Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-01-21
Resolutions Passed that the District
Machine IL Perfect. and Only
Wants to be LET AlOne.s'

| An adjourned meeting was held at Union
| League Hall last evening to discuss the proposed
4 Chan &c in th1 form OF gOvernm- Int of the Dis
| tri,t and the hail before the meeting was well
| tu dtT way, Was dense y packed, large proper
| Un being cOloTe,l. Among those present were
! ACs-Ts. -. Z. Brown, Lewis Clepulne, IL. VI.
| ha.l. John Il. Evans. Is. ID. Peck, ". T. Mott,
\ Col. -las. "A. Magruder, cen. -. %. Howard jos.
I Williams, Pr, >ldt mt Common Council, Justice
! y. C. Coz, Gen. A. Grant. ten. >. Bell Adams,
| John b'D"nasan, HI. lllnnrr. j. II. Wright, II.
I Mail nv. Walker Lewis. Councilman Piper, and
| Thompson and David Fisher. Ii was apparent
| even before the meeting was called to order,
| that the ting was made up largely OF those
| VIII" 'ame Ia UIis"-e any change whatsoever.
| AbOut \ o'clock the meet ting was called TO
J order by Mr.. >. i. Brown, vino nominated Mr..
/ X. VI. Hall a. Chairman MI. ,iOiIn k. Elyan>
was nominated tOi th,' position of Secretary bat
\ he said that lie might diner with those who
| calls Il the meeting, and he preferred that some
\ ether T. TsOn be selected. The Chair said the
| objection was not a valid one, for Mr.. Elvans
COni reserve TO himself the right to advocate or
| disal prove TIE measures proposed.
! REMARKS BY COL. JAS. A. NAGRUDER.
I Col. MdgTUder at the suggestion OF the Chair
stat, the objects OF the meeting, and the causes
which have led 10 the proposed III assure. He
! referred to the great want Of manufactures
here. causedby the difficulty in obtaiurn: CHAR
tiers from Congress, and the difficulty in obtain
: .Ig action III any shape on District matters,
wllrh WAS however not owing to a want OF dis
Portion 10y Congress, but for want OF time. He
| wiSl d to the Capital built up, and believed
\ that II would be, could there be charters OBJ
| tanned by companies, who seek II invest capital
here. Ii any great measure for the District
was proposed, there was sure to be oppo-
sition, and if they had delegate in Con
gress that opposition could be intelligentlv
met. lie opposed to abriiginp suf-
1rage, and was in favor OF all the officer,
being ell cted by the people, but when the r at
OF the bill Was presented to the Congressional
Committee they were told that the Government
Gs IN nd Tsnre emf az in "a
local government The water power of the Po-
tOmaC was useless, and would remain So until
| the people have the same privileges are com
mon WITH other citizens in the States. He did
not believe that after a calm and cOnsderat,.
view OF the measure there would be opposition to
it.
REMARKS RY GEN. o. q. HOWARD
Gen. q. q. Howard was next called on. He
said that he did not profess to be posted upon
certain matters which had been discussed but
he had given the question under consideration
| much thought and study. He wished to see the
city and surrounding country improve. and the
capital become, as il should be, an ornament to
| the nation. He referred to the difficulties in
obtaining District legislation from Congress,
and thought il was a right of the people OF this
District to have a representative in Congress.
| He wished TO see more advancement i'll the
value of property, more Improvements and less
poverty; and he believed thar all this could be
attained il our interest, are represented in Con-
CTr>S and We had a government like that pro-
posed. In Congress now our interests are neg
lectCd because We have no particular friend to
lock to them, and 'wh is every bOdy's business
il nOIody'S business" Congress own. half of the
property in the District, and il they will give us
a government OF our own and pay either II
a tax or by appropriations something towards
improving the streets, there would be- moucs
here and work, and no need of so much yI>ItinL
among the poor every winter. He was not in
iaycr % restricting the right of suffrage. aud
would yet all lie could and III favor Of elect ING
| ali the officers lie was ashamed and sorry tp
| STE. every time he came into the city-no mat
| ter FROM what directiOn-the present coudi ton
OF the country surrounding Washington totally
unlike that surrounding New York, Philad J
Iha, and "tf ct cities; and he Thought il We had
a government Of our own. and cOuld induce
Northern capitalists to come here and settle.
the neighborhood about ms Tor miles would i'm
prove. lie desired that ii should be known that
this not a question OF sins and outs
with linn, but that he had considered the mat
| ter fully. and would be glad to see a government
such as Is proposed, with the officers elected, cs-
MR.. II. Adams-Mr. President
Councilman Henry Piper-Will the gentle
man give way for the introduction Of a resolu-
Mr.. S. p. Brown hoped the discussion woald
go on.
SOME RESOLUTIONS.
Mr.. Piper offered the following:
Whereas. Congress the law making power Of this
nation, have plainly set forth in every effort recon
against the Government, ttat they are uucornpro-
nIsngly in favor Of the enfranchisemcnt Of Amsri-
can citizens, whether native born naturaIizod.
except "a punishment for crime; and whercas, We
Of ne
tenth aarnd:uent To the Constitution Of the United
states l. 90 secure - ali men the right To- exercise ali
dp t7 t. S ara Ge 5err f%re the law that be-
81 rfscJr,d That, citizens and labnring men
any change in the government 81 this which
poses to disfranchise in part, and place Us un
der the control Of capitalists or All aris,Vcratc gov
| ment.
Re Itsrtaev resoIrfd, That committee b. ap
?. Inted from this meeting, which stall consist
Of - number OF delegates from Washington,
Georgetown and county to wait the District com
| majority of the citizens of this District
air. Adams moved the adoption of the resolu-
tions.
Gen. Howard said that a previous engagement
compelled him to leave the meeting, but before
he left he wished to say that he was sorry to See
such resolutions introduced, and he wished il
distinctly understood that he was opposed to
any interference with the rights of the citizens
Of the District, and in favor of increasing the
franchise, and not abridging it.
MISCELLANEOUS discussion.
hr. d. Adams said he was opposed 70 any
measure calculated to abridge the right Of suf-
frage. He referred to Philadelphia having had
at one time four or five municit,I poycrnrnants
which sl d.d not conflict any more than the four
or Eve gOverninen here. What is the tropo-
stiOn? Under the plea that charters cannot he
obtained from Congress. they ask To Overturn
the whole government of the District OF Column
bia. They could remedy this.
Col. Naturalization
Mr. Adams-By getting general incorpora-
ton act passed.
MT A-Well, it can he done. Gen. Howard
says that he wants the Governor AMI Legislature
elect, d, but he knows that Congress viii NOT
grant such privileges; and he knows, too. that
the PURPOSE and desire of the founders of thi.
Government Vas that there should be no co,iti
cal strife about the capital. Congress had re-
served to itself the right To govern the District
and would exercise that right in spite OF arsto-
cratic Pleading for power. 1t has been Aid that
under the proposed bill taxes would no reduced
but he conld hot see how and why tho should
he reduced. The bill was, he continued I. Ir.rt
blow at suffrage in the District. He understood
too, that there was a clause in it eacuoh In Il,
it-a property quail icatiOn.
Several voices There's no such CLAUSE in
the bil.''l ="
Col. Magruder said he was surprised that any
Republican should get up in public meeting
and impugn Gen. HOward-a patriot and friend
10 the cOlOred race. Such motives rs had been
imputed to General Howard in presenting his
views.
Mr.. Adams.-I deny that said any such
thing.
Mr.. Magruder.-You did. You said that Gen.
Howard was advocating before the people a
measure which he knew Congress would not
pass lie (Adams) was pretty man to address
q meeting bill which he had not read.
lChters-l They had come to discuss the mea-
= re-. AMI were not to he driven Off bv any such
a as had been heard. He claimed that tn,
tdVocates OF the measure were at least as hon
- as the opponents. fApplause.1 And per-
>OHally all were in favor OF the entire numhar
80 officers bein. elective.
Nr T. y Atkinson Commissioner of the Sixth
WARD asked ii the parties who advocated tins
viil were not The same who atte,npted tn pro-