Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-04
EVENING STAR.
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

ten members present.
A communication was received from the
Mayor announcing his having signed bills
authorizing the curbstone to be set and the
footway paved on the west side Of Twenty
first street west, between Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and q street north TO grade street
south, between Fourth and Sixth street east;
and one making an appropriation for the con-
tingent expenses of the Auxiliary Guard
a statement was received from the Mayor
year ending june 80, 1855.
The statement shows a gross expenditure
above receipts, from all sourcess of Sl3, 934 40.
There was to the credit of the Surplus Fund,
S,2O4 IA, and to the credit of the Redemp-
ton Fund, 81, 534 a. (which will have to be
reimbursed-these funds being only applica-
bic to the purposes for which they were de
posted in bank which will make an expen
diture above receipts for city purposes of
$780, "a; and deductiDg $4,000 due by the
Commissioner Of Public Buildings, a net sum
S1S,67 o.. There was also SIS, 6eS 20 to the
credit Of the School Fund, whilst the fund
should have been evenly balanced the error
was occasioned by making up the deficiency
in that fund from the General Fund, at the
close of the year, in advance of the final de-
pOsit of the receipts to the School Fund By the
collector; the transfer causing no inconvs-
Ilence, 1t was permitted to remain.
The assessed value of real and personal
property of all kinds, including bank and
other stocks, for the year ending 30th June,
1885, was S24 500, 773, which was estimated to
yield, when collected, after deducting discount
for prompt payment, &c, at 20 cents in tie
500, the sum Of SI6I, 816 90.
The assessed value of the same kind of
property for the year ending Both June, 1856,
is S25, 56S, 703, which will yield when collec.
ted, after deducting discount for prompt pay
ment, DC, at 90 cents in the 500, the sum of
I42,4l2 90.
Less revenue from this source in 1856 than
in 1855, SIG, 404 90.
Ith gratifying to observe, the very great
increase in the special taxes collected during
the year 1855, tor the work of the previous
year, (Which taxes were almost exclusively
for laying foot-pavenents) The largest
amount ever before collected was for the wear
1854, being S25,SS3 II; that for the year
1885, amounted to SCI ITO q, being an III.
crease of SIS, 2S7 80, or about 137 per cent.
The amount Of annual taxes, Chose applicable
to the expenses Of the city,) it will be seen
were as follows: In 1858, S142,652 Is; in
1854, Sl09,2 A; in 1855, Sl46,S3 ST.
being "a, lS6 " more than in 1854, and
s37,616 43 more than in 1854.
The following Quantities of foot-paving,
curling, &c, have been done In 1854, run
ming feet Of curb, 46 5S4 square yards brick
paving, 64.42l; square feet stone tagging,
14,As- In 1855, running feet of curb, 80, l23;
square yards OF brick paving 50, 252 square
feet Of stone tagging, 81, $50.
1t viii be seen by reference to the expendi-
lures from the General Fund for the year
ending 30th June, 1885, that they amounted
TO the extraordinary sum of SITS 507.79 and
the receipts to the sum of s79, 339 81.
The amount Of Indebtedness at the begin
ming Of the fiscal year was S72,S2 81, the
whole Of which amount has been hq Undated
during the year.
The total indebtedness June 80, 1855, wa.
s2s,8S4 "a, showing a reduction during the
year Of S42,96 70
The Mayor adds some facts and statements
IN reference to the current fiscal year.
The amount Of taxes collected for the half
year ending December 81, 1855, was-Annual
taxes $50 S63 SO, Special SO, 70, Stock
81 ia 80, School 81 517.12 making total Of
sl02, 6l1.38.
There has also been collected during the
months Of January and February, 1856, the
sum Of SIS SCI 16, making the gross sum of
slzo,l78 50 for the current fiscal year 10 the
close Of February. Taking into consideration
the reduction in the rate Of taxation from sew
enty cents in the 500 last year to sixty cents
for the present-being a reduction of upwards
of fourteen per cent--the average receipts Of
this year so far are equally as good as those
OF the previous year, notwithstanding the
great financial pressure under which the COM
munity has labored- The revenue has been
OF the outstanding debts of the Corporation,
the necessarily large expenditures from the
General Fund, the indispensable current ex-
penses Of the city, and the work necessary to
be done to complete the great number Of foot
pavements that have been executed, which
have been sufficient to absorb it as fast as re-
ceived. The present Indebtedness consists
entirely Of outstanding debts, (the "antici-
pated revenue" having beeu paid during the
past year, and does not exceed the sum Of
$4,000; and the Mayor confidently antici-
pate that the receipts for the remainder Of the
year will at least leave the Corporation in as
good financial condition as at present.
The Mayor announces his intention to con
tlnue to apply the revenue to the payment of
the current expenditures and outstanding
debts, IN preference to executing new i'm
provemeDts; believing it will be much more
satisfactory to the Councils and the public
generally, that the Corporation be placed in
condition free from indebtedness, and be
enabled, from year to year, to apply its cur.
rent receipts to its current demands.
The reduction in Ia ration sllud ed to, amount.
ing as 1t does to $50 900 per annum, has been
source Of constant entertainment and has
prevented or delayed many important i'm
Provements, and probably prevented an en-
tire liquidation Of the debts Of the Corpora
ton. In order that the improvement Of streets
be executed to keep pace with the laying of
the system Of sewerage already begun be con-
tlnued, and the necessary repairs in the sew
eral Wards, and generally to meet the wants
OF private enterprise, it is recommended that
the amount OF taxation be raised to seventy
five cents in the Sl00-ths full amount allowed
by the charter-as heretofore.
The funded debt remains at S793, $50 In
terest has been received upon the funded sou-
pOns Of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Com
pany up to October L, 1855, to the amount Of
$4,000 The Commissioners of the Asylum
report An excess of expenditures over receipts
TO the end of the fiscal year 1855, of 81, 228 40.
Much Of the matter of the Commissoners's re-
port has already appeared in the Star, during
the Protractsd debate upon the Asylum ap-
preparations:
"Of the $50 persons admitted into the Asy-
lum and the Smallpox Hospital, 70 wero from
ireland As from District of Columbia; IS
from Maryland; 20 from Virginia 20 from
Germany; from England; from Pennsyl-
yanIA, ) from Massac husetts Z from, NJ.