Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-18
THE SUNDRY CIVIL BILL
Amendments Made by the Senate Commit
tee to the House Measure.
Many Items of Local Interest - To
Purchase the Old Blaine Property
on Lafayette Square.

The sundry civil bill. as reported TO the
Senate this afternoon from the committee
on appropriations, contains a number OF
items cf unusual interest locally. Prob
ably the most important is para graph
providing for the purchase by the govern
ment of the old Blaine property, now under
lease to a Chicago firm for the term OF
ninety-nine years for the construction OF
thedter building. The amendment adopt
ed by the committee appropriateS Sl.o,"n
to be paid to Mrs. Blaine, and then pro-
vides for the purchase by the government
of the leasehold.
This is not the amendment originally
drawn by Mr.. Gray. which merely provided
for the condemnation of the property
without any reference to the lease. Inc
para graph that was Incorporated IN 'he
bill today was drawn by Senator Hale and
introduced by him as a substitute Ior the
Gray amendment. 1t was adopted by the
committee as the best form of legislation
to secure the object. II is surmised that
the intervention of MIR. Hale with TINS
proposition means that Mrs. Blaine has
consented to the legislation. provided her
interests are sufficiently protected.
Firc-PrOof Building.
The committee also adopted an amend
ment providing for the erection of fire.
proof building upon the lot belonging to
the United States now occupied by the
stables of the government printing office.
according to the plans and specifications
of Colonel John NJ. Wilson, submitted TO
General Casey in December last and Sp-
proved by him. For this purpose the sum
of $12l t21 .D is appropriated, to be lm1ne-
diately available and TO remain aVdllao!e
until the completion of the work 1t Is
also provided that the appropriation oi
$4,000 contained in the sundry CIVIL OH
of last year for the repair of the govern
do
and to put the building in safe and Sc
cure condition. shall he available until the
completion of that work.
There are several amendments to the bill
relating to the printing of public documents
but the only one of local interest is that
which strikes out from the bill the House
provision appropriatins SEQ to enable the
public printer to comply with the provisions
of a jCint resolution of February Il, lS'.',
for the removal and storage or certain
property of the government
The New Post Office Building.
The Senate committee also struck out
from the bill making the engineer officer
of the. army or navy detailed as superin-
tepdent of the State, War and Navy build
ing the superintendent also OF the post
Office building of this city when compieted.
The same paragraph created commission
consisting of the Secretary of the treasury
Secretary of the Interior ana the fosti
building and to determine what space
therein should be used by the post once
and what bureaus of their departments
occupying rented buildings Shoulu NC
moved into the post office building.
The Geological Park.
Under the appropriation for the Natlonai
Geological Park. the Senate committee mas
struck out this language: "A report IN de-
tail of the expenses on account OF the Ma
Dor- sh
Congress at the beginning of each regular
session and of the sum hereby appro-
priated $1,000 shall be used toward the
construction of a road from the Hot man
sion entrance on Adams mill road INTO me
mark to connect with the road now IN ek-
istencc. including bridge across ROCK
creek" IT,.
commission of the Ford Theater disaster,
concentrating $llJ,otO to pay certain death
claims as detailed at length III lhs star
the. other day, was Incorporated IN the MI
without any change whatever. Inc sum
Of e. 51n is appropriated to pay the eXecu-
TORS of Francis w harton, being balance que
him for services rendered in preparing the
diplomatic correspondence Oh the rev
ton
The sum of 5000 is added to the appro-
priations for the Government Hospital Tor
the Insane to provide additional accom-
modations for the insane. Fifteen thous-
and dollars IS given for the construction OF
a suitable brick building on the grounds OF
the Howard University for the use OF the
university for giving practical instruction
to it's students in the mechanical arts:
Under the appropriation OF $1,000 for nm
proving the grounds north and south OF
the Executive Mansion this paragraph Is
added: And the officer in charge of public
buildings and grounds shall authorize the
use of a portion of the grounds within the
circle south of the Executive Mansion as
a chIdrens playground. under regulations
to be prescribed by him. This does not
moan any of the ground included by the
fence around the White House, but part
of the ellipse known as the White Lot
Tunnel From the Library.
Gen. Casey is authorized to construct
with moneys appropriated for the erection
of the library building, tunnel, with suit
able conveying apparatus for the rapid
transmission of books papers and messages
between the library building and the
Capitol. The terminal of this apparatus in
the Capitol is to occupy the room in the
rear of that now occupied by the House
committee on enrolled bills.