Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-03-21
Reading Matter on Every Page.
The Bill ITO Provide q Govermment
for the District Of Columbia" =

with amendments, the "bill to provide gov
eminent for the District Of Columbia" which
has been before the Committee lately; and upon
which the advocates and opponents OF the
measure were invited to express their views, ut
the Committees room, few days ago.
As the attempt has been made to create the
impression that the Committee were divided in
opinion upon the BILL ii is proper to say that the
report u unanimous, and was made after
thoughtful and thorough consideration of the
matter, and after patient hearing of all that
could be said for or against the measure.
Most Of the amendments made are those ind-
Gated as desirable by the Senate Committee 1t
the late interview with the citizens. The word
TERRITORIAL" Is stricken out of the bill where
ever 1t occurs. The following new section Is
inserted:
Sec 3. And be IL further enacted, That every
Dill which shall have passed the council and
mousse or representatives, shall. before il be-
the District Of c iumbia; IL he approve, he shall
sign II, but IL not, he shall return it, with his
objections, TO the house in which it shall have
large on their journal, and proceed To recon-
nder IT, III, after such reconsideration two-
tnlrds Of the house shall agree to pass the bill.
V shall be sent, together with the ohiections 70
the other house, by which 1t shall iikewisa Ia
Ieconsidered, and If approved BY two-thirds of
that house, it shall become law But in ali
sucn cases the votes Of both houses shall be de-
IImineo oy yeas and nays, and the names of
tne persons voting for and against the bill shall
De entered on the journal of each house respec-
lively. III any bill shall not be returned by the
governor within ten days, Sundays excepted,)
after II shall have been presented to him. the
same snail be law In like manner as IL he had
signed IL, unless the legislature by their ad-
shall not be a law ~ ~
Section is amended by inserting the word
Inability" in the 10th line authorizing the Sec
Rotary to act for the Governor in case of the
death, removal, resignation, irabirity. or alb
sence" Of the latter, &c. In the 5th section the
word general" is stricken out of the provision
thar the Governor and Secretary appointed by
the President "shall hold their Offices respec-
lively until the first general election,
The 9th section is amended to make the Coun-
Gil consist or eIersn members, instead of thir-
teen, and the House Of Assembly Of tpenty-t,oo
members, instead Of twenty-six; and the num-
Der OF Election Districts for the two branches is
made to correspond to this amendment. The
time Of meeting for the Legislative Assembly is
fixed ''on the first Monday in November annu-
ally The following clause is added to the 18th
section; "BHt the Legislature shall hare no rtgstso
GcT7d9e or hHitthe right Of suffrage"
Sccuon tenth, as amended, limits the tax for
all general objects to two dollars on the hum
dred; and the right of the District government
10 borrow money, or issue stocks or bonds is
restricted to one million dollars.
In section eleven, the Legislative Assembly
IS instructed, instead of authorized, to divide
the District outside OF Washington and George
Town into townships. " not exceeding three
In section fourteen, the words in italics are in
serted, and all moneys raised by general tax
.uoh or arising from donations by Congress, or |
from other sources, for school purposes shall be
Tod fnr h.
youth OF said District between certain ages to be
defined by law
In section Is the following is stricken ont: |
"Prorided, hoperer, That if said charters of !
w ssnington and Georgetown, or either of them,
be repealed, which they shall not be without the
10 take away the power of taxation the said
assembly shall have power to levy a |
special tax upon property within such corpora
ton Tor the payment of the debts thereof and
for no other purpose
In place Of the above the following is substi-
tuted:
''PToridsd, koscerer, That the charters of the
corporations OF Washington and GEORGETOWN
snail not be repealed without a vote OF a major
NY Oh the legal voters OF said cities Of Washing
ton and Georgetown, respectively, at a legal
meeting called for that purpose. And in case of
the repeal or modification Of the charters afore-
said, or either OF them, the said legislative
sembly shall have power to levy a special tax |
upon property within such corporation for the |
payment Of the debts thereof, and for no other |
purpose
The salary of the Governor is fixed at 900,
and that of the Secretary at % 500. The blank |
for the annual appropriation by Congress for the
contingent expenses of the District is filed by
the sum OF 5000. (This sum does not take the |
place OF the sum to b, appropriated by Con- |
gress to defray the expenses OF the Legislative |
Assembly,
A very material amendment is made to sec
ton rs by the insertion of the words in italics:
"And be IL further enacted, That for the pur-
poses Of the first election to be held under this
act the Governor and Judges of the Supreme |
Court of the District of Columbia shall desig- |
nate the districts for members of the Council |
and House Of Representatives, appoint Board
OF ReSlstrdtion, and prescribe all other needful
rules and regulations for carrying into effect the
provisions OF this act, not otherwise herein pro-
yided for
The following section is added to the bill by
the committee:
Sec. n. And be Il further enacted. That there
shall be valuation taken in the District of Co
Inmbia of all property, personal and real, in
Guiding all property belonging to the United
states, in separate and distinct schedules, at
least once in two years, and return thereof shall
be made by the Governor to the President Of
the Senate and Speaker of the House Of Repre-
cress held AFTER such valuation shall be taken
And IL valuations of said District shall be taken
oftener than once IN two years, return thereof
snail DC m8uo 10 COngress ~ aiOfesalu-
IL will be remembered that at the interview
with the committee above referred to Corpora
ton Attorney Cook submitted an amendment to
the effect that the question should be submitted
TO q vote in Warrington, Georgetown and the
county on the first day Of October next The
committee, however, came TO the conclusion
that il was entirely unnecessary TO 60 through .
task involving so much trouble and delay as
the election proposed; and it was held that
il involved something Ike an insult to
the intelligence Of the people OF the Dis
trict to formally ask them If they desire
to have their powers, privileges and franchises
enlarged, as proposed in this bill. 1t Is under
stood that Dir. Cook exhibits q good deal OF
feeling before the committee over the rejection
OF HIS amendment by them, and expresses his
determination to test the matter In the courts II
the bill passes Congress. This bit OF lawyer
like bluster appears, however, TO have had very
little weight with the committee, and Will quite
certainly have none with Congress.
But whatever may be the fate Of the bill, the
District Committee deserve the thanks OF every
citizen OF the District for the patient, intelli-
gent labor they have given to perfecting
measure calculated 70 be OF such inestimable