1830 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
the bill (S. 3485) authorizing the acquisition of certain lands in Wood- 
ley Park, an addition to Zoological Park, in exchange for the interest 
of the United States in certain land north of W street between Fif- 
teenth and Sixteeth streets west, and south of block 2 of the sub- 
division called Meridian Hill, make a favorable report thereon. 
Woodley Park is a subdivision of certain lands situate in the Dis- 
trict of Columbia lying outside of the city of Washington and adjoin- ° 
ing the Zoological Park. Woodley Park is owned by a number of 
persons, some of whom claim to be also entitled to the land north 
of W street, mentioned in the bill. The certain lots in Woodley Park 
mentioned in the bill are valued by the Commissioners of the District 
of Columbia at $30,000. 
The land north of W street mentioned in the bill, and which it is pro- 
posed to exchange for the lots in Woodley Park, is valued by the Com- 
missioners of the District of Columbia at $34,800. 
The history of the latter land may be briefly stated as follows: 
At the time the city of Washington was laid out the irregular direc- 
tion of the road which afterwards became Boundary street, in connec- 
tion with the fact that the streets of the city were laid out on right 
lines running north and south and east and west, caused an apparent 
gap in the continuity in the streets and the road mentioned, and the land 
now described as lying north of W street had no other apparent south- 
ern boundary Jine than W street and no apparent northern boundary 
whatever, unless the northern line of the road mentioned, afterwards 
called Boundary street and subsequently called Florida avenue, might 
be considered such line. The appearance of the spot thus was that of 
asmall piece of waste land belonging to neither the road nor the city. 
The question of the ownership of this piece of land has been mooted 
ever since the establishment of the city, although the committee is 
clearly of the opinion that it belongs to the United States. 
Some years ago the ownership of this piece of land was the subject 
of controversy between the District of Columbia and the person then 
claiming to be the individual owner thereof, but the controversy never 
came to judicial inquiry and would appear to have been dropped, for 
what reason is unknown to the committee. Subsequently the persons 
now claiming private ownership of the land, or so much thereof as is 
affected by the bill, purchased the same in good faith for the sum of 
$10,000 and have since asserted a right thereto. As already stated, 
they are some of the same persons who now own the lots in Woodley 
Park which it is proposed to exchange for the land. 
As respects the financial aspect of the matter, these gentlemen, if 
the bill shall become law, will be losing their $10,000 with accrued 
interest and in addition giving $30,000 worth of lands for land esti- 
mated by the Commissioners of the District to be worth $34,800, which 
