The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-15
House of Delegates Me
morializes Congress to
Acquire Monticello.
STRIKING ADDRESS
BY MRS. LITTLETON
Legislature Astonished to Learn
That Property Now Held at
$l,OOO,OOO, and for Which
Owner Has Refused Large
Sums, Is Assessed
at $4,000.

! Alter gearing from MIS-. Martin w
Littleton, of New York, the House OF
| Delegates yesterday unanimously
| adopted resolutions nemoriaiizing
| Congress TO acquire and maintain as
| public property, Monticello. the home
of Thomas Jefferson, where the tomb OF
the statesman is located. The resoln-
tons were communicated TO the SEN
ate too late for action yesterday, but
/ will come up in that branch to-mor-
row.
Shortly after the morning prelim-
| inaries, on motion of Mr.. Horner, of
| Southampton. the chair was vacated to
hear Mrs. Littlcton. and Messrs. Willis.
Reed and Mectze escorted the speaker
| to the platform.
| Should He shrine of Democracy,
| In clear, low, musical voice. that
was heard distinctly through the
chamber. Mrs. Littleton made her plea,
and from the first the House was in
! sympathy. She recitcd the fact that
| the national government has named a
State and also It's capital city after
! Washington. and has erected TO his
memory costly monuments: that mil
| lions have been spent for memorials to
Grant and Lincoln. that the HERMITAGE
the home OF Andrew Jackson, has been
restored; that q marble structure has
been reared over the log cabin in
which Lincoln was born: that the home
of Alexander Hamilton is public prop
| erty; that the nations ideals OF pa
triotism date from the acquisition Of
Mt Vernon as n shrine for all the
people. and that millions have been eX-
pended by the national government for
costly monuments, which line the
streets OF Washington to all manner
| OF public characters, but for the man
who wrote the Declaration of indie
pendence, who did as much as any one
an me shaping OF the nation. and who
founded the party Of democracy. there
mas not been one cent expended in any
national memorial
| The room i'll which Jefferson died is
/ closed to the public. his house Is pri-
Fate property, and in an obscure spot
| on that property is his tomb
offered Four Times Assessed Whine.
Mrs. Littleton briefly reviewed the
/ three-year struggle she has made, al
/ most unaided. and with her own funds
10 interest the people OF America in
rescuing from the disgrace of mort
! cages and Wall Street speculation" the
/ spot which should forever be most
| dear TO all lovers of free government.
/ TO all who stand for freedom OF re-
! Ngion. for the freedom OF the press.
! Tor the right of the States. and the
/ right of the people. 1t was with ne
cul!ar emotion that She stood In the
| Virginia Capitol. the plans for which
| Mr.. Jefferson himself secured In France.
and addressed the body over which
! Mr. jefferson once presided. .sencr-
Gus Nirginian, whose name was with
held, had offered last year 10 purchase
Monticello from Congressman JEFFERSON
NJ. Levy. OF New York its present
owner at four times its assessed valu-
| alton, and to make 1t free gift TO the
state OF Virginia. 1t was ascertained
that the Monticello property was as
sessed for taxation In Albemnrle Coun-
! ty at fraction over $4,000. Through
| Governor Mann tho offer of the Vir-
| einia citizen. who was willing TO pay
more than 100000 for the property,
was transmitted to Mr.. Levy, and there
was no response.
Owner Wants s1,OOO,O0o.
! Mrs Littleton said she had recently
learned that the property could be
| purchased. though Mt price around
| $1,000, 600. n price which no Individual
! or state would care to assume. But
| with the Federal government spending
| several millions to erect a building as
| a memorial to the women of this coun-
| try. another and even more costly
memorial IN Washington to General
Grant. with millions being appropri-
| ated for Lincoln memorials. and for
! various Other monuments the sum did
/ not seem excessive.
! An unfortunate incident OF Mrs
|
to do with the unanimous action. &C
CURED when she was reading from n
large number of petitions by prominent
men from all sections Of the country
who had signed memorials to Congress
on the subject One of the members
of the committee whispered TO tho
speaker that the time allowed when
| the chair had been vacated had cX-
PRED. and suggested that she omit the
petition and conclude her remarks
| Mrs. Littleton evidently misunderstood
the suggestion, taking 1t rs an evil
dence OF unfriendlness on tho part
/ OF the House to cause in which she
is deeply Interested. and. for some mo-
ments was unable to continue her re-
marks When the time had been ex-
| tended by unanimous action, she re.
| covered her possession, wiped
| away her tears, aud concluded her re-
marks. amid the applause of the House
| and galleries, nearly every member of
the Senate being present in the hall
during the latter part of the speech.
Resolutions Adopted.
| After vote of thanks. offered oy
/ Mr.. Pennington. to the speaker for
her striking address had been adopt
| ed, Mr.. Stearnes. OF Roanoke County
| offered the following resolutions,
which were adopted unanimously:
| Whereas, Monticello. tho home Of tho
immortal Thomas Jefferson, Is now pri.
yate property. and tho public has no
right Of access thereto:
Whereas, the buildings were planned
the grounds laid out, and the work OF
| construction carried on under the pre-
| siding genius ofstshat great statesman
thus In itself for.tng a fitting mo
mortal to his greatne q;
Whereas, In tho shaoxsy of Ito walls
lie the earthly remains OF him who was
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