The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-29

Sirutt l- avenue lNl'n,h tAe Afihblvil
estate by such route ana under such
supervision as shall le approved By the
Secretary OF War
"sec. T. That thc cost Of constructing
said avenue through the Arlington estate.
10 an amount not exceeding twenty-five
thousand dollars. shall be paid out o. the
treasury. ont OF any money not aDpro-
priated ana in addition 90 the sum here
tofore appropriated, upon the certificate
OF the Secretary OF War
~-c 3D.. That this act shall be in force
from its passage
Here the matter rests to-day
NtaAlAtr on ADVANCE
As before stated. those opposing the
payment Of the claim have contendedi
That the money was y rift o. the United
States Government some of the reasons
SET forth for this belief were ridiculous
I'D their far-letcnedn.
II has been gravciy asserted on the
floors of Congress that the word "ad-
vance" used throughout the resolutions,
meant grant or "giVc. Tn "a minority
report opposing the payment Of the claim.
submitted I'm the For'y-c.ghh Congress
Is this paragraph:
- parent advances money 90 his child
10 De recEOncl as Il portion OF The child 8
share in his estate when divided. But
on loan OF money Mnlch creates q
debt 90 be repaid, we know of no such
use of the word and we think DO does not
Parentheucally # may be observed that
one Of the sl-uers OF tnr report was l.
= Reed the present 7pe tNe.
mo ,Voro grant" was Boo fhc first reso-
luton as reported in the General Assem-
blv of virginia. Hon. John Aarsnah,
who was later Chicl yua.ise ! 9l ,no ne
preme Court of 1nc United states PFC
pared and introduced the resolution @u-
rancing" thc money and 10 was with ms
knlwledg0 and consent it nor az MS
suggest ION that the word grant vas
stricken ont and "advance' substituted
before the bin was passed oy ne yo9s
That the word advance slluh hf ln-
terpreted as implying. a. isht 10 eAs
nect reimbursement hardly adm ts on
question and had the LEGISLATURE Of Nir-
9inia doslpued the advance TO be grdat
there would certainly have been no ,..ae
% change the word Nor Woulu " ii H..
of the emincnce. even ihrn, OF llgl
Justice Marshall. have consented 10 SUI
a change ii gift was intended ID De
made. .... ,,...,-r,c .ru,p1fso
- &. cl~inaeI AGAIN. that Congress did
r6f authorize the President TO- accept
loans of money, but limited ain l"
grants. r.-..,,+o,tve Nav
bury I'M report on the matter ION IN
Cl,,r,iffe. On Claims at the FIRST sesal'"
of the Forty-eighth Congress fali g,t
..lf viii not d. seriously c1litrii".N- -
The receiver of anothti lEtoo--sster Of a
r,arr-if fcd Co assume Iir tIl-lla .,r,,e
t.,aGoierv when. by tne express W ~
mnder which he has been mace .Iiln VI
e.fyor a contrary intention u tNpiD ~.
-yVhle 10 Is c0utended thai il 1911.
duty OF the states io kA"M VIC lent
conferred uuOn the President 10 "Cin
--.,t. orrv ft rnay be cuntenutu VIZ
tita force that 20 vas ihc uO vl 49,.
Government and rs agents TO take ho'ieD
of the nature and provisions OH l"o ~
as expressed in the pupiiC ae - - ft,iI,.
states and in which they htNe Sal, D'''
Guarded their rights In the premises t,,.
Question NAV also be- raised as 10 WI.
Congress refused TO ailon llV 4 -
TO accept lpaus. lhe I1l-a-.-. ~ he hin
when 10 was proposed. as par, on ~ .,V md
accenting fhe advances Of virginia anu
MARYLAND that the President shoulu 49,
e. allowed 10 borrow money A leasv"-
able inference might be that W. W
deemed inadyisahie 20 accepL o'''0'
than those OF tile states namfu'
CREDIT WAS BAD. -.,
CONGRESS- might well have been trusal
az that time as in those DAYS the ~ ~,
of the government We're very ilu,r .tt"i,
The order of those OF a family IN WhlcI
civ Youngsters are 10 be fed and clothSu
on fffr Gents a day. The official records
show mat The Government Was loflnfa,l'E3
notified by the Bank OF me h.
states that no further creolt Cv. ,,',..,,f
given as the drafts 90 the 6oFetnh' .n'
on resources OF the institution were Sc
WHAT WASHINGTON SAID.
The understanding PRESIDENT N"sli..7.
d
known. Several letters have been quoleu
I'M which both he and Mr.. Jeners9E re-
forrcd 10 the money as sIdHs, " ~
IN glft" and "the money given. ~
the other hand he wrote 20 me toinjilliss-
siouers of the Federal District from Phll-
adelphia. August %, lit, ASKING
I'm what manner would II be proper
On ef1fe the account with the States OF
virginia and Maryland; they haEns All ail
vanccd money which has not. been an
evrended on the objects FOR which IL was
Tfe opponents Of the Virginia Mary
land claim by means ol tnelr splrlluahs.
medium (evidentl) have discovered that
v-ashinrton's query was made merely 20
ascertain whether the FUNDS were ap-
nWcabie TO public buildings, strictly, or
for the general purpose OF preparing io4
the reception of Congress.
II Is not explained. however, why he
should wish 10 open an account Win
no states" for money they had "ad-
vanced.' IL they gave the money, as
Nor Is IT reasonable 20 suppose that
seeking a construction Of law President
washington would have ignored his brill
liant Attorrey-Gcucral Edmund RAN
dolpb. of virginia. and asked the opin-
ion OF the District Commissioners. II
would be natural however. for him 10 ask
a question in regard 90 the mere routine
OF beck keeping
4 CONSIDERATION.
II has been alleged that the money adj
vauced by Virginia and MARYLAND was
gift made I'm consideration of the location
Of the seat o. Government on the banks
of the Potomac. Ii is pointed out In this
connection that I'm the early days OF the
Republic. when travel was more difficult,
e was no small advantage 10 have the
seat of Government as near az hand as
noesible. II is also recalled that I'm 1883
Germantown was actually agreed upon,
but that the bin failed ON account OF a
SLIGHT amendment providing for Pennsyl-
vania's temporary iur sdiction in the Dis
trict. and that the Bill provided that
Pennsylvania or individual citizens should
give security TO pay $4,000; TO be used
In the erection Of public buildings. II IS
further contended that New York and
PENNSYLVANIA had furnished free accom-
nOdatiOns and offered 20 continue 10 do
So. and that accommodations had also
been offered by New Jersey.
This grouping Of Facts is advanced as
clrcumstantial evidence that tho Congress
was ready TO knock down the honor OF
having the seat Of government 10 the
highest bidder No weight Is given 20 the
fact that the site selected was q central
one at that time. -..
There IS little doubt. however, that the
decision was the result or a totally dlf-
ferent cause-viz.: The assumption by
The Government OF debts Of the states
Mr. Jefferson. in his works. says that
the assumption pilr' was "sweetened'
Nv n 'concomitant measure"-the Local
ton OF the public buildings on the Poto-
mac. He called it a sugar plum"
THE assumption OF debts Of the States
20 the amount OF 81. 10000 by the Cen
eral Government was Dlteriy resented ny