PROMOTION OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 49 



House Committee on Public Buildings, with a bill for the relief of 

 the society, this measure did not pass, owing undoubtedly to the 

 moribund condition of the Institute. Ceasing to exist as an active 

 organization in 1837, the fact that it had established and maintained 

 a botanic garden for nearly two decades seems almost immediately 

 to have been forgotten, and the selection of the identical tract for the 

 United States Botanic Garden thirteen years later would, therefore, 

 appear, so far as shown by any of the records now available, to have 

 had no relation to its former occupation by the Columbian Institute. 



Capitol Square at the time of the founding of the Institute in 1816 

 was of limited extent, but soon after the rebuilding of the Capitol 

 had been started, following the visit of the British troops, a begin- 

 ning was made toward providing a park around that building. The 

 improvements were carried on under appropriations granted from 

 year to year. Excellent walks were constructed, trees, shrubbery and 

 flowers were planted, and stretches of lawn were laid out, under the 

 superintendence of John Foy, the first gardener, whose services were 

 also occasionally availed of in the botanic garden of the Institute, 

 and whose place, after his death in 1833, was taken by John Mayer. 

 The adornment of the grounds at that time had already begun to 

 attract attention, though the improvements had only in part been 

 accomplished. 



As early as January 21, 1829, Charles Bulfinch, architect of the 

 Capitol, recommended to the House Committee on Public Buildings 

 the improvement of the grounds directly west of the Capitol, includ- 

 ing the site of the botanic garden, in the following words : 



The Capitol being now finished with the exception of these particular objects, 

 1 beg leave to suggest that the public grounds immediately adjacent should con- 

 form in some degree to the importance and high finish of the building. To bring 

 them into such state. I propose that the triangular space between the Pennsyl- 

 vania and Maryland avenues, and as far as Third street at the bend of the 

 canal, should be permanently fenced in. This would secure the improvement of 

 the ground, and render it practicable to form the foot walks on the avenues, one 

 of which has not been brought into form, and the other is only paved of one- 

 half the required width. 



While regarding this w T ork as necessary to the betterment of the 

 public grounds in the immediate vicinity of the Capitol, and, as such, 

 likely at some period to be sanctioned by Congress, the committee 

 did not think it expedient to recommend it at that session. 



In the House of Representatives on June 7, 1834, a bill making ap- 

 propriations for the public buildings and grounds being under con- 

 sideration, " Mr. Vinton moved to extend the square west of the Capi- 

 tol to the foot of the slope, and to extend the botanic garden to the 

 canal, but the motion did not succeed." In the same connection, Ed- 

 ward Everett proposed to amend the bill " by removing the naval 



