Evening star., 1909-04-11
GROWTH OF CAPITOL
Twice Has the Building Been
Found Inadequate.
EXTENSION OF GROUNDS
Proposed Removal of the Supreme
Court.
STORY OF HISTORIC BUILDING
At First Easily Accommodated Both
Branches Of Congress-. Courts and
Court Ohicials-Trials There.
TORY OF HISTORIC BUILDING

The removal of the Congressional Library
from beneath the roof of the Capito-,
leaving that building to the Legislative
branch of the government and the Su-
preme Court of the United States and
the recent erection Of thet wo fine marble
structures for the use Of the senator's and
representatives adjacent, but not within
the Capitol grounds, will doubtless lead
to the enlargement OF those grounds. And
1t will not be surprising If on the private
property on 1st street between East Cap
itol and streets another government
building is erected for the judicial branch
of the government, for such has been
suggested.
The present conditions of the Capitol
and its surroundings were not in the wild
est dreams OF the people a hundred years
ago, and had one at that time asserted
that the time would come when the
building would be too small for the legfs-
lators his sanity would have been Ques-
toned. For then, besides the members
and Supreme Court of the United states,
the Circuit Court Of the District. the clerk,
marshal. grand and petit juries had
apartments.
When, in the summer of 1900, the gov
ernment located here. with John Adams
at the head. the work on the Capitol had
been In progress some years. the founda-
tions In, the walls of the south wing built
up few feet and the work on the north
wing SO far advanced that November IL
the second session of the Sixth Congress
was convened therein There were but
thirtyfour senators and less than 1JO
representatives. Mr.. Jefferson was Vice
President: Gen. John e. Howard Of Mary
land. president pro TEN. of the Senate:
Theodore Sedgewick of Massachusetts,
Speaker of the House; s. A. Otis of Mas
sachusetts. secretary Of the Senate. and
J. w. Condy Of Pennsylvania, until De-
cember 8, 1900, and John Beckley Of Vir-
ginia, until 1907, clerks of the House. The
Senate was permanently in this wing.
but not always in one, and the case was
the same with the House. In January,
1901, the courts. with their clerks and the
ma rshal, moved into the lower rooms. and
in 1902 the first case of murder was tried
there that of McGirk for the murder of
his wife, for which he was hanged near
where the Botanic Garden is now.
This was more than ordinary Con-
gress. inasmuch as for the first time 1t
became necessary for the House TO de-
eide the presidential contest, there hav-
ing been a tie on the electoral vote be-
tween Mr. Adams and Mr.. JEFFERSON. and
in the House the latter was chosen.
There was much other important busi-
ness relatingAt to foreign relations. In
dian affairs. ETC., and from then till
each house became settled in its cham
ber the members made the best Of their
surroundings, legisiatfng amid the noise,
dust and the other customary accom-
paniments Of building operations. Some
of the prominent members were Aaron
Burr of New York. Gems. Sumter OF
South Carolina. Roger Nelson and How
ard of Maryland. J. B. Varnum Of Mas
sachusetts, John Langdon Of New
Hampshire, c. Pinckpey OF South Caro-
lima, Return ]. Meiss OF Ohio. w. HI.
Harrison. afterward President: Henry
Clay and Col. r. NJ. Johnson Of Ken
lucky, John Randolph Of Roanoke and
others