422 Landscape Gardening 



rest, while it increased his income, consumed much of his 

 time. He went once every month to Washington, and was 

 absent ten or twelve days. 



He was not suffered to be at peace in this position. There 

 were plenty of jealousies and rivalries, and much sharp 

 questioning about the $2500 annually paid to an accom- 

 plished artist for laying out the public grounds of the Amer- 

 ican Capital, in a manner worthy the nation, and for reclaim- 

 ing many acres from waste and the breeding of miasma. At 

 length the matter was discussed in Congress. On the 2Hh 

 March, 1852, during a debate upon various appropriations, 

 Mr. Jones, of Tennessee, moved to strike out the sum of 

 $12,000, proposed to complete the improvements around the 

 President's house; complained that there were great abuses 

 under the proviso of this appropriation, and declared, quite 

 directly, that Mr. Downing was overpaid for his services. 

 Mr. Stanton, of Kentucky, replied:- - "It is astonishing to 

 my mind - - and I have no doubt to the minds of others - 

 with what facility otherwise intelligent and respectable 

 gentlemen on this floor can deal out wholesale denunciations 

 of men about whom they know nothing, and will not inform 

 themselves; and how much the legislation of the country is 

 controlled by prejudices thus invoked and clamor thus 

 raised." After speaking of the bill under which the improve- 

 ments were making, he continued: "The President was 

 authorized to appoint some competent person to superin- 

 tend the carrying out of the plan adopted. He appointed 

 Mr. Downing. And who is he? One of the most accom- 

 plished gentlemen in his profession in the Union; a man 

 known to the world as possessing rare skill as a 'rural archi- 

 tect' and landscape gardener, as well as a man of great 

 scientific intelligence. * * * * I deny that he has neglected 

 his duties, as the gentleman from Tennessee has charged. 

 Instead of being here only three days in the month, he has 

 been here vigilantly discharging his duties at all times when 

 those duties required him to be here. He has superin- 

 tended, directed, and carried out the plan adopted, as fully 

 as the funds appropriated have enabled him' to do. If all 



