The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-20
ERECT MEMORIAL
TO JOHN MARSHALL,
This May Be Done ne by tho
Federal Government.
JUDGE Go.F.F's PLAN
To Give Up Present Building to
Postoffice Use Entirely.
PURCHASE MARSHALL H0MI
Erect Buildings for United States Courts 81
Land Adjacent, and Use the Marshall
House as Consulting Room for
Lawyers-Senator Hoar
is Said to approve
the Plan.
PURCHASE MARSHALL H0MlI
Special Dispatch to The TImcs.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 19.-NoV1
that the river and harbor bill is out d
the committee and on the floor of tin j.
House, where it is destined to be passed,
at an early date, the mantle has falleS I,
from the shoulders of Chairman Bun,
ton. of the Committee on Rivers aiit
Iiarbors, and has been taken up by Rep
reseutative Mercer, chairman of tht
House Committee on Public Buildings ant !
Grounds
Early this month the hearings beforf
this committee were closed and for tet J
days or two weeks the subcommittee
have been at work upon the different
cases. They will report in about trt'
weeks, or possibly three, when a bib
containing appropriations for all TIL.
public buildings throughout the ccurD
try. which the committee shall deem
proper to provide for, will be report
ed TO the House.
delegations are being heard. ChairnlaS
Mercer is constantly hesieged by Com
sressrnen in the interests of their difa
ferent districts. each one claiming thai
above all others his is the mos meritort'
Gus case, and should certainly be reported
favora bly,. That some, not to say nlanN
of these important congressman ara
destined to be disappointed is certain,
for if all the petitions for public builds
ings that are now before tho commits.
tee were granted the bill would be killed
IN the House as soon as the amount oil
the appropriation it carried became known
to the members of that body.stAS 1t Isl
the Senate Committee on Public Build.
ines and Grounds, which is reporting
separate bills for each of the buildings,
instead of putting them in an omnibus
bill, as tho House committee intends To
do has not met for two weeks because
several of it's most influential members
feel that they had been going little
bit strong on the matter of heavy ap-
preparations.
VIRGINIAS WANTS
Under the House bill Virginia is asking
for her share of appropriations. Accord.
ing to the books of the Committee on
Public buildings and Grounds the fot-
lowing is the list of Firginia's requests
the amounts given including the esti-.
mated cost of sites. whenever sites ara
needed: Richmond, S1,3Oo.oG0: Alexandria.
$4,000; Portsmouth. sl75.OG0: Caps
Charles, $1,000: NrartinsviIle. $4,000: South
Boston, 5000: Radford. J2,GCO: Eranches-
ter. $1,000: Newport News. SS0.G1O: Suf-
folk. siC0.o0J: Charlottesville, 100000,
Norfolk {additionp. si.CG0: Richmond, tenn
porary relief. $50
Or course. these figures are subject to
question. for the simple reason that in
many instances the estimate for cost of
site is much higher than that for whicis
a site can really be had. and in other
cases the amounts asked for the buildings
themselves are larger than the necessity
Of the case demands: but they form the
working basis of the committee.
In connection with the purchase OF a
site at Richmond the following extract
of letter from Mr.. Wyndham f. Mere
dth. who was requested by Mr. Mercer
to make a special inquiry into the mat
ter OF site and report to him on the
matter which is now on file with the
Committee on Public Buildings -
Grounds. is given:
JUDGE GOFF.S PLAN.
In conversation with Judge Goff. since
my return to Richmond, he told me ce
the following suggestion which he mada
to SenatorEIoar and Chief Justice Fuller
and which seemed to meet their hearty.
approval: To give up the present bf:ius-s
ing entirely to postoffice and other no1-
judicial departments: to purchase the
home of Chief Justice Marshall, at tho
corner of Ninth and Marshall Streets. ~.
to erect thereon q proper courthoiSe-
which in completeness and elegance should
be a memorial of the Federal government
to it's greatest chief justice. as we'll aS
Il proper nome IOT Tie JuulCidES, OL "LASAe
he was the greatest ornament.
This site would be suitable for a court
house, but for no other purpose. 1t IS
about one square from one of Our main
thoroughfares, Broad Street: 1t Is cons
vtnient to street cars and hotels, whilst
The duietness OF the neiShborhcod Wouid
kc an additional reason for its adoption
as a site for the courthouse. It would
b.. better still il sufficient ground couit
ne purchased adjacent to the Marshall
lot proper. so that the home of the Chfef5
.Jrtstice could be preserved, using 1t Tor.
lawyers consultation rooms and lie
i:rary, whilst the court-rooms and clerks
Offices, ETC.. would be in the court
house proper.
[ asked Mr. r. Is. F:ianl what the acrs
QUESTION of the Marshall lot and sum.
cient adjacent land for your purposes
would cost, and he thought from one
hundred thousand dollars to ono hun
dred and twenty-five thousand dollars
am one OF the members of the John
Marshall Memorial Association. OF which
Chief Justice Fuller Is president. and wa
have sought to get the owners OF the
Marshall property, who are the descend.
ants OF the Chief Justice. to name a
figure, but they have persistently re-
fused to do so. so that I fear you would
have to condemn in order to get title.
but do not think the cost of the whole,
site. even ii any of it has to be acquired
by condemnation. should exceed SIS. CO..
WILL GET a SHARE
in speaking of Eirginia's S chances to-
day, Mr.. Mercer said: ..Of Course. I
cannot say at present how Virginia or
any other State Will come out. but T
.an say that she will be taken good care
q. and that something will be done for
her. In the last ten minutes you have
seen three different CanSressnaen como
into this committee-room to press the
-. ff,nntin,,et, N, s.cnald 90. -.