New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-02-20
The District Of Columbia Under
Territorial Government.

The change Of local government in 1871
7 when Congress gave the District of Columbi.
Legislature and a representativ was thu
particular event from which may be date
such innovations as make necessary a reyis
Ion OF the popular opinion. The visitors
who come this month, and who have not beer
here since the last Inauguration, will have &c
learn the capital anew. While the establish,
ment OF the territorial government and the
organization of its outgrowths
the Board of Public Works-mark the new
departure by physical changes, all will I'M.
derstand that it was the first gun at Charles
ton. startling the stagnant pool here. which
set IN motion the successive waves that car
ried the city up to this departure. The pub
lie affairs of the city became practically uu-
manageable. \ joint stock company could
not organize for the most triiling business
without depending on the slow and uncertain
action of Congress for a charter. \ few act
i've men, who saw that the old order Of things
could be endured no longer, met quickly in
1870 at the house of an houored citizen on h
street to see what further they could see.
They continued to meet at each others
homes, tightening their Interchange of thought
for the public BY such an extension of hospi-
tally as drew into their circle many intiu-
entail Congressman, and converted them to
Washington besides the national service
The result was, that the city government was
abolished; Legislative Assembly was ere
ated; Governor was appointed by the Presi-
dent of the United States; and delegate
was sent to Congress, instead of 4 crowd of
lobbyists, to represent the District of Column
lumbia. This delegate is always to be Il
member OF the Committee on the District
Congress has the constitutional right of ex-
elusive legislation, and the Assembly cannot
impose taxes of any consequence without es-
pecial authority from the people.
The wisdom of the change was doubted at
first by many real friends Of progress, who
Thought they saw grave legal complications
arising; who knew what popular government
in large city, with no restriction of the
elective franchise, might mean who at times
thought of New York with a shudder; who
knew that as Washington was the centre of
everything political, it was necessarily the
centre of political corruption that her alleys
were crowded with ignorant freedmen; that
her ward politicians were as unscrupulous
and skillful as the same class in other cities
and who thought it safer to trust the average
Congressman than the small political trader
and his chattcls. But Congress sits as a per-
petual court Of appeal on the spot where its
members can Judge from personal knowledge,
ready to override any act of the Assembly
that can be shown to be bad one ; and one
house Of the Assembly, with the Governor
and executive boards, ia appointed by the
President. The election of the larger house
and of the delegate to Congress is sufficient
security to the people, and Washington is
to-day in most respects the best-goyerned
city Of its size in the United States. The
powers of the little Assembly arc very linn
tod no NJ 10
Congress can override them both; the Pres
ident can veto the acts of Congress two
thirds of Congress can still surmount this
veto. This complicated system may retard
good measures, but it is not probable that
any very bad one can long survive under it.
The Baron IIaussmann here is the Board of
Public Works. 1t is grading, filling, paving,
planting, fencing, parking, and making the
thoroughfares what they would never have
become by ordinary means. At last we see
what Westinghouse never saw before
vast public operations having a consistent
and tangible shape; obeying a purpose that
can be understood, defined, and executed !;
beginning somewhere and ending in some
thing. Within its sphere this board has
despotic power; it would be worthless with
any less. 1t dares to strike without fear or
favor, and hit whoever stands in the way
1t makes bitter enemies by its memorable eX-
actions; the public cannot be served except
at the expense of the individual. A strong
party has fought it by injunctiOns and failed
the same persons will no doubt continue to
fight, while the board will no doubt continue
to vindicate itself and 80 on with its work
1t made some mistakes which wrought hard
ships to individuals who wished it well, but
such were the difficulties before it at the out
set that it might have made greater mistakes
and still been forgiven. 1t is to be hoped
that it will have enemies enough to watch it
closely, criticise it sharply, and hold it to a
strict accountability; tut should it have
enough to really interfere with its present
course, then we shall have to add one more,
and great one, to the list Of Washington :
caamites. The new blood that created it
is able to sustain it, while the air it has done
50 much to puriiyis already laden with bless
ings from the lips of strangers.-From New
Washington, by Chauncey IIckox, in the
March number of I.ippincott's Naya=m,.
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