Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-09

this winter and encourage your COMMITTEES 10
believe that it viii be one Of the first Dstrtot
measures which will pass the Senate.
m. HxxrHIih's REroRf.
The necessity for the legislation was forcihly
urged and the various points involved carefully
considered in the report on the measure made
TO the House by Mr.. Hemphl in the Fifty-hr.s
Congress. This report said;
Immediately after the cession Of the Dis
trict of Columbia 20 the United States In l-aO
President Washington began making arrange
ments for the plan OF "fe ieral CITY" within
the limits Of the District lie employed emil
nent engineers 70 Assist In the work and took
great personal interest therein. In 1891 each
OF the proprietors 81 the land upon which the
city Of Washington is now located conveyed his
farm to trustees representing the United States
in trust
THAT all the said lands hereby bargained and
sold, or such part thereof may be thought
necessary or proper 20 be laid out, together
with other lands within the city limits, for .
federal city, with such streets, squares, parcels
and lots as the President Of the United States
for the time being shall approve"
These deeds further provided that the United
States might reserve for Its use forever 'all the
ssid streets and such Of the said squares parcels
and lots as the President shall deem proper for
the use OF the United States" and that the
mainder of the land should be divided between
the United States and the respective prorrietors-
On the 18th Of December. 1871. President
Washington submitted TO Congress a plan q
the proposed federal city," which he had
caused TO be laid out In accordance with the
terms OF the conveyances referred 90. The map
so submitted 20 Congress is substantially the
map OF Washington rs IL exists TODAY. IL con-
tanned the wide streets. the broad diagonal
avenues and the occasional circles. squares and
other reservations which have made the capital
what il is today. From point where now ex-
ists the bridge over Rock creek at 7 street TO
point at the eastern end Of MARYLAND avenue q
distance Of over four miles. the city. as thus
laid out by President Washington. wae bounded
by highway named Boundary street, COM
monty called "the boundary" No provision
was made for the subsequent extension Of the
city over the remainder Of the District. or any
part thereof, until the act Of 1855 referred TO
below For many years no difficulty expe-
rfenced on this account. because the CITY rs laid
out was SO extensive and the population 20
small that there was little occasion for LAYING
out streets outside Of the limits OF the CITY it,
self. But about twenty Years ago the process
OF building up the city caused the boundary 20
be reached and passed. The owners OF the
land adjoining the boundary from time 90 time
made subdivisions of their land and recorded
the same In the books of tho surveyor of tho
District. Each land owner made a subdivision
to suit himself
Many Of the streets in these subdivisions were
narrower than the corresponding CITY streets
Some OF the streets running north and south
were laid down as extensions of the existing
streets; some were not; generally the diagonal
avenues were not prolonged. The cross streets
were laid out at various angles. Adjoining sub
divisions differed from each other. 30 that a
street upon one would have no extension on its
neighbor. Az the country and CITY grew il be-
came apparent that Washington at no remote
period will practically occupy the entire Dis
t-ict. and that the federal CITY, T" laid oat by
Washington, will be only the nucleus OF the cap
ital Of the United States. Ii was seen that the
process of subdivision above described IL al
lowed 70 continue. would destroy the symmetry,
beauty and usefulness OF Washington-that the
great and wise purpose Of the founders Of the
city, in creating the magnificent plan which
President Washington submitted TO Congress,
would be defeated"
BENEFITS OF THE ACT OF 1883.
An account was then given Of the passage Of
the act Of August q, 1883, to regulate subdi-
visions, and Of the operations under il, and the
report continued:
1.-The information obtained by the committee
leaves upon their minds no doubt that the act
OF 1855 has been productive Of great benefit
Many Subdivisions conforming to the plan OF
the city, comprising thousands Of acres Of
land, have been made and recorded under that
act and the regulations adopted Hereunder and
% Tar as future subdivisions concerned that
act OF itself, wisely administered. provides in
our opinion all necessary safeguards against the
evil which IL was intended TO meet. IL contains,
however, no provision authorizing any inter-
ference with existing Subdivisions, nor does ID
provide for the compulsory taking Of lands for
highways where a public necessity exists for
such taking and the land owner refuses TO make
a subdivision or TO donate the land required FOR
the street. The act of lsss also fails 10 provide
for the making Of authentic maps Of the extern
sion Of the city of Washington growing out Of
q Y md he hra.la fTapr
of the same.
"Of the features omitted from the act % 1888
the most important is the power 10 deal with
existing subdivisions not in conformity 20 the
plan Of the city. The result has been that in
some instances the streets Of Subdivisions laid
out since August. 1883, conforming 90 the city
streets do not Join or connect with the streets
Of subdivisions lying nearer the city proper
which were laid out before that time and which
do not conform to the city streets-so there are
streets and streets, but no thoroughfare. In
other cases, while the streets in the city and its
prolongation In the new subdivision are of one
width. part of the same street lying between.
within an old subdivision. is narrower. Justice
10 those who have been required 20 subdiyiae
their land under the act of 1855 and the regula-
tons adopted Hereunder requires that the old
subdivisions should be changed so TO con-
form as nearly as practicable to the plan Of the
original city and the subdivisions made under
the act of 1883. Probably q complete rectifica-
ton Of all the misfitting subdivisions cannot
now be made without greater expense than even
80 desirable result would justify. but in most
cases il is our opinion that the requisite altera-
lions can be made without unreasonable cost"
ANArroNAL UNDERTAKING..
Then followed an explanation Of the proyis-
ions Of the measure pending. The report said:
The object Of bringing all these subdivisions
into harmony with themselves and the city
property is largely one for the benefit Of the