Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-09-04
SEVENTH STREET SOUTH.
Property Holders In Council.

f'br Report aT the BOARD 81 Pabiln Works
Not -LeEai Proceedings to be
Coma nccd go sasOO Wasted $3.50
Rubsci Ibrd.
Twsnty.elght persons mot last night at Island
hall to hear the report Of tho committee ap.
pointed to walt on the Board Of Public Works to
obtain Information 10 regard to tho assessments
on the property holders for laying tho wood
pavement on seventh street southwest.
George Mattingly, cTl, was In the chair, and
Mr. II. Wexford secretary.
The committee, consisting Of MoTsrs. George
Mattlngly, q, y. KIRK, J. Van Riswick and U,
d. CHURCH, appointed TO walt on tho Board Of
Public Works, submitted the following fepOTtj
which was read by Mt ]. =. Mattlugly.
Your committee, appUlntod at a former meet
ing to take into confederation the eNOrUitant
charges made for the improvement OF said BtfoOt,
beg leave TO report that, In pursuance Of your
InstTuctiOns they called on tho vice president Of
the Board Of Public Works, and respectfully rc.
quested to DO furnished With m itemlzod &c.
count or statement Vi tho cost Oi SAID improve.
ment, so that you might have nu explanation Of
the fact that the private property On each eide
Of the street IL assessed almost tS75 per foot
front for what l. represented rs Ioss than one
third the Gust OF the work.
The vice president VI the board informed your
committee, In response 10 that request, that such
a statement was then being PREPARED, and that
II would be delivered, over MS own signature, to
one Of your committee, sertsiny not later than
lOaUnV tO=mOTruW.
Relying on that assurance 60 positively given,
youf committee retired aud waited for the prom
ised statement. Although six days have
elapsed II has not been fuTnlshedJ your commit
tee, OF any member thereof, having received no
Communication whatever IRON the vice president
Of the board since that interview.
It has not escaped our attention that an atti.
Gle was subsequently published In o morning
Newspaper Of the eIty-ths RgPUBL. CAN Of tho
glth ultimo-purpofiiug to be addressed 10 your
committee and signed "AleN. X. shepherd, vice
a nj n al rna n all
work done In the Improvement Of Seventh
street" That article was introduced In an In.
suluug aud oontumellous manner, wholly un.
worthy a business document cmAnattng from q
high 0Hiclal and deroRatOry " the character Of
American citizens.
AstOunded usyou were at the magnitude Of
the assessments levied on your property, on .
you respectfully protested against tho apparent
wrong, and requested to be furnished with the
Particular
This action on your part Is characterized as
"infamVus" and yUuI soiyes as "sOrcheada" In
the conclusion Of the article your Tlght the
right Of tho citizen who Is called on to layD to
DO informed bow and Tor what your money Is
demanded and IL to be expended, Is admitted
perhaps only as an act OF grace AMI oOndescen.
sion; but when the attempt Is made ever ~ &c.
Fpecttuily, II 10 met with vllifcIIion aud insult
Had We consulted our own feelings Of selt.
respect, We would have treated that article with
silence; but since II L. all that has been youch-
safed TO us-lf even that has boen-and as we,
your committee, have q duty to perform In the
Iremisea wa ara rOm nsIled In treat tho subieet
a We hnd il. and 10 use ali The means IN our
noWsr Ia arrive nj n iusI certain pTudcnt and
snfe eonrinsion
YouT committs, submitted tho case Ia legal
counsel Tor an oplpIon "a 10 tho legality Of the
nEsegSInont. and y heIher or not It's enfofceme nj
can he gueeessnllIy TosIsted ia the courts IJOun.
sci gave 10 the Examination of the 1uestIons
both Of law and fact careful and thorough OK,
Animation. and the Tesuit Is before us, with the
Teasons therefor, The opinion is, in effect, that
The Hoard Of Public Works IN the Improvement
OF Seventh street, exceeded us power aud acted
without due authority Of law; and, hence, lis
acts are null and void. and can form no legal
around for IaxatInni that the asscssmont Of Inc
tax IS Illegal, and made In a manner not war.
ranted by law, ami that the Luarl cannot com.
pol is paymcnt, or lawfully cucumber yUur
uTopeTty by Tcnain thereof
ia this 1rinion ynur committee concur. and
they nc,IuIesoo In lts Tea suns o nd cUnclusluns
Your committee further TerOrt that with 70,
gard 10 the nevspAper attIcle purpurtInV 10 be
an off,claI cOmmuDlcatiUo FROM tio ylrS pTcsl,
dent Of Inc Hoard OF Public Works, IL shows tho
construction Of work not con enpiated by tho
contract, and tor which large sums Of money
arc assessed Il exhibits charges Tor work and
tho purchhAe OF material not In tho contract at
prices vastly greater than such work and mate.
rial were worth, or than would DO thought OF az
between individuals, 1t contains a charge for
superinte udenee, not allowed by law, TO be as.
sesscd against private IrvLcrtyi and a whole.
sale charge against you alone Of sTUOT 49, for
which ma ia FtirnIar IL furnished mai al