The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-02-03
CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON

sri3ay, February 9, 1874

The Board of Aldermen met, and passed
resolution asking joint meeting with the Board
of Common Council, which was acceded to by
that Board, and the two Boards assembled in
joint meeting in the chamber of the Board of
Aldermen
James Adams, President Of the Board of AL
dermen, was called TO the Chair, and Richard
Barry, Secretary Of the Board Of Common Coun-
Gil, appointed to act as Secretary. i
The following report of the joint committee in
reference to the city charter was then taken up:
The joint committee recommend that the COM
mttee appointed to attend to the interests of
this Corporation before Congress be instructed
to use their exertions to procure the passage
by Congress Of supplementary act containing
the following amendments to the charter Of this
city, in lieu of the bill lately introduced in the
House of Representatives
OF these amendments the following is sy-
Dopss:
The LIST section extends the boundaries of the
city to the middle of the channel of the Anacostia
river or Eastern Branch, and with the middle of
the said channel until it meets with the middle
of the southern or main channel Of the Potomac
river; thence up the said river, with the middle
of the said southern or main channel OF the said
river, until it comes opposite to the middle of the
mole erected by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
to the middle of the said mole; thence by the
middle of Rock creek until it comes due west of
the beginning stone of said bounfa aries.
The I'd section provides that the Corporation
shall have full power and authority to lay and col
lect tax of not exceeding three-fourths Of one
per centun upon the assessed value of all public
and private securities of stocks of all kinds, and
Of every other description of property owned or
held by the inhabitants Of the said city, and to
compel persons to furnish when required by the
assessors, full and correct list Of all property,
by law taxable, held by them, and to punish with
suitable fines and penalties persons refusing to
furnish such lists to lay and collect poll-tax
upon every free white male citizen, of the age of
twenty-one years and upwards, Of one dollar per
annum; to provide for licensing, taxing, and re-
gulating money LENDERS and wholesale dealers !;
to lay and collect taxes for the support of public
schools, &C., &c.
The Sd section provides that there shall be a
Board of Assessors, to consist of one from each
ward, to be elected by the qualified voters there
in, at the regular annual elections and any per-
son eligible to seat in the Board of Aldermen
and Board of Common Council Of the said city,
may be elected assessor. Said Board Of Asses
sors shall assess and value, and make return of
all and every species of property by law taxable,
and of all persons by this act made subject to a
poll-tax, in the said city, under such regulations
as the said Corporation shall prescribe.
The 4th section provides that every freeawhte
male citizen of the United States, who shall have
attained the age Of twenty-one years, and who
shall have resided in the City Of Washington
one year Immediately preceding the day Of cleo
ton, and shall be resident of the ward in which
he shall offer to VOTE and shall have been either
assessed on the books Of the said Corporation, or
returned subject to a poll-tax, for the year
ending on the 3lst day Of December next pre-
ceding the day of election, and shall have paid
all poll and other personal taxes which may be
due from him, except persons non compos ment's,
Migrants, paupers, or persons who shall have been
convicted of any Infamous crime, shall be entitled
to vote for Mayor, members of the Board of AL
dermen, and Board Of Common Council, assessors,
and for every officer authorized to be chosen at
any election under this act, or the acts to which
it is supplementary.
The 9th section provides that within four
months after the passage of this act, the Corpo-
ration of Washington shall cause an enumeration
of the inhabitants of the said city to be taken,
and shall, before the first Monday in May, 1916,
divide the said city into seven wards, by lines
running due north and south; each Of which
wards shall contain, as near as may be, an equal
number of the inhabitants Of the said city ; and
within six months after every enumeration of
the inhabitants of the said city, which may here
after be made at general census of the United
States, the said Corporation shall, unless the
number of inhabitants in each of the then exist
ing wards shall be found to be, as near as may
be, equal, cause the said city to be divided into
not less than seven wards, by lines running due
north and south, each of which watds shall con-
tain, as near as may be, an equal number of the
inhabitants Of the said city.
The 9th section provides that so much Of the
act of the 18th May, 1920, incorporating the I'M
Lch cct ~, ~ of ochs or Of any
other act acts or parts Of acts requires that
the taxes raised on the assessable property in
each ward, shall be expended therein and in no
other, after providing for all objects Of general
nature, or that requires that the expenses Of re-
pairing and improving certain streets, shall be
paid out of the taxes raised in particular wards,
or that requires separate accounts to be kept Of
the funds and expenditures of each ward, be, and
the same is hereby, repealed; and the said Cor
poration shall have full power and au hority to
appropriate and expend the money which may
be raised from taxes or otherwise, in the said