Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-06
An Early Discussion
in the House of
R mt atives
Regarding a Dam
and Cause ay .
Something NJ or e
About the Will of
George NJ son.
First Reference In
Maryland Records
to Analostan Island.


/ finish that part of the story
which treats of the wills and be-
quests OF George Mason and his sons
to turn to the original grant of the
island and to take up the subject of
the dam and causeway between the
island and the Virginia shore. the
rocky relic of which causeway you
see at low tide today The story of
that dam should be of interest. First
there Is a petition to Congress signed
by nearly all the property holders of
Georgetown at that time. which was
1904: then. there was the discussion
of the measure in the House of Repre-
sentatives. and there was the deed
from John Mason. owner of the island,
to the corporation of Georgetown.
The Rambler has not found the petit
ton and would like it only for the
list of signers. The discussion in the
House of Representatives brings out
The deed from John Mason. which is
of record in the Office of the recorder
of deeds. gives information about
Quarries on the Virginia shore and q
new town on and below the site Of
Rosslyn at the time the deed was
pdSSeO, which was lSUS.
The discussion in the House of Rep
|resentatives shows what a muddle a
plain proposition may be talked into.
The dam and causeway were dis
cussed with heat and passion for
days. Some members spoke in a COM
mon sense way and the vote showed
that large majority understood that
great many persons and could not do
injury to any one. Some Of the con-
gressional disputants thought it was
one Of the most momentous questions
that had come before the Congress of
the United States.
The question was whether the United
States. Maryland or Virginia had juris-
diction over the Potomac river, and this
question was fought over with hours of
rhetoric. Another phase Of the ques-
ton was, Whether Maryland and Vir-
ginia, in ceding ten miles square of their
domain to the United States, had sur
rendered their sovereignty over the Po-
and II they had surrendered such sover-
eighty had they the right to, or could
they do so? John Randolph and many
others insisted that Virginia had sover-
eign rights over Little river" between
the island and the shore and that
Congress Of the United States had
nothing to do with 1t. Some insisted
that the dam and causeway from the
island to shore. designed to deepen
the channel Of the Potomac. consti-
tuted an obstruction to navigation.
One strange feature in all this dis
turbance is that OUTSIDE of the House
Of Representatives there did not ap-
pear to be q soul in the District. Mary
land or Virginia who felt or express
ed any opposition to the building Of
the dam. The only man who might
owned the island and the Virginia
shore. and he was an advocate of
the plan.
Some members of the House Of Rep
resentatives seemed to bear a grudge
against the citizens of Georgetown,
because it seems that when the Po-
tomac Great bridge, which we came
to know as the Long bridge. was be-
fore Congress in 1903 and 1904 GER
tain Georgetown citizens had made
representation to Congress that the
bridge would be an obstruction to
navigation. And it was A goodly
proportion Of the speakers against
ed at the people Of Georgetown for
bringing such matters to Congress
and trespassing upon the time of the
representatives OF the people. etc.
and others responded that as the
Constitution gave Cong1tess exclu-
sive control over the District. and as
these people had no self-representa-
ton. they could go nowhere else than
to Congress for relief. And SO the
war waged between undetermined
representatives Of the people over
that poor little old dam. whose scat
it,
land and the Rosslyn shore. But the
subject of the Analostan dam and
causeway will be fully treated later
on in this chapter, II we can come
to it. and If not. it will be continued
in our next.
The Rambler left off last Sunday
in that part of George Mason's will