Evening star., 1870-03-08

:, MI. Cook said that the provision i'm regard ,o
ne s.s, qaanncahon OF voters only applied 20 the
Legislature. y WIG Ae''i'"' "a
Mr.. Hamln said the committee had made n,
| Hmenument oy which the right OF suffrage piyen
| shall not be resti icted, limited or ahridSe5
| hr. Cook, (seductivelyl Then your Commit
te has proved itself wiser than the trainers Of
| Mt. Cook proceeded TO quote from the seventh
section Of the bill, where il is provided THAT the
legislative power Of the District shall extend q
all rightful subjects OF legislation within said
District, consistent with the Constitution of thu
United States and the provisions of this act but
Al acts cf the legislative assembly shall at ali
times be subject to repeal OF modification by the
N shall be construed 20 deprive Congress of the
| power of legislation over said District I'm as
ample manner as II this law had not been
This was indefinite. What are "rightful sub-
jects Of legislation? The acts Of the
assembly are made subject to repeal or modinca-
tion, but they will stand as law until Congress
| interferes to repeal them. Under this provision
the most atrocious acts may be passed by the
legislative assembly, and will be put in opera
ton here unless repealed by Congress. Such
acts may be passed and put In operation while
congress Is not In session. and there will be nc
mode Of redress.
| Mr. A. X. Shcpherd.-That objection car
the legislature shall meet when Congress does
and that its sessions shall continue but for sixty
/ days.
Mr.. Sumner remarked In regard to the obicc-
ton made by Mr.. Cook to the provisions of the
9TH section of the bill that the same provisions
existed in every bill for Territorial Legisla-
ture.
Mr.. Hamlin said that the experience of eighty
years had shown inconvenience from the
workings Of such provisions in Territorial gov
Mr.. Cook went on to quote from the 18th sec
uon, In which IL is provided that the judicial
courts OF said Dist t.ict shall remain now or
I'M had oh ~. "A
Congress; "but said Legislative Assembly shall
nave power to pass laws modifying the practice
tnereof." Was that wise? The Legislature
may be composed OF men utterly Incompetent
for the responsible work Of modifying the prac-
lice OF the courts. Again, in section IL II was
provided that the Legislature shall have power
70 renew or extend, and to modify or repeal, the
char tiers OF the municipal Corporations OF Wash
ington and Georgetown, and to abolish the Levy
Court OF the county OF Washington; said char
ters, or either Of them, not to be repealed with
cut the consent Of the citizens thereof
MI. Hamlin said the committee had agreed 10
s' strike out the word "ctizens," and substitute
Ar. CoOmbs said the Citizens Committee had
amended 1T by providing "that neither of said
municipal corporations shall be abolished with
out the consent of the people Of said corpora
tons respectively expressed at a special election
subject" '~'
Nj Hamlin Ito Mr.. Cook,-you are N. s,.,
man have seen who has had the boldness 10
stand up and deny to the citizens the right OF
Self-g0yernment!
Mr.. Cook.-l am willing to have the question
submitted TO the people whether they want a
territorial government.
MI. Hamlin.-Yes, and if through appeals 10
ignorance or prejudice you can drive the peo-
PIE 10 vote against the measure YOU are willing
nOrity!
MIR. Cook submitted an amendment, that the
Mayors OF Washington and Georgetown and the
PRESIDENT Of the Levy Court shall issue a procla-
inaton calling upon all qualified voters under
aT Of SssSses to meet on the lst
ton; which vote shall be returned to the Secre-
'ary OF State, and the result announced by that
Umcer. he said that it would be better to have
me eiec,on IN october so as not to eomplicate
1t with the Mayoralty election.
Individual in the rear.-"Yes, and with you to
DO the registering!"
MT: Cook went on to argue that under the
10 territorial government the rights proposed
oy TINS bill. The Constitution provides that
congress shall exercise exclusive legislation
over the District, and shall exercise that exclu-
siye legislation - in all cases whatsoever
congress was here absolutely prohibited from
living powers Of legislation to q Territorial gov
stands here as prohibitions wise prohibition
against Congress transferring its power Had
it been done in the time of Andrew johnson
we should have had a Legislature here hostile
Mr. Howell said that the trainers or the Con-
sttuti0n inserted that clause regarding the ex-
Government to take the power out of the hands
Ct the State or States cedng the land to the
Government for that purpose. 1t was intended
70 make tnat act OF cession complete. After
that was accomplished and the land had passed
INTO the hands OF the United States, it was COM
petem Tor Congress to deputize the local control
over It in any manner they saw best.
MI. Hamlin inquired if tue ordinances of the
G0lporsstlon & Gs Is OF Washington did not have the
Mr.. Cook said that these were on;7 ma.;c::.,
regulations, and that the power to make them
emanated from Congress itself.
MI. Hamlin.-It would be the same with the
powers given to a Territorial government; il
would be a difference in degree; that's ali.
General Howard said he did net wish to bring
politics into this question. The Citizens Com
mittee had been srraigned by Mr.. Martin as
ob)ectlonable because SO many were in it op
posed to Republican principles. He had not
stopped to inquire into the politics OF ali the
committee. The question was whether the plan
good one. If it was, let them adopt it; II not,
let them oppose it. The first one who mad
spoken TO him on the subject was Henry ID.
Republican. The next was Mr.. s. p. Brown. |
He had always found him loyal. |
Rev. Sella Martin.-Mr. Cooke Is loyal.
Mr.. Hamln.-Is not Mr.. Brown loyal? /
Mr. Martini did not say he was not.
Mr. Hamlin.-iou smile as If you would init
mate he was not loyal.
thing wrong in the bill, change il. What we
want is a government by the people for the Dis
triet There Is certainly something wrong in
the condition OF things I'm the District. Our
poor laws and prison laws are defective; our
school system, which ought TO be the best in the
world, was by no means up to the mark, though
Il was improving. He had no feeling against
Mayor Bowen or Mr.. Cook: it was simply a
question of providing better mode Of govern
ment for the District. The only question was
whether we shall have half Q dozen conflicting.
incCngruous governments, or one simple haf.
moni0us, effective authority for the whole Dis
trict. In behalf Of the poor men of the Dis
,rict he advocated this change. Their condition
would be ameliorated in various ways The
change would set the work Of improvement in
progress and give the poor employment-make
them self-respecting, enable them to earn their
own bread, and not be dependent upon Con-
gressional charity.
We have now too many jurisdictions I'm the
District. There is no adjustment; there Is con-
slant interference and overlapping amongst |
thtm.
Mr.. Hamlin--And you have beautiful mosaic /
OF Maryland law, CergressionAl law, and muni-
cipal law!
see the force Of the constitutional objection pre-
sented. The Levy Court was now operating /
under the same powers that were asked for the i
Territorial government. The city government
Of washington exists and makes laws. Hes not
Conr res the power to give us the right 10 elect
our ewn rulers and to legisiate ON District mat
Mr.. Lewis thought the plan suggested by him
m committee, tire other day, was the proper /
one-tf at was, TO refer the question to the peo-
sle of the District and LET them vote ON Il,
Cen Howard sal ru>~<iC, -.