Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-09-16
Response OF Governor shepherd.
His Views ON District Affairs.

The members of the Council and House OF
Dele gates assembled at Legislative hall this
morning at 10 O'Clock, for the purpose of calling
upon Governor Shepherd to tender their con-
CALCULATIONS on his appointment to the execu-
tive chair. Many citizens of the District and a
number of District officials we're assembled at
the executive Office on the corner of II It'll street,
when the members of the Legislative Assembly
arrived. Hon. VIM. Stickney, President of the
Council, and Hon. Peter Campbell, Speaker of
the House of Delegates, preceded the process
sion that filed into the Governors office, followed
by Chief Clerk VIM. j. Donoho and other off,
GERS of the House and Council, and very soon
the rooms were filed. They were received by
Secretary Tindall. and soon after Governor
Shepherd appeared in the reception room, w here
he was met by Mr.. stickney, who addressed him
as follows:
Governor Shepherd. The members of the Lepis-
lative Assembly have come to offer their con-
CALCULATIONS upon your elevation to your pres
ent position.
Your labors IN the past In improving our city
have been eminently successful and are fully
appreciated. If you shall be as successful in
relieving us from financial embarrassments and
establishing our credit at home and abroad upon
firm basis, we shall be the fret to congratu-
late not only ourselves, but the people OF this
District and the whole country. On behalf of
the members of the Council, promise you their
rdial support in all wise measures to secure so
desirable a result. 1 have now the pleasure OF
introducing MIR. Campbell, the Speaker Of the
House of Delegates.
Mr.. Campbell then said:
Governor Shepherd. The members of the House
of Delegates wish to unite their congratulations
with those of the Council upon your appoint
ment to the gubernatorial chair. 1t is an occa-
sion of much satisfaction and pride to us that
the President, with that kind regard for the
best interests of this District which he has al
ways manifested, has caused the mantle of the
executive, so ably and gracefully borne by YOUR
honored and efficient predecessO-, to be placed
upon one OF our own citizens, whom we ali know
to be SO eminently qualified and deserving.
We are all aware that to ensure complete sue
cess in the position of high public trust which
you now occupy, harmony and concert of action
among all the coordinate branches of the gov
eminent is requisite; we therefore desire,
cordial cooperation in all your efforts
to promote the welfare of our citizens
and the Improvement and establishment
OF TINS capital Of the nation. We can
not refrain at this time from expressing
our great qualification that the President, upon
the voluntary relinquishing by Governor Cooke
OF the chair you now occupy, kindly improved
the opportunity to commend and indorse our
present form OF government and its administra-
ton, together with the magnificent plan of i'm
provements now 'being carried out, in which
which we have no doubt will meet the approval
and sanction of Congress at its next session
Permit us also to indulge the hope that you may
soon realize, through their aid, what we be-
heve to be among your fondest hopes and aspi-
rations-as it is ours-that the capital of the
greatest nation on earth has become the most
wy VA tuC IL Is our sincere
desire and prayer that you may long be sus-
tanned and spared to us to enjoy the Ronors 30
happily and appropriately conferred.
Upon the conclusion of Mr.. Campbell's ad-
dress, Governor Shepherd thanked them for
the expression of kind feeling as members of
the Council and House of Delegates, and as
sured them that in the future as IN the past the
advancement Of the interests OF the District of
Columbia, his native city, would be his great
aim. The president of the Council had alluded
10 financial embarrassments. He could not
agree with him in this remark; he believed the
District was really in better financial condition
than most other cities in the country of the
same size. 1t was natural that in the sleepy
condition they had found affairs when the
present government of the District was inaup-
urated they should incur q large debt in secur-
ing such Improvements as would guarantee the
stability Of the city as the seat Of the general
government, and he believed that in q much
shorter time than most are aware of the
District would be freed from this debt
by the aid OF the government. He be-
heved the general government would recoe-
nize the justice OF doing what should have
been done heretofore in this direction. He hoped
10 receive the encouragement of the citizens of
this District in the ADVERTISEMENTS alluded to-
and that there would be croakers among
themselv es, but that all would speak words OF
encouragement to him, and defend the integri-
ty OF the District. This would tend largely to
extricate them from the debt and secure the
cooperation OF the legislative department of
the general government, as well OF the execu-
tive.
The Governor then shook hands with the in
diyidual members OF the legislative assembly,
and some time was spent In the interchange OF
social courtesies.