Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-25

COMMITTEE
! from 1915 to 1891, a democrat, Senator
Southland was whig and served frst
In 1921 he met his father serving on
joint committee, and they voted to-
gether on the Missouri compromise. He
was secretary OF the Navy syo from ON Sep s1po
Secretary of the Treasury from March
Z to July 1. 1925; also temporarily Sec
rotary of War. Then he was Attorney
General and Governor Of Of New :. Jersey SCI
serving until his resignation in 1912,
and a. president of the Senate in 1s41,
when Tyler succeeded President Harr1-
son. His personality and his knowledge
give peculiar weight to his report.
which. we doubt not. the members of
this committee will carefully read.
"Riotous, unpaid revolutionary SOL
diers. who. in 1888. frightened Con-
furnished a suggestion of a new city
secluding and safeguarding the ma
tional government, devoted wholly to
| its purposes and entirely under Its
control. Alexander Hamilton, as chair
man of the committee. had to report to
Congress, June 81, that an appeal for
protection to the Pennsylvania au-
! thorities brought the reply that the
lPennsylvania militia could not be de-
pended upon to protect the Congress.
The constitutional convention Of 1887
| therefore provided for a federal Dis
trict' for the seat Of government. When
the city was being founded, the mob OF
Paris frst overawing and then destroy
ing the government of France showed
the wisdom of the fathers. and 50, in
less degree. did the mobs Of other for
eign capitals in great cities. Strike
riots and other violent outbreaks in in
dYN0 ID nj r4$t t.
own time suggest what might have
happened II the national government
had remained in Philadelphia or gone
I back to New York Here, owning all
complete and exclusive control of the
entire District. discouraging any in
dustrfes except its own, the peace and
dignity and independence of the ma
tional government are safe from local
disturbances, and also from state or
municipal interference or any conflict
of Jurisdiction.
City Founded by Gen. Washington.
George Washington founded the
city as the last important task of his
life. Even his reputation for common
sense did not save the magnificent plan
from rfdicule. but George Washington
had a vision of the future in that day
small things, and his plan is his predic-
| ton, written large, as though in his
own bold handwriting. that the infant
nation would grow to need such q
great capital. The Morrill, joint select
committee of Congress. in 1874, said in
Its report:
THE streets. avenues, squares and
general plan Of the Capital city bear
the impress of paramount and exclu-
sive nationality. Spacious and grand
In design. dedicated to the sacred uses
OF capital, the provision for supervi-
sion of all suitable improvements and
decorations obviously properly and i'm
peratively devolves upon Congress: and
II Will, as 1t respects the character of
Its Jurisdiction and the dignity of Its
trust, exercise Jealous care over it,
THE Southard report. in speaking of
George Washington's plan, said:
1t Is plan calculated for the mag
nihcent capital of a great nation, but
and arrangement to the inhabitants if
It's execution to any considerable ex-
tent Is to be thrown upon them. No
people who anticipated the execution
and subsequent support of 1t out OF
their own funds would ever have
dreamed of forming such a plan. II
would have been the most consummate
folly
| House Committee Declaration.
THE House judiciary committee, in
its report of June 1. 1874. said:
1T Is clear If this National Capital
was founded for the use of the United
states and was placed under Its ex-
elusive government and control and
upon a scale of magnificence appro-
pirate only for a national capital, il
never could have been contemplated
that the burden Of expenditures should
fall upon those citizens of the United
States who might temporarily or per
manently take up residence at the
capital. Originally. we know, there
was no population here to which the
government could look for contribu-
tions toward these expenditures; and
as the city was not to become one OF
trade and commerce and manufactures
the local population could not be look
ed to in the future as being sufficient
out the magnificent intentions of the
founders. Nor, indeed, would 1t have
been just to impose this burden upon
them; for, upon the theory upon which
penditures would ultimately be for the
benefit Of the whole people. and justice
would dictate that the burden should
fall upon the whole people,
| The discussions in the constitutional
convention. especially on July 26. which
we have termed District day. sustain
the view that what they designated the
seat of the government Of the United
states' was to be solely and exclusively
for the transaction Of that govern
ment's business 1t was agreed that Il
should not be in any large Commercial,
city any more than a state capital, blu,
that 1t should be a national reserve for
the workshop of the nation to use the
phrase of Senator ingalls,
THE existing Georgetown and Alex
andria satisfied the economic need for
cities In this neighborhood- 1t was the
government which desired and founded
the city, and the presence OF a few
hundred people then or a few hundred
thousand people now was purely In
cidental to the location and operation
Of the governmental machinery on this
particular spot. President Washington
selected the site OF the District and
acquired the land for the Capital city
after the cession of the sovereignty by
Maryland of that portion OF the Dis
trict which still remains since the re-
PROCESSION of Virginia's portion in 1916
Agreement With Land Owners.
I'VE quote in the brief the agreement
he obtained from the nineteen original
'proprietors and the trusts upon which
lthey conveyed the lands to trustees
under the agreement. They gave Gill
acres for the site of the city. and under
the agreement the United States took
l4,147 acres for the streets, avenues and
reservations and one-half of the re-
naming 1864 acres in the form of lots
THE original proprietors receiving back
the other half of the lots. 982 acres In
lextent. or between one-sixth and one