Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-05-22
THE DISTRICT RsoossrRuor1os REL

|
THE DISTRICT RECONSTRUCTION BILL
The Senate Gill taking away the charter. a,
| the District cities has been before the naomi.
long enough to enable them to nudge some
| what of Its merits. The bill is, however
voluminsus covering I02 large pages) and va,
so vague and its pro visions are SO In con ppuou.
| that scarcely two persons in the communitv
will be found to take the same view as to its
| workings in some Of its most essential particu-
lars. THIS tact is illustrated in the curren.
| discussion whether or not the bill establishe.
negro suffrage; on this point we find astute
legal gentlemen taking totally opposite views
In fact, the measure seems to be a piece of
patch-w made up FROM half dozen differ.
ent SOURCES. The idea of the compiler or com.
pliers flor report mentions the names OF seye.
raj gentlemen who have volunteered their
services in this way) perhaps was to embodv
the exceilencies Of various plans: but if so, the
idea has been very badly carried ont. ana Oh.
result, as above stated, is the most remarkable
hodge -podge of confused and conf ictinr sec.
tons imaginable. Thus sections establishes
thu compensation OF the collector of taYes a,
s'ore-half OF one per centum on the amoun,
collected" Section 81 provides that his com,
pensation shall be sat the rate OF six per cent.
um of the first ten thousand dollars of tho
amount collected, and ut the rate of three per
centum on the residue collected" The
provisions in section providing for the
appointment OF a Board of Health and
Board of Education were stricken out BY
the committee; yet we find sections IL. a9
81, and ~, enumer2ting the duties. or a
Board of Health and Board Of Education. re.
tanned in the bill. While the duties of the
School Board are deliberately set forth in the
asst
provision whatever is made for the support OF
the public schools: and as if to make confusion
worse COMPOUNDED, section 9 authorizes tho
District commissioners "to appoint yearly. ON
the first Monday of May, one person from each
school district as a commissioner of primary
schools Section prescribes that the Bofrd
of Police shall consist o. the three commis
sioners and .'six citizens of the District ina
king nine.) Section 4prescribes that the Board
| of Police shall "consist of the three commits.
| sioners, of three citizens OF the city of Wash.
| ington one citizen of the city Of GEORGETOWN
and a dfizen Oft the county portion of the Dis
trict, (making eight The bill PROPOSES at
| one fell swoop to do away. with the whole
municipal structure, and yet makes no pro-
uision ~hoterer for the payment Of either its funded
| on floating debt,
1t will scarcely be credited, perhaps, but vet
that this bill, presented by so good a LAWYER as
Mr. Morrill,, and passed upon by a COMMITTEES
| specially deputed to attend to The interests of
| the District OF Columbia. is SO unguardsd in.
| IFS provisions as to empower the Commission
TO upset the established grade in every street
! in the two cities and lay down any grade their
| fancy may dictate! But, as if to effectuallv pre
vent the Surveyor from executing all the mis-.
chief this astonishing grant Of authority an.
| thorizes, the bill goes on TO prescribe for him
one set OF duties to occupy him fully all the
| twenty -four hours Of the day his Office ana
another set Of duties equally onerous in the
| held, occupying also the twenty -four hours of
the day The compilers IF the bill seem to
have failed to compare notes as to the anot.
ment Of duties 10 the several officers. Some of
the best paid positions are mere sinecures. ana
the most laborious ones are remunerated in Al
inverse ratio to the amount of work. Tn .ex
| eral instances the allotment Of duties is sucb
| as TO make the bill imperative. Thus the COM
pliers have in the several sections massed the
following duties upon one officer, the clerk of
commissioners. He is to keep an executive
journal OF the proceedings of. the commits.
sioners, after an elaborate style of en,rv set
forth; index the same copiously furnish copies
OF entries, under the seal of his Office, 10 per-
sons desiring such; classify the papers in his
office; open and keep accounts with the col.
lector and treasurer; perform the duties Cow
performed by the City Register. issuing lics ses
&c; give notice Of appointments; and .sper.
form the duties required OF him by the rev.
enue law or by the COMMISSIONERS pretty
formidable list Of duties. but these are only
the advance guard of the real labors deyolyinp
upon him. Section Sc requires THAT by the
! first Monday in April in each year the clerk
If no m issio hal o,t Co.. -
original assessment books, a list, in a suitably
ruled book, of the names, in alphabetical order.
Of every person in the District against whom
a tax has been assessed, and the amount of
said tax according TO the lawful rate Of taxa
ton; and in case Of lands assessed to persons
unknown, a list of the same, describing them.
and stating the amount of tax for which each.
lot, tract, or parcel Of land is liable" -
Section So allows the assessors until the fist
Monday i'm March to make their returns con.
sequently the clerk of commissioners "a NV
the provisions Of this bill allowed but one
months time in which to perform this wo, r
| for the whole District. When It is remembered
that in this city alone there were last year over
three thousand transfers Of real estate to be
made upon the books, and that the work OF
making up the assessment books is one re-
| curing great care, and is good four months
JoO ioI cSpcIlcuccO udnOs, we can imagine the
sort of tumble and confusion that would re-
suit from the style of doing business laid down
by the compilers of this bill. But this Is
not all; sections 81. IS, and 80 require that the
clerk shall compare his list WITH the original
| assessment books, and shall deliver them tn
the collector with has warrant by. the first
| Monday of May; and he Is also required To
furnish the comptroller with a. copy of the
list. In case of a failure to furnish these lists
| he is liable to fine and removal from office
These are specimens picked up at random
from few of the provisions OF the bill. The
| sections referring to the Police Department.
Fire Department, Water Department. Board
or Health, Collectors ONCE, Solicitors t,a,cs
Assessors, Comptroller, &c, &c, fairly bfistle
with defects, conflicting provisions, &c, but
we have not space to enter upon them TO-DAY
That bill so crude and utterly impracticable
| Of execution shod1d. have found its way into
the Sesate is matter of surprise; bat that IL
should have passed the ordeal of tha D,s,r;,.