Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-27
RECLAIMED FLATS FOR A PUBLIC PARK
Reassessment Bills Decided on by
the Senate Committee.
OTHER DISTRICT MATTERS

there was comparatively little time spent
in debate. The first bill Of Importance to
be taken up was Senate bill 1923, to amend
the act for the increase Of the water sup
ply, introduced late il January by Senator
Mcmillan. 1t authorizes the Attorney Cen
eral and the Secretary Of War to obtain
title for the United States to all the water
rights at Great Falls. If these officials are
unable to arrive at a satisfactory arrange
ment with the owners of the lands and wa
ter rights, they are to appoint three COM
missioners to appraise the value Of the
property to be taken. Owners feeling them
selves aggrieved may file suits in the Court
Of Claims, and after hearing such cases the
court is to report the findings to Congress,
as other judgments are reported.
The court may, in it's discretion, appoint
three persons, who shall be skilled in hy-
draulic engineering, to determine all con-
trcverted questions of fact that may arise.
Judgments may be appealed to the Supreme
Court of the United States. The bill car
rtes no appropriation, it being intended that
the amounts awarded by the Attorney Gen
eral and the Secretary of War, or by judg
merit of the Court of Claims, shall be paid
as reported.
The Reclaimed Flats.
The committee next took up the question
Of making legislative provision for trans
forming the reclaimed flats of the Potomac
into a public park. After some discus
sion favorable report was ordered to be
made upon the following amendment to
the District appropriation bill: THE en-
tire area formerly known as the Potomac
flats. and now being reclaimed, together
with the tidal reservoirs, be, and the same
are hereby, made and designated as a
public park, under the name of Riverside
Park and to be hereafter held and used
as park for the recreation of the peo-
pie"
There has never yet been any positive
declaration by Congress as to its intention
with regard to the reclaimed flats, although
there has always been an understanding
that when the work of reclama tion was
finished the area, approximating LOO
acres, should be made into park or
pleasure ground. Should this amendment
become law 1t will forever fix The charac-
ter of the land and insure the future ap-
preparation of sufficient money to trans
form the great space into beautiful park
with trees. shrubs, artificial mounds drives
walks, paths, lakes and other features of
landscape gardening.
To Pay Claimants.
In addition to proposing this provision Of
law the committee agreed to an amend
ment to be made to the District bill ap-
propriating s2G.6S4O9 to pay the owners Of
the land referred to in recent decision Of
the District Supreme Court, embraced with
in the limits of the improvement Of the
Potomac river.
The sums to be paid under the DEGREES
Of court shall be in full discharge Of all
rights, claims, title, ETC., of every lescrip-
ton to the land so embraced within the
range Of the improvement. Thus the COM
mittee undertook at today's session to clear
Up the financial questions raised by this
great public work, well to provide for
the tides.
Reasseasment Bills
Two bills that were recently passed by the
House, authorizing the reassessment of
property for various purposes, were passed
and favorable reports were ordered to be
made, with certain minor amendments to
each. One of these bills, H r. 3279,
directs the Commissioners: "In all cases
where water main taxes or assessments in
the District of Columbia may hereafter be
quashed, set aside, or declared void by the
Supreme Court of the District, by reason of
an imperfect or erroneous description of
the lot or parcel of ground against which
the same shall have been levied, or by rea-
son of such tax or assessment not having
been authenticated by the proper officer,
or by a defective return of service of notice,
or for any technical reason other than the
right Of the public authorities to levy the
tax or lay the main in.respect of which the
assessment was levied. to reasSeSs the lot or
parcel of ground mentioned In such defect
i've assessment, with power to collect the
same according to existing law relating to
the collection Of assessments and taxes:
Provided That where such assessments
shall be so quasbed or declared void by said
Supreme Court for the reasons above stated
the reassessment herein provided for shall
be made within ninety days from the juGg-
ment or decree of the court quashing such
assessment or declaring the same void.''
The other bill, H. r. 1881, is practically
the same, except that it refers to general
taxes or special taxes for improvements.
To Abolish Days of Grace.
The bill to abolish days of grace on notes,
ETC., which passed the House this month,
was then considered, and favorable re-
port was authorized. This bill provides:
THAT on all notes, drafts, checks, accept
ances, bills of exchange, bonds or other
evidences of Indebtedness made, drawn, or
accepted by any person or corporation after
the 1st day of January, 1897, and in which
there is no expressed stipulation to the
contrary, no grace, according to the Gus
tom of merchants, shall be allowed in the
District Of Columbia, but the same shall
be due and payable as therein expressed
without grace"
East Washington Heights Traction
Railway Company.
The bill incorporating the East Washing
ton Heights Traction Railway Company
was ordered to a favorable report, after
certain amendments have been made The
company will be required to construct a
trestle across the Eastern branch, on the
upstream side Of the Pennsylvania avenue
bridge. on plans to be approved by the Sec
retary Of War. There being no draw in the
existing bridge, the trestle will be solid,
but it Is to be understood that in case the
Secretary of War ever desires to open this
stream to navigation the company shall
provide a draw. The bill, when amended,
Will not permit the use Of the Bowen road
by the lines Of the company. as it is CON
sidered by the committee that that road is
too important a thoroughfare to be touched
by a trolley line.
The route inside the city is also to be
changed so as to give the company access
| to both the Capital Traction and Metropolis
tan tracks. the former at 9Th street and
Pennsylvania avenue southeast and the lat
| ter at Lincoln Park.
Other Favorable Reports.
Favorable reports were also ordered to
be made on the following bills: s. 2572, to
incorporate the Convention Of American In.
structors of the Deaf in the District of Co
lumbia, with an amendment restricting the