Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-02-21
GOvyssNMESr OF THE DISTRICT.

q COsnnsittee ~ TWenty-ome-The
Plan They ProHose-rrevisaons q
Saturday afternoon, Hon. A. g. Riddle, DR..
Lindsey, Justice s. B. Wall, and Messrs. j.
j. Coombs, Lewis Clepnane, William Syphax,
r.. M. Hall, A. l.. Sturdevant, Hawkins Taylor,
William H. wormley, j. D. Wilson, s. P. Brown,
William B. Todd, John X. Elvans, William II.
Philip, and General n. p. Chapman, of the
Committee OF Twenty one, appointed ct recent
meeting of the large COMMITTEES on the proposed
Territorial Government for this District, held a
meeting. Hon. A. Il. Riddle in the chair, and r.
NJ. Han, Esq, secretary.
j. j. Cocmbs, Esq, read the draft of the bill
creates all thatpart of the territory of the United
States included within the limits of the District
Of Columbia into territorial government by the
name OF the District OF Columbia.
Section provides that the executive power
and authority in and over said Distiic shall be
vested in governor, who shall hold his Office for
.0ur years, AMI until his successor shall be
elected and qualified. The governor shall be
citizen of, and reside within, said District. and
it'sve the qualification OF an eiector. He may
srant pdrdons and respites for offences against
the laws OF said District enacted by the lcgisia
tive assembly thereof; he snail Commission all
"1hceTs VINO shall be elected or appointed to
thce under the laws OF the said District, and
seail take care that the laws be faithf ully exc
cuted.
Section provides fer secretary of said Dis
triet. no shall reside therein, and possess the
4
| ofice for four years, and until his successor
shall be elected and qualified; also prescribes
| his duties, and requires him to act as governor
In case OF the death. removal, resignatiop, or
~ sence OF the governor, during such vacancy
| o. absence. until another governor shall be
| duly qualihed 70 Ill such vacancy.
see. 4. The governor and secretary shall be
appointed BY the President of the United States
by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate and shall hold their offices, respectively
| until governor and secretary is elected and
NHae
thereafter ur til Otherwise enacted by Congress-
tie Said governor and secretary shall be elected
by the electors OF the said District, qualified to
vote for Ia, mberS OF the council and house of
| lICScItatiVcS.
sec. 5. legislative power and authority in
said District shall be vested ia the legislative
assembly 10 cOI.sst CT a council and house of
repre- sentatyes. The council shall consist of
thirteen members, having the qualifications of
voters, as hereinafter prescribed, whose term of
service shall continue two years. The house OF
Representatives shall consist of twenty-siX mem
bers, possessing the same qualifications as pre-
scrlbcd for the members OF the. council, whose
term of service shall continue one year. An ap-
potrionment shall be made, as nearly as practical
ble into thirteen districts for the election OF the
council and into twenty-slx districts for repre-
stntatives, giving to each section OF the District
representatives in the ratio of its qualified
voters, as nearly as may be. And the members
OF both houses shall reside in and be inhabitants
OF the districts from which they are elected, re-
spectiveIy. And the first election shall be held
at such time and places, and be conducted in
such manner, both as to the persons who shall
superintend such election and the returns there
Of, as the governor shall appoint and direct
The person having the highest number of legal
votes in each of said council districts, respec-
lively, for members of the council, shall be de-
clared by the governor to be duly elected, to the
council; and the persons having the highest
number of legal votes for the house of repre-
sentatives in each OF said representative districts
respectively, shall be declared by the governor
to be duly elected members of said house: Pro
rided. That in case two or more persons voted
for shall have an equal number of votes, and i'm
case vacancy shall otherwise occur in either
branch Of the legislative assembly, the governor
shall order new election, and the persons thus
elected to the legislative assembly shall meet at
such place and on such day as the governor
shall appoint; but thereafter the time place
and manner of holding and conducting ali cleo
lions by the people, and the formation of the
districts for members of the council and house
OF representatives. shall be prescribed by law,
as well as the day of the commencement of the
regular sessions of the legislative assembly:
Prorided. That no session in any one year shall
exceed the term of sixty days, except the first
session. which may coRtinue ninety days.
Sec. 8. All male citizens of the United States
above the age of twenty-One years, who shall
have been actual residents of said District for
twelve months prior to any election, shall be
entitled TO vote at such election, and shall be
eligible to any Office within the said District:
64t the qnaildeatlon Of voters, and OF holding
bly,.
sec Inc legislative power Oh District
shall extend to all rghtful subjects OfIegisation
within said District, consistent with the CoIsti-
tuition of the United States and the provisions of
this act but all acts of the legislative assembly
shall at all times be subject to repeal or modif-
cation by the Congress OF the United States.
Sec Z. No member ofthe legislative assembly
shall hold or be appointed TO any Office which
shall have been created, or the salary or emo!-
uments of which shall have been increased
while he was a member, during the term for
which he was elected and for one year after the
expiration of such term.
Sec. .. The legislative assembly shall not have
power TO pass any ey post factO law, nor law i'm
Pairing the obligation Of contracts, nor to tax
the property of the United States, nor to tax the
lands or other property OF non-residents higher
than the lands or other property of residents;
nor shall said territorial government have power
to borrow money or issue stock or bonds for any
object whatever, unless by a two thirds vote of
each branch of the general assembly.
SEC 10. The legislative assembly shall have
power to divide that portion of the District not
included in the corporate limits of Washington
or Georgetown into townships and to create
township offices and prescribe the duties there
OF, but all township officers shall be elected by
the people of the townships respectively.
SEC. IL. The property of that portion of the
District not included in the Corporations of
Washington or Georgetown shall not be taxed
Tor the purposes either OF improving the streets,
alleys, public squares, or other public property
Of the said cities, or either OF them nor for any
other expenditure of a local nature, for the ex-
elusive benefit of said cities, either of them
nor for the ayment of any debt heretofore con,
tracted, or that may hereafter be contracted by
either OF said cities while remaining under a
municipal government not co-extensive with
the District.
SEC. IL. The property within the corporate
limits OF Georgetown shall not be taxed for the
payment OF any debt heretofore or hereafter to
be contracted by the Corporation OF Washing
ton, nor shall the property within the corporate
limits OF Washington be taxed for the PAYMENT
Of any debt heretofore or hereafter to be con
tracted by the Corporation Of Georgetown.
Sec. Is. 1t shall be the duty of said leg
schools for the education OF the youth of said
District, and all moneys raised by general taxa
ton or arising from donations by Congress for
school purposes shall be appropriated for the
equal benefit Of all the youth Of said District
between certain ages, to be defined by law.
sec. IA. The said assembly shall have power
10 PROVIDE Tor the appointment OF as MANY jus-
noes OF the peace and notaries public for said
Dhtr1ct as may be deemed necessary, to define
tneir JURISDICTION, and prescribe their duties
Sec 10. The judicial courts of said District
snail remain as now organized until abolished or
charged by act OF Congress; but said legislative
assembly shall have power to pass laws modify
ing the practice thereof, and comforting such
acditional jurisdiction as may be necessary to
the due execution and enforcement Of the laws
OF sand District; and shall also have power to cs-
taoish by law police court with one or more
JUDGES, and such ministerial officers as NAV be
necessary thereto, and to prescribe the powers
anu lunlsoction of such court, the manner of
aRpoiIliihg the judge or judges and all other
ohcsis tnereoi, and the terms OF their offices re-