Evening star., 1870-01-29
The GoveFUment Of the District.
Opposition to tie Territorial Forn-Hsetsne u q,
SerenA Ward.

An adjourn ed meeting OF the citi1eng Of the
Seventh Ward, opposed to the proposed bill
looking to q territorial form Of government for
the District of Columbia. was held last night at
Island Hall, South Washington, to hear the re-
port of the committee appointed at a previous
meeting to submit suitable resolutions for dis
eua,ien and adoption; & The meeting was called
and Ii. X. Edwards acted As secretary.
The Chair stated that the first business In or
der wa: the report Of the Special Committee:
paper, which he had prepared, embodying his
individual views on the subject, saying :-"The
proposition to change the present city govern
Council appointed, or not elected by the people,
is direct blow at liberty, q warfare against the
very principle of self-goyernment, and can only
as some propose. the Senate, are to be elected
by the people, then why the change? Or do
Aldermen desire to be called Senators? Is
it the title that some dozen gentlemen want,
White House. Is this what they are after
But We are to have member of Congress. Are
there a score of men in our midst who expect to
member of Congress would obtain greater con-
cessiOns from Congress than now, he having
exclusive control of our affairs. Can 1t be hoped
that one man could effect as much in this direc-
ton as hundreds, or even thousands; and that,
too, with the entire Congress personally obser-
want of all our wants? The very idea Is falla-
ciOus. And then what a degrading metamor-
territory! This District, with only fifty square
miles, would also make a contemplate territory.
1t is a city with the ordinary dimensions OF
great metropolis, and to call it territory would
be simply ridiculous
The report goes on to say that it is urged that
the present city government is intolerable; that
IL is corrupt; that the taxes are excessive; that
the msney is squandered ON pet Jobs, given to
favorites; that the salaries are excessive; that
the most urgent improvements, such as paving
the principal streets with improved pavement,
cleaning ha
dredging of the river channel, are opposed or
neglected; that crime and ignorance, in place of
morals and intelligence, Is often elevated to
couraged, and that when reform meetings are
called to consider these grievances and suggest
improvements, such meetings are broken up
by mobs of city officials; and then argues that
the error is not in the system, but i'm the
men who are at the head of the city govern
ment. Reform is loudly called for, and when
this is effected we will hear no more demands
for a territorial government. We need more
intelligent and honest men in the Councils
and at the head of the city government-men
who will not encourage or head mob to
break up meetings seeking reform. We need
men who can see what improvements are ne
cessary, and have the honesty and courage to
carry them out. We need our principal streets
and avenues paved with improved pavement,
so that they can be kept clean; we need the
canal and river channel dredged, our immense
water-pOwer utilized, and railroads built to
all parts of the country, and thus to employ
our idle labor, now compelled to subsist on
the pittance dOled out through the ProyideRt
Aid Society and annual contributions OF Con-
gress. We need honesty, economy, and re-
form in the expenditure OF money, and the ex-
penditures always kept within the means to
pay. We need the consolidation Of the en-
tire District under one municipal government.
In place, then, of a change to a territorial form
Of government, we desire the continuance OF
the present form of government, and in place Of
restrictions on the right of suffrage and the
this extended, and in order to more effectually
destroy the one-man power, we request that, in
the new charter which Congress will doubtless
give us during the present session, the elective
principle shall be extended by making the Ward
Commissioners, and all general or principal off,
GERS, now appointed by the Mayor, to be elected
by the people; and also that in such charter
the people Of this District shall have the right
to vote for President.
Mr.. II. Il. Fowler commented on the territorial
the objections to it was the power it would give
to the few men in the higher board in case of a
veto by the governor. He then read resolutions
which he had prepared, as follows:
Whereas, certain parties, professedly Republicans
have prepared bill with the intention of asking its
ny or I % In 9m n
OF present form of city and county overnment;
IS DEPRIVE the heneo Of q the sasr
and inestimable right of the ballot, thus depriving
Constitution guarantees to them-imposing ON them
government in spirit and form such as the fathers
Be II rssoirsd, The Republicans of the Seventh
ward, duly sensible OF the signal favor the Congress
of the United States have bestowed in giving
rs the right Of the ballot right which we have
shd though sEd b Sr
Ilenee we hans sec9mPl1shej more permanent nm
:, Rssotred, That mindful Of the many conflicts and
disorders which have characterized the proceedings
Of cur municipal government for the last year, we
are sensible OF errors committed in the selection of
our sacred honors that in the future we will select
men to Represent us who will discharge their duties
ernment.
Kes0Ired, That we respectfully ask Congress to
lative enactment in District, and that here the
undeniabIe rights Of citizenship was first bestowed
representative of their race throughout our common
thsreSss they pray the # the
abridge their liberties by restricting their franchise
al m amy s out ~ 20 fhs aS 9dgs to
that they viii demonstrste to the world that they
perform all the acts that free and independent peo
pie may of right do.
And te At further resolred, That We owe a debt of
gratitude to our Chief Magistrate, U. s. Grant for
the interest he has etten expressed IN welfare
IN the welfare and prosperity Of this the capital city
grounds, to make them correspond to the grandeur
Of our public buildings thus making this city not
o ths %
the patriotism and intelligence Of the American Con-
Ike Washington, "drsi in war, first in peace. aud
first in the hearts of his countrymen, - we submit
our present rights and our future hopes.
Mr.. +. A. Boswell said he did not CONCEIVE
that there had been any report made by the
committee. One paper had been read by Mr..
Watson and the other by Mr.. Fowler, and there
might be still another from the other member of
the committee. Ii the committee had not done
its duty, the meeting could appoint another
which would do the business assigned to it. An
other thing he objected to in the resolutions of
MI. Fowler was the use of the word "Republl-
cam" this not being q partisan meeting, or n
meeting that proposed to discuss political mea-
sures.
Robert X. Thompson concurred with Mr.. Bos-
DIR. Boyd thought the meeting was CAPABLE of
action on the questions, even without a corn
mttee report; but il this was not desirable he
hoped the reports would be recommitted to the
committee.
Rev. Mr.. Green objected to having any speech
making on these reports, as they were not pre-
sented in regular form. He had been watching
men here. [Laughter.]
DIR. Boyd did not care who was watching him.
he had been watched before and he could stand
watching. tApplause.l He had been reading
the constitution Of the United States with refer
ence 10 the powers Of Congress over this District,
ana contended that the Congress had no power
70 cnange the present form Of government in
this District as the territory bill proposed. IL
TINS city mad been under such a government as
was proposed In 1861 where would we be now
especially if the Governor had been a .John ~
Floyd! He doubted If this poyernment wo,Id
have succeeded in dealing with rehellion as n
had done. There was now in this District ola
hal uhn xoulI Olorv in oat@;,,- oAu