Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-19
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT IN THE CAPITOL SQUARE


THE WASHINGTON MONUMEN
| OF him, to the discharge OF her duty
| already too long deferred?
That society convened in the Capitol on
the lith Of December. 1878 After the
execution Of the regular programme of the
| evening the writer offered the following
resolution:
Resolved. That a COMMITTEES OF five be
| appointed to take into consideration the
| best means for securing the erection In
| Virginia Of suitable monument TO the
Father OF His Country an enterprise
once begun. but now suspended, though.
| no doubt. fondly cherished by every true
! Nirginian.'
Mr. William Maxwell was the CORE
/ suonding and recording secretary ana
| librarian of the society. With all his good
! Qualifications one Of his notions was
| that ne had a right to prescribe pro-
| gramme for the exercises Of an annual
! meeting. and virtually confne the or
ganization to IL. He even prepared the
resolutions that were 10 be offered. ana
selected the persons who We're 10 present
and sustain them. or course some OF
these exercises were provided for by the
Constitution; but If an annual meeting
was not also a general held-daN Tor
members to be heard. what opportunity
was Mr.. Maxwell's idea. is admitted by
himself. In his Historical Register.
Volume III, page ?. Is the following note
to his report Of the proceedings OF an
annual meeting: in this short statement.
We refer. Of course, to the regular pro-
ceedngs. embraced in the order Of the
evening There were some other Incl
dents-Wise's speech and Lees handsome
reply-stricty speaking. not legitimate
parts 81 the performance. which We have
! not thought IL worth while to
record!'" What he thus smother
ed was sharp and interesting
| rcncontre between two such men as
! Henry A. Wise and Charles Carter Lee,
the liveliest part of the actual proceed
| ings. though not Of his designated per
Torrance" Mr.. Lee, too, had been the
orator for that day.
RESOLUTION ADOPTED
| When the mover Of the above resolution
had briefly supported it. Mr.. Maxwell
| arose and earnestly opposed its introduce
ton as irregular. because not embraced
I'm the evenings performance and not
| germane % the objects OF the society.
| Mr.. Charles J. Faulkner. who had already
offered and sustained one Of the comph-
| mentary resolutions. COincd- 4 with the
| Secretary. But President William G.
| Iives did not deem the solution out Of
| order. and IL was advocated by John u.
| Anderson Rev. Isaac S. Tinsloy. and
| Conway Robinson. besides thu mover.
| When the vote was taken It was declar d
to have been adopted unanimously. its
opponents. II any. having abstained from
| voting. The following gentlemen were
| appointed tn. committee Of five: John f.
| Anderson. Isaac s. Tinsley, William IL.
| mcfarland, James Lyons. and the mover.
| The report published in the Historical
| X gister did notice the passage of the
resolution. but did not think II worth
while TO record the members Of the COM
mittee.
MEMORIALIzED THE LEGISLATURE.
The committee soon determined to me-
| moralize the Legisla ture for an approprl-
| a.iOn, which. added 10 the fund" already
in the hands of the State, would be sufii-
| cient to erect a suitable monument as
| e1eedily re possible. In order to give
the memorial tho rnnrn weight an eror'
was made TO induce both Mr.. mcfarland
and Mr. Lyons to prepare IT, as they
were men OF well q served prominence
/ aAG innuenCei tut tncy were UVth hluen
occupied and declined saying too, that
by parliamentary usage the mover OF the
/ resolution Was chairman or the committee
and Il drvolved upon him 10 graft the me
mortal Then that gentleman entered upon
1
titled by an appendix. which contained
many int resting facts and some records
| relating 70 the subject. The Honsr OF
| DELEGATES ordered IL to be printed and
the Senate also ordered a thousand copies.
| even after having passed the bill making
tn appropriation for which II petiiioned.
1t can be found as Doc. 50. House Docs.
! 1859
MIR. THOMAS. OF FAIRFAX.
4 4 ~ for
| presentation until the 5th OF February.
and was entrusted 10 the charge of Mr..
H. W. Thomas not only ON account OF
| his ability and influence, but because he
| WAS the delegate from Fairfax county,
! In which Mount Vernon is situated. IL
was referred 70 a special commlttee OF
| thirteen. of which Mr.. Thomas was chair-
man. The other members were Messrs'
! Conway. Lacy, Vaughan, Scott, Ferguson,
| Burwcll. Claiborne. Laidlcy. Moncure OF
| stafford Watson. Jones. and Whitiie.
picked men OF both sides In politics ana
! strong and popular. with all Of whom the
writer was personally well acquainted,
and with some Of them on intimate terms.
ON the 18th they reported their bill,
which was so expedited that on the 2lst
| IL was made the order for the next day
| at 10 O'Clock. The memorial had asked
! that the I'd be set apart for its purpose.
! THAT dav was exc edingly ugly anu m
| clement but both houses assembled. the
bill was taken up In the lower house ana
passed unanimously. Mr. Thomas carried
| the message very proudly TO the Senate.
whose rules were 40 relaxed that IN
very short time II was passed there with
| like unanimity
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND.
The bill, after a preamble. which re-
cited the main facts contained IN me
memorial, appropriated $1,000, inciudihs
the forty-odd thousand already In mana,
spd authorized the Governor 10 appoint
commissioners, who should have the
monument erected with all proper
CELEBRITY
The first commissioners appointed by
Governor John II. Floyd were william
T.. Richie. George ". Munford, William
Maxwell, James NJ. Wickham. Thomas T.
Giles. Nathaniel NJ. Martin, and John VI.
Potts: but Wickham did not act, ana
Bolts took little part. Most OF the early
work was done by Messrs. Ritchie. Num-
ford. and Maxwell. who did not begio.
however, until october 10. 1919. when they
offered a premium Of 500 for the best de-
sign for the monument. Numerous plans
were rendered, and. after protracted ex-
animation, the one proposed by THOMAS
Crawford, then OF Rome. was selected.
Mr.. Maxwell dissenting This decision was
ar,ray~ by the Governor and majority
o. tx -..4e-stive coune.l-Mes Patton