FIFTIETH CONGRESS, 1887-1889. 1107 
the Secretary of the Interior, and the Attorney-General, which shall be known and 
designated as the commission for the establishment of a park. 
That the said commission is hereby authorized and directed to make an inspection 
of the country along Rock Creek, beginning at the point on that creek at Massachu- 
setts avenue extended, and extending upward along its course to where said creek 
is crossed by the road leading west from Brightwood, and to select from that district 
of country such a tract of land, including said creek and not more than one-fourth 
of a mile on each side thereof, on an average, as said commission shall deem to be 
suitable and appropriate for a park. 
That the said commission shall cause to be made a careful map of said park, show- 
ing the location, quantity, 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 the public records of the District of 
Columbia; and from and after that date the several tracts and parcels of land 
embraced in such park shall be held as condemned for public uses, subject to the 
payment of just compensation, to be determined 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 parcels 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 expiration of such period of thirty days, make application to 
the supreme court of the District of Columbia, by petition, 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 condemned, 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 application, 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 commissioners to 
appraise the value or values thereof, and to return the appraisement to the court; 
and when the values of such land are thus ascertained, and the President shall deem 
the same reasonable, said values shall be paid to the owner or owners, and the 
United States shall be deemed to have a valid title to said lands. 
That the said commission is hereby authorized to call upon the Superintendent of 
the Coast and Geodetic Survey, or the Director of the Geological Survey, to make 
such surveys as may be necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this section; 
and the said officers are hereby authorized and required to make such surveys under 
the direction of said commission. 
Mr. Grorcr F. Hoar. I desire to raise the question of order on 
that amendment. 
Mr. Epmunps. 1 will modify my amendment first, if the Senator 
will pardon me fora moment. Instead of ‘‘ $1,300,000” I wish it to 
read ‘* $500,000.” 
The President pro tempore (Mr. J. J. Incatus). The Secretary will 
state the proposed modification. . 
Mr. Epmunps. Everybody understands it. I propose to appropri- 
ate $500,000 instead of $1,300,000. 
The Srecrerary. In line 2 of the amendment it is proposed to 
strike out ‘‘one million three” and to insert ‘‘five;” so as to read: 
** $500,000.” 
