Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-05

vben Tie grant sssS accepted 20 foana such a
city. ADG ssain In the sAne opinion, "that
cCgIttls tHssrhils ssEsss
TIE Federal city sas % be temple erec,rd
d liberty, tossrd Which the wishes sni es-
locta'iof.s OF al true friends OF every esantry
would necessarily be diTected, and, c0a-ilersi
uIder such important points OF view ss evi-
c,ntly cOntrolsd tie mil as OF the f0uuders, IA
could lot be calculated on small scale. Every
0irg atout we "a correspond with tie mas~
liIce OF the OF )ect Tor which 10 Was intended.
y toressS Tar distant future -hen IL wss 70 be
re center q oontiueat under one form %
govern meut lOoking % 40 Tor its Laws and Tor its
protection. IL was 20 be . city where al Inn
| proNtmenis made aud expenses incurred were
10 be for The benefit Of the whole peopL.
Niewine the car ital city In tbs national
Spsct, We may well understand the motives
all Who were 20 come after them such dntses
ard responsibilities toward t a. would he
peculiar 10 the capital city alone, aud Witch
policy In expenditures
AZ % the mutual obligation. % the neser.l
government ana the citizens 20 defrsy these es-
% Dses, the CON mittee tud little did atty IA
l. clear, n this national capital va founded cor
the use OF the United states. snd was plsotd
uucer i;s exclusive government AMI cOatrOl,
and upon q scSle OF masnihcence sPgropriAss
only for = national calttsl, 10 never could have
been coUtenpls'ei that tie burden Of sNpcraff
lures slclld fan upon those citizens % tf-e
United States who m sht tenn porarily OF per ns-
uertly take W residence AZ the capital ons~
| innly We know there vs. no population here 70
which the government coaii lOok for c9ntriba-
uOns tossrd TIE e,pendi ures, snd A. the city
was not 10 b. conie one ., trade AMI commerce
ava mSr ~ aCtures. Tie lct Al Vopuiatlpn c0lli
not be locked a. In tie future A. being saacient,
either N numbers or wealth, 20 carry oat ths
magnificent irtentiUns OF the fOunders. Nor
Indeed, would Il have been jus. % impose this
burden upon them, for, uPon the theory uPon
which the CAPITAL ~As founded, al these expen-
dItures would ultimately be Tor the benefit Of
the whole people, sud justice would dictate
thst the burden should fall upon the whole
| people.
In November, 1900. when Congress f-st ..seru-
! bled here, President Adams Congratulated the
| people OF the United States on the Assembling
OF Congress at the permanent seat Of their sov.
| ernment, snd upon prospect Of a residence
not 20 be charged. he said:
cos lSr sse Eit o. ShS,sss tie ~
! the Constitution In the Congress q the Uaitei
| opinion. TINS imporsnt trust ought pow 20 be en-
ecuied yos orHRof yari, ,csts psfsDtHs a., iats
re hGTrtasss ~ scAtoh sou a5ot o. rorta. foE
49,, SSs,sg g as &c easia. q s,sai naf.oA, al
ere, ~ wealth, sne in popul.tor, ana possessing
u,t thr,vn svay or lsmcuiab'y misdifectsS' vii
srcuIe 70 q Ions course q prOsp sriiy aas elf,
The Senate replied
We mf et on, tir, aGd he other branch II tha Ne
ihe utnc q our lae hsrS srd ssss. me iIiasfio1s
! Wssbinst n, With seusatioEs aud emotions which
GTes, Edees, would ssTe Seen our sr.sc.,,an
his sun Of earthly happiness had been com Se.ed by
al see ris eu sossSI az
leSs powers tn. District Il COLUMBIA. Te.tsi
s.aes shall be isir~diaIeIy eSercI--e. is 81 sr~.f
nssursy be I. 20 xeisb ne .itenain, s ,,, -aS
| sfsnces AID every probable cousegusuCe II ths
ms sh gI ,so ", ie e. MS DC proPosed.
Aconsit,rstian q those powers which have bsan
ves-ed ~ Congress over tue Dlstrict 81 y blufbis
vii nOt soaps our sttsuton, nor h.il We f,rSat
ihat "a sAsrcisins these powers rgsri mast he
| the capital e America.
That Mr.. Adams and the Congress addressed
bT him regarded this capital city a. the child Of
| the Cnion, whose ultimate greatness AMI gran
| deur would depend solely uPcn the government,
| there can he no doubt
! Upon the second question involved In this
| branch OF the resolution, 70 wit, the extent aud
| character OF the mutual obligations OF the
| general and local governments % desray the
cesEaTy expenses 20 carry out the Intention OF
| the founders, the committee would remark that
| the esrly history OF legislation relating 70 the
| capital would ind cate that the fOaDders looked
10 The general government almost entirely for
| means TO improve the capital city. The rigi-
| nal government OF the city was In the hands OF
| a board Of commissioners created by the act OF
10th OF July, 1870. On Nay I, lS02, an act
| passed abOlshing the office OF commissioners
! and providing that the affairs az the city should
| be thereafter under the direction OF a superin-
tendent TO be appointed ny the President.
| The act OF March ;, lsO3, Ives the SALARY OF
| the Superintendent, and spprOprtates from the
| Treasury Of the United States $1,000, among
other purposes, for keeping IN repair highways
I IL
| The govfrnme Of the city up 20 The time vas
dirtctly By legislation OF Congress, bet as IL
was anticipated the growing wants Of the city
| would require local municipal legislation.
| which il would be iucOnvenGnt always 70 be
| obliged 20 sIply 20 Congress for, a charter was
given TO The city, spproged May 3, iSl2.
| The mayor WIS sPloiutCd BY the President
| ard the Gu neil e,ec,6d by the free white T. Z
| payers. No aui hor;tv ves extended over tie
streets and avenues other than that The CORPORA
| ton was permitted 70 keep them In repair
asretably 10 the plan OF sAid city. This charter
! was renewed from time 10 time with eNtende 4
rover. Meanwhile the interest OF the United
States passed into the control OF an officer
known a. the Commissioner Of Public Buildings
| and Grounds, nos the Engineer in Charge OF
| Public Buildings and Grounds.
! The original deed OF oOnveyance, il will be
| remembered, provided that the government
| should have each alternate lot. The fund de-
rived fTom tie proceeds of the sale OF these lots
by the United States was thought az the time 70
| be sufficient, by judciOus management, TO 20
far toward the Improvement OF the city, snd "a e
act OF 1902 directed the sale OF lots TO re ihiorce
Upon January II, 1902, Mr.. jefferson, IN =
| message 20 Congress, say: III Indulgence for
tie funds can be adopted, there lots will prObs-
4 bly, create reserve OF great ana permanent
| value" He further ssys: "If the sale IL forced
! for the payment OF government loans, fear the
dusry interest of the city entirely lost" This
residuaTy interest was the right 90 the proceeds
OF the sale Of Tote for the purpose o. improving
/ the city.
In tie charter act OF l>aO the commissioner of
| public buildings IL directed 70 reimburse the
! corporation OF Washington a Just proportion OF
/ expenses Incurred in opening, paving, or other
ise III proving aTy Of tie streets or avenues In
! front Of public buildings, squares aud reserya-
uuDs, out Of none " arising from the sale OF lots
| belonging to the uited states. A similar pro-
vision vss in the act II May, ls26, and the sct
! Of Nav, 1873.
The twelfth section Of the last mentioned act
provides that the commissioner Vt public build
! iDgs shall
! From time to time esuse to be opened and TN
| proves suoh tyenurs aud slrects, Tars OF pOr-
tiens thereof, tie President Of the Onitsd States
shall dem recessaTy ;Or the public convent nee,
money arising, hleh .hall have arisen from tno
she Of lots In the city Il Wsshir gtOn Belonging or
| which may have belonged, 20 the United states.
, There can be no doubt that III the fund in
] tended 20 be provided through the proceeds OF
the sale OF lots had been judiciously n snsgsd
| and expended. il would have gone far coward
developing the plan upon which the city was
! Land out
This fund had announced IN 1854 20 s74i .024 ~
/ (see report TO the Senate, February 2, ISIS, }
| nearly al OF which had gone toward tue con-
| structiOn Of public building leaving but little
| for the Improvement OF streets, avenues, aud
! reservations.
Your committee have no means OF ascertain
| ing the motives of Congress a. that period for
/ abandoning the Improvement OF tue city wholly
| to the citizens themselves. But we may well
| infer that a government which lad 70 borrow