The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-09-06

vision walls is three feet thick at the
base, with solid brick walls thereon
sixteen inches thick, surrounding
every bffice in the building, as origi-
nally constructed.
Thetfonndation of the State Capt.
tol rests npon the solid red clay pro-
vided by "Mother Earth and is as
durable as the "everlasting hills"
We can say, without fear of success,
fui contradiction, that there is no
btlldipg in the world that rests on a
more secure foundation, nor one that
will remain secure for longer period
Of time. The suggestion that "work'
has been, or ever will be, required to
be done On the .'foundation" of the
Capitol building, is too absurd to be
seriously considered, and simply dis
! plays lack of information.
The laboratory of the. State Chem
ist is, of course, separate building,
asit would be utterly impossible to
occupy the Capitol, if the laboratory
was II the main building. The ana
lying Of fertilizers and other chem
ifl work produces diSagreeable
odors- and acid fumes, which would
peEheate the whole building If the
Sate had a Capitol costing twenty
million dollars it would still be nee
essafy TO have a separate laboratory
forHhemical work. The laboratory
of the. State Chemist is an ornamen-
| tA. brick building, with two rooom,
Snd is'in every way satisfactory.
F Every one of the State officials is
Tpqured by law to make a report to
tss Governor, and all such reports
SFe transmitted by the Governor to
| the State Legislature. A careful
examination of ali such reports for
tie past twenty years will disclose
the fact that no complaint has ever
been made that the space allotted to
each official is not sufficient; nor is
there any statement that the work of
any department has been retarded in
tthe4slightest degree on account of
inadequate accommodations. Is it
reaAonaule to suppose that complaint
would not have been made if the
4 = sssiSess of the. State had suffered
for want of office room? Does not
the absence of any complaint show
that there was no necessity for it?
The fact is that the business Of the
State has been, and can be, satiSfac-
torily conducted in the present State
Capital without any addition there.
to.
The floor of the Senate Chamber
rests on heavy, all-heart sleepers, ex-
tending from one brick wall to the
other, and the sleepers are let into
the brick walls on each side suffi-
ciently to have proved an absolute
pfotection against any possible dan
ger for the past fifty years; and said
SIeepers are all perfectly sound at
the present day. The ceiling of the
Supreme Court room, which is Just
below the floor of the Senate Cham
Der, has not been injured by the So
called "unstable" floor during the
long period named, and both are the
highest testimonials to the honesty,
integrity and skill of the builders.
The Senate Chamber has been filled
with visitors several times during
every session of the Legislature
within the past few years to such an
extent as to occupy all the space,
even Tor standing room, and as the
plaster in the ceiling below the floor
was not injured, it sh hOuld be eVi-
dent that the floor ii the Senate
Chamber is not "unstable." The
solid brick and stone walls entirely
surrounding the Senate Chamber
have not sprung in the slightest de-
gree, and there is no possible danger,
either present or remote, of any such
Occurrence.
The Railroad Comm msssion had its
Office in the Capitol building for
nearly two years, but lnow occupies
apartments in a quietI place, where
their deliberations ard undisturbed.
There large and comm iodious Offices
are across the street frS m the Capitol,
and the entire buildink and grounds
are rented for $25 per month.
In the Capitol building during
every session of the / Legislature four
rooms have been set APART exclusively
Tor the use of legislatF Fe committees,
two on the first floor md two on the
third floor. The judiciary commit
tees of the Senate an d House have
always preferred to b bid their meet
ings in the Offices of lawyers, because
they have access to lalW books always
found there. These fces are nearer
to the hotels than tho Capitol build
ing, and have been }ery convenient
for meetings of thesescOmmittees.
The suggestion that the want Of
more committee rooms for use of the
Legislature during a sixty-days ses-
sion every two years is responsible fol
the 'smuddled condition of the legis
Iation" is q reflection unon the intel