Evening star., 1870-02-12

n
Indorsed Unanimo Working Co1mittees In
Favor of the Movement 10 be Observation-Disclosures
By Hon. w. B. Stokes and others.
A meeting Of the Boys In Blue was held ut
Union League Hall last evening, to consider the
territorial question, and the hall was crowded to
overfowing. Among others present were 7. T.
Fowler, Chaplain Green, w. Barnes, j. H.
Crane George Holmes, A. Watson, o. ID. Bar
rett G. S. Hepburn, g. s. Bates, George Hatton,
The meeting was called to order about 8
| O'Clock by A. Grant, w. >. Fletcher as Secre-
| tary, and Chaplain Green offered a feryent
| Z. ID. Fisher, from the Committee on Resolu-
| tions reported the following:
Whereas the rights of one hundred and seventy
tS have no power to manage or eontr0 Sin IN a nn
affairs as guaranteed to all citizens by the Declsra
srs o GH I %
Georsetown: leaving nearly sixty thousand people
fully believe that the time has come for a change
and the initiation of better form of government for
this District, that IL will improve and dew eop ali our
material interests; attract capital from abroad, fur
nish employ nent, and tend to build up manuactur
| ing ard commercial industry, as well simplify
sronomize' and consolidate ous local government:
hoO!rsd. That the Boys in Blue of the District of
eiios1s to establish TerritrsI form Of gorsrnmant
or ths District; f. Provided only that the right M ot
may be all Territorial officers be elected by the peo
PIE such for instance as the Governor, Secretary,
ture, Treasurer, ATTORNEY General, Surveyor Gen
eTal Register q DEEDS. Register Of Wills ASSESSOR
| miss, ners, Wart0Commsioners, Water Registrar,
ard Jgs.ic.s of the Peace,minor officers to be ap
Sohhrmaiion of the upper house OF the Territorial
R,so!red, That the Boys in Blue fully concur in
and indorse the proceedings If the meeting of
bes. R T S Of aGs S., ST sCler held at
% ns NTH h b ee
itT In of nd IN
upon Congress that the same with little delay
possible, be enac.ed into a law.
Rstolrsf, That the General Commanding appoint
additionally, one from each ward; two from George
members of the committee appointed ar the aw ias,
| meeting, on a new government for the District
j. Ii. Wes moved the adoption OF the resolu-
| tons.
Nh. q. ID. Barrett was called on, and addressed
| the meeting, saying that the question was one
of Importance, and he believed that the success
OF the city was involved in it. The citizens with
whom he had conversed seemed to be In favor
OF the project, except few. He believed our
wise fathers had made some mistakes, one of
them, in relation to the District. The ancients
improved their capitals, and the citizens of the
capitals were clothed with more privileges than
others, but IT was not so here, for we were with
out the privileges enjoyed by the citizens of the
In the capitals of other countries that the best
citizens made their residence there, and if we
nad the same privileges the best citizens of the
Republic would settle here. There was i'm this
city little party opposed to any change, and
Ike the little party In Ephesus who made the
ornaments for the goddess, they sing praises to
owe their living, and will continue to sing while
they make their bread and butter OFF of her,
or rather him, for this Diana is OF the other
sex: Laughter and applause.l Mr.. Barrett
said 1t had been charged that this move
ment would abridge the rights OF the col
0red people, but he denied it. They real
ly had no rights OF franchise the City Hall
ring is bound to respect, [applause, ! and no
rights such as belong to the citizens Of republic.
IA voice-"The right to be a contradictory No
not that right except by the will of a certain
joyed here as by citizens in other parts Of the
country, capital would come here, and along the
banks OF the Potomac another Lowell would
grow up, and their would not be as to day 800
families begging bread. He not only thought
that We should have a delegate in Congress, but
one who can vote; and then our interests will be
when each member OF Congress has looked after
the interests of his constituents he has little
time TO look to the interest of the District In
conclusion he alluded to the small number OF
laws affecting the District passed by Congress-
and some of the old Maryland laws which are
still in force. and would bid those engaged in the
movement God speed" IApplause.I
Hon. W. Il. Stokes, of Tenn, was introduced
and received with loud applause. He said it
was pleasure for him TO meet with the citizens
OF Washington, for he claimed them as friends.
The resolutions were in relation to a question OF
great magnitude, and he was not prepared to
speak on them as fully as he would like for
there was constitutional question involved
which he had not examined. He had often
wondered why the citizens of the District had
made no application to Congress for the priyi-
iege of electing delegate but it was not his
place to make suggestions, for the members
have their constituents to look after their inter
esfs and the affairs OF the General Government
and their respective sections taking precedence.
there Is little time left to attend to the interests
or wants Of the District of Columbia. III the
people had delegate i'm Congress it would be
his duty to look after the interests of the Dis
trfct and SO far as giving the District the right
10 representation by delegate is concerned, ne
could go that far without hesitation. Zap
P,ause.I There are portions OF the resolu-
tlon, however, which he had his doubts
about; but he would advise them to ask for
all they wanted, and he believed that Congress
would be able to start them on with a delegate
at least. IApplause.] He was satisfied that
something should be done here. He was not
here to make war on any man. but in his Judge
ment there was screw loose somewhere. ZAP
plause.l Here he saw, day after day, persons
out OF work. some 100 females at the Treasury
begging for work, and not day passing but
males and females, white and colored, come to
him and ask "In the name OF God why can'c we
get employment" There should be manufac-
tories here to employ the people, and if the
fault Is In the muncipa, government they should
g rid Of it. He would make no charges. The
people OF the District we're, he was sure, willing
10 work; and were not. as had been charged, a
set OF loafers. (Voices.-''No. No. Give us
work and we will do it'll Congress had been
called on to aid the District by an appropriation
one to appropriate $50 600, to be expended
In relief, and one ID issue rations, and he
preferred the latter. He did not attack any
ones honesty, but wanted to be sure that the
suffering people would get the benefit 1t had
been said that it could not be arranged to issue
rations; but those who had been i'm the armv
who had seen how relief was given to refugees
knew better. He wanted to feed the poor and
therefore concluded that it would be better to
issue ratiOns. [ A vOice-'sI doubt it."l And
they would be issued by Government officers,
who, If they did not come up to the scratch
would be made ''tO DUST" but il placed in the
hands Of others Congress would have no control
OF the matter. They could rest assured that
when the subject of a change OF government
comes up in Congress, he would 90 as far as the
constitution and his oath would allow him to co.
III they could have a change he believed that
manufactures would be brought here, and the
city would soon become as it was intended to
be-a magnificent city-and the everlasting
howl about the removal Of the capital would be
stopped. he was opposed, under all circum-
stances: TO removal of the capital
from this District, and by the wav the
agitation or this question had damaged the
District somewhat, for he had heard men saw
that they could not invest their money here
while the agitation was kept up. 1t would be
cruei and unj just TO the citizens to remove the
Eapnal; and under the compact by which the
Dstflct was ceded to the Government Congress
nas no rlght TO remove it. As he had before
s.ate9' ne would not make war on any one, but
~ouiH Chiy say that, as Republicans, they
snouiu eject their delegates to the convention,