Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-12
The Senate Passed the Bill This
Afternoon.
THE NATION WILL PAY TEE COST OF IT
Ono Hundred Thousand Dollars for
Preliminary Surveys.
THE ETE RNAL CAPITAL

The Senate this afternoon passed the
bill for a memorial bridge across the Po-
tomac, appropriating 100000 for the pre-
liminaly surveys.
The amendment offered by Mr.. Blanchard
providing that the District Of Columbia
pay half of the cost of the bridge was
called up and Mr.. Blanchard spoke at
some length on. the proposition.
He said no one was more proud of the
capital city than he, and he wished to see
1t most beautiful city. But when the
city was younger the policy was to have
the general government pay a larger part
of the expenses of the local government
than 1t would naturally pay when the city
should grow larger. In 1874 a commission
was appointed to determine the relation of
the general government to the District of
Columbia, with a view to determining what
proportion of taxation should be borne by
the general government. This commission
reported in 1878, that the government
should pay 40 per cent of the expenses, ac-
cording to the proportion Of property own
ed by the government, and yet Congress
had determined to have the general gov
ernment pay half of the expenses. The ag-
g1egate assessment in 1878 of private prop
erty here was $191, All, ,S02, and he pre-
sumed that this had been doubled since that
time
Then In determining the value of govern
ment property in the District all the
ground included in the public parks had
oeen valued at so much per foot. This he
did not think was right Usually cities own
their own parks. but the general govern
ment owns all the public parks in the Dis
trlct with the exception of the Rock Creek
ana geological Parks, which are owned
Jointly by the general government and the
District, and the cost of maintaining them
Is divided between the government and the
District.
Question of Cost.
Mr.. Blanchard thought the action of Con-
gress in making that division of the ex-
pense of acquiring and ms intaining these
two parks indicated that Congress intended
that the general governme ent should not In
the future provide parks for the people Of
the District at it's expe1se He said that
there had been paid by the government
aboIt $2,250,OO0 to reclaim the Potomac
flats, which had resulted in adding a great
driving park Of 700 acres to the parks of
the District, and though this work had
been done with declared intention of i'm
proving navigation, the chief thing accom-
plished had been the reclaiming of great
park for the people of the District.
Mr.. Blanchard said that If it were to be
the policy Of the government to pay half
of the expenses of the District, then half
of the cost of the memorial bridge should
be charged against the District. But he
thought a better division of the expenses
would be to have the general government
pay one third and the District two-thrds
In 1878 one-half was thought to be the just
portion OF the expenses for the government
to pay, but great change had taken place,
and the city had become great, and the
proportion should be changed.
Mr.. Bls nchard thought the memorial
bridge should be constructed, and If his
amendment should be voted down he would
still vote for the bridge
The Nations Memorial.
Mr.. Proctor of Vermont said he was op-
posed to the amendment. The bridge was
a memorial bridge, and so far as it was
monument it should be paid for as the
government pays for any other monument it
proposes to build. 1t Is, he said, built on
government ground 1t was not proposed
to make this bridge a bridge for the people
of the District, as street cars, the poor
mems carriages, were distinctly prohibited.
Mr.. Hawley of Connecticut said he was
opposed to the amendment. He said it
had become too common for the govern
ment to charge expenses that naturally
belonged to it partly upon the District.
Mr.. Vest of Missouri said if this was not
a memorial bridge, then the District should
memorial bridge, then the people of the
country at large should pay for it.
The Eternal Capital.
'This city will always remain the capitel
Of the United States' said Mr.. Vest
Some time ago there was proposition to
give to the state of Missouri the capital
city. but even the people Of St. Louis never
regarded this proposition seriously. 1 be-
lieve that If there was a vote taken TODAY
throughout the country 1t would show a
unanimous verdict III favor of making
washington the eternal capital of an eter-
nal republic
Mr.. Vest said that this bridge had been
urged as military necessity, and ii had
been said that it would enormously enhance
the value of the governments property at
Arlington. If the District should by any
line of argument be made to pay half of the
expense of the memorial bridge then. Mr.
vest safd' by all that is right, the state of
virginia should pay the other half
The Bill Passed.
Mr.. Frye of Maine opposed the amend.
nent. He said the proposed structure over
the Potomac was a memorial bridge. and
he was surprised there was any opposition
to having the government pay for it.
The amendment was defeated by a vote
Of 8 to "a.
Mr.. Hale offered an amendment which
permitted persons to cross the bridge on
The bill was then passed by the Senate