30 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Smithsouiaii Institution was not concerned; the other a mucli more 

 limited scheme for the zoological jiark, which latter it was understood 

 in Congress was to be placed under the Smithsonian Institution. 



Under these circumstances the honorable Mr. Edmunds introduced 

 an amendment to the District of Columbia bill, as follows : 



AMENDMENT intended to be proposed by Mr. Edmunds to tlie bill (H. R. 11651) 

 making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of the District 

 of Columbia for the fiscal year ending Jnne thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety, 

 and for other purposes, viz: Insert the following: 



" For the establishment of a zoological park in the District of Colum- 

 bia, two hundred thousand dollars, to be expended under and in accord- 

 ance with the provisions following, that is to say: 



" That, in order to establish a zoological i^ark in the District of Co- 

 lumbia, for the advancement of science and the instruction and recrea- 

 tion of the people, a commission shall be constituted, composed of three 

 persons, namely : The Secretary of the Interior, the president of the 

 board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, and the Secretary 

 of the SmithFonian Institution, which shall be known and designated as 

 the commission for the establishment of a zoological park. 



" That the said commission is hereby authorized and directed to make 

 an inspection of the country along Eock Creek, between Massachusetts 

 avenue extended and where said creek is crossed by the road leading- 

 west from Brightwood crosses said creek, and to select from that dis- 

 trict of country such a tract of land, of not less than one hundred acres, 

 which shall include a section of the creek, as said commission shall 

 deem to be suitable and appropriate for a zoological park. 



"That the said commission shall cause to be made a careful map of 

 said zoological park, showing the location, quautitj', and character of 

 each parcel of private property to be taken for such purpose, with the 

 names of the respective owners inscribed thereon, and the said map 

 shall be filed and recorded in tlie public records of the District of Co- 

 lumbia-, and from and after that date the several tracts and parcels of 

 land embraced in such zoological park shall be held as condemned for 

 public uses, subject to the payment of just compensation, to be deter- 

 mined by the said commission and approved by the President of the 

 United States, provided that such compensation be accepted by the 

 owner or owners of the several ])arcels of land. 



" That if the said commission shall be unable to purchase any portion 

 of the land so selected and condemned within thirty days after such 

 condemnation, by agreement with the respective owners, at the price 

 approved by the President of the United States, it shall, at the expira- 

 tion of such ])eriod of thirty days, make application to the supreme 

 court of the District of Columbia, by i)etition, at a general or special 

 term, for an assessment of the value of such land, and said petition 

 shall contain a particular description of the property selected and con- 

 demned, with the name of the owner or owners thereof, and his, her, or 

 their residences, as far as the same can be ascertained, together with a 

 copy of the recorded map of the park ; and the said court is hereby 

 authorized and required, upon such api)lication, without delay, to notify 

 the owners and occupants of the land and to ascertain and assess the 

 value of the land so selected and condemned by appointing three com- 

 missioners to appraise the value or values thereof, and to return the 

 appraisement to the court; and when the values of such land are thus 

 agcerttiiued, and the President shull clocm the same reasomible, said 



