Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-09

A RIII for the benefit OF the city OF w ASH
ington.
Re IL enacted by the Senate and House of Rep
resentatires of the United States Of America in
Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the
Treasury be- and is hereby authorized to pay
ont of any unappropriated money in the Irea-
sllry. a sum not exceeding sixty thousand dol
lars annually in quarterly instalments, Tor the
period of three years from the passage OF this
act to the Mayor of the city OF Washington, 10
be applied under the direction and authority OF
the boards of Aldermen and Common Council,
10 extinguish so much of the interest annually
accrung on their public debt.
Mr. MANN of New York, opposed the BILL
and moved to strike out the enaclng clause
II was merely an entering wedge; ana ne Ger
tainly saw no reason 10 vote Tor the eXtlngulsh-
ment Of foreign debt. He knew OF no prin-
chile which could warrant Congress in voting
the public money to pay private debts. Ii the
interest should be assumed they would next
have TO pay the principal
Mr.. STODDERT regretted that spirit oI
iealously seemed to have sprung up, on lhe pdfI
IF some of the States towards the District OF
Columbia. With regard to the appropriation
under discussion, he deemed it the solemn duty
of CONGRESS to sanction it. MIR. 5. defended
the Committee for the District from the charge
of assumption brought by the honorable gen
tleman from New York, MIR. MANN and dehl-
ed that the endorsements OF the Corporation
improvidence The honorable member then
referred TO the convention under which the ces-
sion of the District was made, wherein IL was
expressly laid down, that 1t was gwen IN trust
only. TO be used for the prosperity OF the C!ty
of Washington, and not for the proht OF the
States. The Federal Government mad receiV-
Oh on the sale of land and building lots, nearly
1892, 72O. out of which there had been expended
onlv S1S6. $50 4S cents, and of this sum upwards
; of 800 600 had been expended in erecting the
nenitentiary But taking this public work into
the account, together with the canal, the Penn
sylvania Avenue, and every other work con-
sfructed under the direction Of Congress, and
the whole would amount to $476, 900, in round
numbers Deductng this sum from the S732,
700 received in the public Treasury there
would remain balance in favor of the City OF
Washington, of nearly 1921, 000 and all that
was asked for by this bill, was SlS0,OOO, In three
annual instalments. On every principle OF JUS
tce. then, this bill ought to pass. Besides TINS,
the terms of the cesson clearly defined that the
RESIGNATION was made to be improved, and to
he under the exclusive guardianship OF the ed
eral Government
Mr.. HARDIN said he had been fortunate
enough to lay his hand upon the contract be,
tween the original proprietors of the land and
the United States and it certainly warranted
different Interpretation to that put upon 1t by the
gentleman from Maryland. Mr.. II. then read
the document in question.
In this agreement it was stipulated that the
proprietors should receive twenty-five pounds
per acre for such land as the United States
might wish TO occupy. Mr.. II. commended, that
the wav to calculate this should be by this scale
Resides were the immense sums OF pubic mo-
new expended here annually, be regarded as
nothing? He was prepared to prove that TINS
would average from fifteen hundred thousaho
70 two millions of dollars annually, the mem
beers of Congress did not expend less than $780,
600 Then look at the money appropriated Tor
beautifying the city, in public buildings streets,
fences. ratings planting trees, &c. Mr. IL
said if this city had peculiar CLAIMS because 1t
was called after the Father OF his country, So
upon the same rule, would every other county
and CITY of the name of Washington throughout
the Union, and the county from whence he
himself came, might consider itself entitled to
some appropriation for improvements. MI. II. .,
AT length. opposed the bill on the same grounds
as those assumed by Mr.. MANN of New CORK.
IL was said to be unconstitutional Tor the Unlteu
States to subscribe for shares in canal, and
vet it seemed to be constitutional Tor the corpo-
ration of Washington to Subscribe, and Tor the
u. States to pau for the debt contracted IN the
nurchase of those shares! 1t was time that SucA
lavish waste of the public money should be ar
rested A million of dollars had been already
paid, and bill was coming in tor another NIL
lion A hundred thousand had oeen palo lor
the ditch Of Alexandria, and another hundred
thousand would be asked for. Mr.. ii. contend
ed that the representatives of the States ought
to interest themselves in this matter since the
disbursements came out of the pockets OF the
people of the States. He hoped the bill would
not pass.
MIR. MERCER replied to Mr.. HARDIN, and
regretted the discussion had taken the course it
had. MIR M. said, the people of this District
were debarred from many of the advantages
enioyed by the citizens Of the States They
were unrepresented; they could not sue in any
If the Federal Courts Of the States; and yetthey
paid their full quota of taxation. 1t might be
true that million and halt OF dollars were ex-
nended there annually; but then, the city had
nothing else to depend upon 1t had neither
commerce nor manufactures OF its t Gwn, Mr.
NJ. defended the propriety OF paying tne interest
on tine debt in reply to Mr.. Mann, and Illustrated
it, by reference to the conduct OF the State
Of New York in similar case. She was then zen
paying interest on a foreign debt contracted loi
the construction of a CANAL under clrcumsIan-
ces, similar to those under which the debt OF the
city of Washington had been contracted. Inc
real question was, that debt had been incur
red under the circumstances laid down IN the