn River Bridge
lies and which the County is required to
keep in repair. The ordinances of the
CITY of Annapolis passed March 18th
1866. aud March 10Th, 1874. ctded TO the
United States for an addition TO the Ma
val Academy the beds Of certain streets
within the proposed addition, they re-
quire as condition that the General
Government at its own expense should
open and extend King George street
or Hanover street, (whichever street may