The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-22

Office In ID. b.. p. 36T, and dated the
nth day of March. 1899.
Accepted by State.
The gift was accepted by the Com
monwealth by an act approved Deem
her 10, 1883, whereby the governor
was authorized to accept the gift. ''tn-
Guiding the pedestal and circle Of
ground upon which the said statue
Is to be erected and to execute any
appropriate conveyance of the same
in token of such acceptance, and of
the guarantee Of the State that 1t will
hold said statue and pedestal and
ground perpetually sacred to the
monumental purposes to which they
have been devoted" Acts 18s9-90
p. 3l-2. The assembly by act Of March
4, 1896, appropriated $500 to make a
granolithic curhing and grass mound
around the base of the monument. and
TO clean the same. Acts 1856, p.
772
So, also by act of January 20. 1903,
as amended by the act OF December
81. 1903, the assembly directed the
register OF the land Office to cause to
be erected an iron or steel fence
around the circle surrounding the Lee
monument. and appropriated $1,000
therefor.
1t is apparent, therefore. that the
todlan of the Lee monument. and that
1t alone has authority over 1t.
Respectfully,
GEORGE WAYNE ANDERSON.
Assistant CITY Attorney.
Acting under the letter of this
opinion. as stated by Alderman Pow
ers, whose amendment to Alderman
Puilcr's resolution that $500 be APP
proDrlated, was adopted, the city will,
IL the common council concurs in the
resolution appropriating $3.50 for
cleaning monuments. proceed with
wiping the mud and other discolora-
tons from the base of all monuments,
except those under control of the
State of Virginia
What's 1t All Abcut?--Powers,
Cleaning Monument avenue mon
uments seems to he one Of the most
unusual things I know" said Alder
man Powers last night. We have
had better housing meetings, and We
have had the street cleaning depart
ment working over time to help out
citizens who overlooked some things
themselves but when the question Of
washing mud and stain from the
granite bases of the monuments is
raised, n lot of people hold up their
hands in horror Nobody has sng-
gested wiping the green stains from
the monuments themselves.
"All that my resolution, adopted
by the board of aldermen on Tues
day night, provides for is to clean up
the bases. Storms, naturally deface
property. Mud accumufates. What
would like 10 see Is a clean base to
every monument in the city. ! don't
care whether the State or the United
States or the city owns the monu
ment. II Ii becomes necessary to
wash these bases, / think they should
be washed.
ut Ia just as reasonable, TO allow
the grass below the bases To grow
into weeds and become the resting
places OF germs. Dirt propagates
germs. according 10 DIR. Levy, No
one wishes to touch the statues them
selves. That was never thought OF In
the resolution.
II am rot an artist and I am sure
that there is not man In the city
who venerates age any more than l
do. I would agree to permit any man
to grow his beard and hair AZ long
as he wished. and would make no
comment. but If he had his boots
filled with mud and CRIME. and the
edge of his trousers frayed out. |
would be glad to help him get into
respectable appearance"