The true Democrat., 1854-08-23
co N c R F $ SIGNAL.
 Senate. JltzU 24h. 1854
CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC BILL.

Oay the amendment WnlCA was uNOer COuSlet- eration was one believe, making provision for new custom-houses, which was reported the from committee on commerce.
 The presiding officer. The chair under stands the first question to be upon the follow ing amendment:
 For continuing the work for supply of wa ter for the cities of Washington and George town, $5OOOOO
 MR. SL1DELL moved to amend by providing thatno part of the appropriation shall be expend- ed until Washington and Georgetown appro- priate and pay towards the work sum equal to one third of the amount appropriated by the general government.
 On this proposition MT. JOHNSON of Ark ansas spoke as follows:
 Mir. JOHNSON. I am inclined, for my part, to support something like the amend ment offered by the Senator from Louisiana; but there is one point which, 1t seems to me, has escaped attention. The matter is treated in the course of debate very much as a matter of favor entirely to the city. It is, however, by a good many admitted that the government has very deep interestin in the erection of these water works, not only for the facilities which it would give to the transaction of public busi- ness, but also for the security which it will af- ford to public records. It is treated by gentle men as if this were favor entirely to the city: but call upon gentlemen of the Senate to re- fleet for one moment upon the immense amount of public property owned within this city by the government, not one particle of which is taxed to defray any portion of the expenses of the city-not one particle of which is subject to tovo Tbic [ o,l +o Lo 4l All the public buildings here are relieved from taxation; all the public lands that are within the limits of the city, in the shape of lots are also exempt from any description of taxation and the value of these amount to two millions of dollars. Cast up that item, if you please, in your mind, and look back through the great number of years during which all the this pro- perty has been here, and during which the city has gone on in the discharge of its duty in all other respects and yet has not received into the Treasury one cent ofrevenue from taxation on this public property. Suppose that the propor- ton which each individual pays, and has paid all the time, in the shape of taxation upon the property which he owns, were taken as the ratio, and applied to the public property sup pose you were to estimate what this govern ment would have paid if 1t had to contribute the same proportion of taxation that the indi- vldual citizen has already paid and then SUD- pose you were to compare that with the sum now asked to be appropriated for purpose not exclusively for the city, but also for the bene. 1t, the protection, and the security of the pub llc property here, and for further facilities in the transaction of the public business, what case would that present you with? Sir, 1 do moi look upon the matter entirely and eXclusve ly as one that we are doing for the city, or as matter that we have a light to draw ourselves back from entirely, Tn consequence of the fact that the city has some interest in it. 1 cannot but thlnk that the government which has SC very large portion of its public property here property of such very great value exempt en- trely from taxation, should take one of two courses-ether contribute something towards It's protection, its security and its facilities ol else subject the public property to its share o taXaton; so that that tax mig gh go in aid of these necessary objects This capitol alone has cost millions of dollars: the Presidents house has cost immense amounts-how much 1 canno, say, for have never seen an estimate made upon this point. Then there are your state your treasury, your war your navy, your inte- ror, and your patent office buildings. You have vast numbers of buildings all through the city. You have large amounts of landed pro. perty, and none of 1t pays anything at all in the shape of taxation into the city treasury l imagine that it would be falling short of the mark to say that within the limits of this city there are 2O,OOO,OOO worth of public property
 Then, sir, these twenty millions pay no tax to contribute anything towards embellishing ol improving the city, or towards throwing around it those guards and that protection which. un. occasionally, every city is compelled to main. tain.
 Now, my honorable friend from Iowa, MT Dodge, for whose judgment always have the highest regard, and in whose integrity have the most implicit confidence, as we'll as whose generosity 1 am always prepared to expect, and know shall find, full and fair amount, alludes to the sum which, since 1850, has been expended by the government within the limits of this city. There have been expended $2,5OOOOO or 3,OOOOOO. As he asserts it, 1 have no doubt of the correctness of the statement But how have they been expended. Were they expended in this city for the benefit of the city? If should ask him myself, he would readily reply, no, that 1t was not expended for the benefit of the city, but for the erection of public buildings, and other matters in this city that were mate! rial, and absolutely necessary for the transac- ton of the public business, and the protection o1 the pubic property. If, on the contrary we were to charge each of these expenditures as an obligation conferred on the city, why, then, this city is under load of obligation which no one has seemed heretofore to est- mate, because the very same declaration and extent of obligation must exist towards each in- dividual citizen within the city who has ever expended dollar on his own account.
 l cannot help but look at it, then, that the expenditures made in this city, and for the interest of the public, are matters that carry with them no obligation upon the city itself, al- though it may be an accidental benefit to the city in that it gives employment to population which has come here, and consequently yields the amount of business done by those transact. ing business in the limits of the city. If the government being here is benefit to the clty. and the city is therefore under obligation to the government for the amount of money which may be expended by the government in it's buildings, then every individual in the city. who builds a house or. performs the slightest act that leads to an expenditure of money, be- comes public benefactor, and an obligation exists on the part of the city towards him; and you therefore announce an amount of obligation that renders the whole aroument an ahsurdi to