Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-22
CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY
A Bill That Has Excited Considerable On
position to 1ts Passage.
Former Bills of n Similar Character
the Objections Urged.

An impression has gone abroad that the
Senate has passed the House bill granting
the Washington parish the right to sell
certain burial lots in the Congressional
cemetery The House bill was passed IN
Friday, and when 1t reached the Serate
it vas referred to the District committee
On Friday the Seratei District committee
! reported favorably IN an exactly similar
bill with an amendment, which went to the
calendar Therefore no action has yet heen
had that would send the bill to the Pres;-
dent, as some people have been led to be-
Meve 1t is suggested that tefore the bill
is disposed of in the Senate there will be a
little more investigation into its merits
than has been given up to now. The bill
is practically the same as one that was in
trcduced in 1892, which was postponed in
definitely on the strength of an adverse re-
port from the Senate District committee.
A Citixcns' Protest.
That report was caused largely by a pro-
test that was received in April of that year
from certain persons owning lots in the
cemetery, who set forth a case as follows:
THE occupation of these avenues for
burial purposes would. in our opinion.
greatly detract from tho natural beauty
and des!rability of the cemetery as a rest
injustice to those who have bought lots
therein under the belief that it would he
perpetuated by Congress in it's present con-
dition. We believe that there is no neces-
sity for granting these avenues for burial
sites, as there ia a large tract of land ad-
| joining the cemetery which can, no doubt,
be obtained for the purpose. and the saw
ing of few dollars to the parish Is a
small considerations when compared to the
| injury that the passage of this bill will do
the cemetery"
This protest was signed by W. W. Ed
ridge. Mary Gunton Temple. H. H. Cortis,
Mary e. Emmerich. E. r. French, l.. G..
Meehan. NJ. E. Twitchell Isaac II. Entwisle,
| Eunice E. Pritchard, NJ. l.. Simpson and
Stilson Hutchins.
| certain streets that now shut the property
of the cemetery. which have never been ex-
tended to the Eastern branch. The main
one Of these streets ID G, which is quite the
| is extended to the river beyond the ceme-
terry. 1t is said that the original purchasers
of lots in the cemetery were promised that
no effort would ever be made to secure the
! land that would be used In the extension Of
these streets The contention of the lot
owners who protest Is that by increasing
theirs, in violation qf this agreement, the
value of their lots is correspondingly de-
creased. .'aSr go
Another ObjcctiOn.
There is another objection, however, that
is being urged against the bill. based upon
the idea that the tendency of today should
be to diminish the 4umber and size OF GEM
eteries within the city limits. At present
of course. there is little or no pressure for
building sites in the vicinity of the Con-
gressional cemetery. but it Is argued that
within a few years it will be found desir
able to remove the cemetery to point
across the river, or to extend certain of
the streets through it. The experience Of
the District in the condemnation of land
necessary for the extension of North Cap
itol street to the Soldiers Home is being
quoted as a reason why no further OBJ
stacles should be laid in the way of these
general street extensions. 1t will be re-
membered that in the, case of North Capt.
toll street there was great difficulty owing
to the uncertain nature of the values CT
the land comprising the German cemetery,
through a portion of which the street
would pass