National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-10
DISTRICT. GOVERNMENT.
PROPOSED COMMISSION OF CONTROL
AD INTERIM.

FOR THE ORG ANIMATION OF n PERMA-
NENT GovERNMENT-THE TAXES TO BE
INCREASED ONE DOLLAR ON THE HUN
DRED. -
A BILL for the government of the Districtof 90
lEmbia-
s,ff rnaefed by the Senate and HoKse Of Reprs>
Srafaffres e} the UniSsd States ia Congrstt
Died That all provisions Of law providing for an
executive Tor Legislative Assembly, fer a Board
of Public Works and for q Delegate In Congress
IN the District of Columbia are hereby repealed:
Provided That this repeal shall not AFFECT the
term of office Of the present Delegate in Con-
;gress.
by and with the advice and consent OF the Senate,
is hereby authorized to appoint commiss Ion CON
ssting of three persons Wke shall, until other;
wise prOVidedsby law, exercise 81 the power and
authority neE lawfully vesteddn the Governor or
Board of Public Works 0s said District, except a.
hereinafter Omitted and shsil be subject to AZ
the restricaions and Limitations now imposed
by law on said Governor or ooafS, anu a Snaii
have power to apply the taxes or otheI Iere1ses
penses thEreoI to tie support Of the public
schools, the IRE department and the ponce, ano 70
nv a niedZe of the securities Of said District or
Board Of Public WORKS as collateral, and Also to
PPaynosesSalI take possession and supervision Of
All the Offices, books, papers, records, moneys,
credits securities sssess sna secoItS INK
government Of the District OF Columbia and tho
Board of Public Works, and exercise the power
and authority aforesaid but safd commission, in
the exercise Of such power or authority, shall |
make no contract nor incur any obligations other
than such contracts and obligations as may be |
necessary to the faithful administration Of the |
valid laws enacted for the government OF said |
District TO the execution Of existing legal ooligs
tions and contracts and the protection or preser
walton of Improvements existing, or commenced /
and not completed at the time Of the passage OF
this act All taxes heretofore lawfully assessed
and due or to become due shall be collected |
pursuant to law, except as heren otheE-
SaTe ho poTer to anticipate taxes BY sale or by
pothecation of any such taxes prevalence there
Of PROVIDED, That nothing in this clause CON
tanned shall affect any provisions OF law author
iIipQ or requiring deposit certificates Of assess
nent with the sinking. fund commissioners Of said
District; and said commissioners are hereby au-
thoriEed to abolish any office, to consolidate two
or more ofices, reduce the mum Der Of employees,
remove from once and make appointments to any
ONCE authorized by law, and the compensation Of
all officers and employees, except teachers in the
public schools, shall be reduced twenty per centum
per annum. Said commissioners shah each, be-
fore entering upon the discharge Of their duties,
take oath to support the Constitution OF the
IisS S1Ssed anon Snu tS. bR Jaw and s6a each
give bond in the penal sum Of fifty thousand dol
lars, to be approved by the Secretary OF the
Treasury for the faithful discharge of the duties
Sec 5. That the President Of the United States
shall detail an officer Of the engineer corps Of
the army of the United States, who SHALL subject
to the general supervision and drettion Of the
said Board Of Commissioners, have the control
and charge Of the work of repair and improvement
of Rll streets, avenues alleys, sewers, roads and
bridges of the District of Columbia and he is
W.
and shall perform the duties heretofore devolved
upon the chief engineer Of the Board Of Public
Works. He shall take possession Of and preserve
and keep all the instruments pertaining to said
othce and all maps, charts, surveys books records
and papers relating TO said District or to any OF
the avenues Streets alleys public spaces, squares,
lots and buildings thereon, sewers, or any Of
them as are now in or belong to the ohee Of said
engineer Of the Board of Public Works, and
shall, in books provided for that purpose, keep
and preserve the records now required to be
kept and such as may be required by regulations
Of said board. He may, with the advice and con-
sent Of said Board of Commissioners, appoint not
more than two assistant engineers from civil life,
who shall each receive salary Of one thousand
eight hundred dollars per Gnnum and shall be sub
1ect to his direction and control He shall receive
additional compensation for such services. and
he shall not be deemed by reason of anything in
this act contained to hold civil office under the
laws Of the United States. And no salary or
compensation shall be paid to the surveyor Of the
District any of his subordinates, except such
fees for special services as are allowed by law.
And the offiees Of assistant surveyor and add
tiona assistant surveyor Of the District Of Colum
bia are hereby abolished.
Sec. l. That for the support Of the government
of the District Of Columbia and maintaining the
credit thereof for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1878, there shall be levied upon all real estate in
said District, except that belonging to the United
States and to the District Of Columbia, and that
used for educational and charitable purposes the
following taxes namely: Upon all such real estate
in the city Of Washington, three dollars on each ,
one hundred dollars Of the present assessed value
thereof: upon all such real estate in the city OF
Georgetown, two dollars and fifty cents on each
one hundred dollars Of the present assessed value
thereof; and upon all such real estatein the Dis
trict Of Columbia outside OF the cities OF Wash /
hundred dollars of the present assessed value I
thereof: which said taxes shall become due and =
not paid. shall be in arrears and delinquent from
that date; and shall, except as herein modified
be assessed and collected as now provided
one fourth thereof shall be applied, FIRST
to reimburse the United States for Its adj
vances on account Of interest which shall have
haRn Ila
debt Of the District Of Columbia and Washington
and Georgetown, due and payable June /. 1874:
cieS in the various funds for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1874. And all the remainder of said 4,
taxes not required for the aforesaid purpose shall
be distributed for the purposes and in the proper
tions provided by the act Of the Legislative As Il
sembly OF the District Of Columbia, approved ri
june o. 1878, entitled IAN act imposing taxes for
the fiscal year ending June 90 1874" so far as 4
said appointment is not inconsistent with this act:
PJovidtd, That no evidence Of debt issued by the u
District Of Columbia, any branch thereof or by i:
the Board OF Public Works, shall in any manner :,
be received In payment for said taxes: And pro- h
on account ofthe militia or said District, for n
the purpose Of erecting District jail.
Sec 5. That joint select committee shall be b
appointed, consisting Of two Senators, to be ap- a
pointed by the presiding officer OF the Senate, n
and two members Of the House, TO be appointed I.
by the Speaker Of the House OF Representatives,, y
whose duty It shall be to prepare suitable frame
OF government for the District OF Columbia and =
appropriate draughts Of statutes to be enacted q,
report the same to the two Houses respectively, n
on the first day Of the next session thereof: and -
they shall also prepare and submit to Congress -
statement Of tie proper proportion Of the ex- n
penses Of said government or any branch thereof :,
including interest on its funded debt. which -
should be borne by said District and the United -
States, respectively, together with the reasons "
upon which their conclusions may b based; and y =:
in the discharge Of the duty hereby imposed the -
said committee is authorized to employ such q
assistance as II may deem advisable, at an ex- Ls
pGEss not TO exceed the sum Of i've thousand dol
daEA - FhUarnr
be- and the Same is hereby, aPpro- n,
priated for that PURPOSE. u
see .: That i shan be the duty, of the First nj
Comptroller Of the Treasury and the Second p
Comptroller Of the Treasury Of the United States :;
who are hereby constituted board of audit, to 81
examine and audit for settlement all the unfunded -
or floating debt Of the District Of Column bia and -
Of the Board Of Public Works. hereinafter spec- -
fed: First, the debt evidenced by sewer certif =
oenced and Rscertained by certificates of the aud
itor of the Board Of Public Works; thirdly, the -
and comptroller of the District Of Columbia; ID
fUurthly, claims for which no evidence Of indebt- .
written or oral, made by the Board Of Public e.
" Orks; filthy. claims for which no evidence of ~
Indebtedness has been issued arising out Of
tracts written or oral. made by or on behalf of h
the District Of Columbia; sixthly, all claims for y
private property taken by the Boapd of Public ~
W OTS from the avenues streets and alleys of the ~
cities Of Washington and Georgetowr, and u
seVenthiy, all unadJusted claims for damages =,
"
latiTe Assem- bly, of the District Of Coun bi1 en- n
titled IAN act providing for the payment Of DAM y
ages sustained by reason Of public iInproveme :,
or repairs" approved June 70 1872: which claims y
shall seVerally be examined and audited without -
regard to any examination heretofore made, and ~
shall make detailed and ta1ular statement Of "a
al claims presented, the persons 'r corporations .
owning the same, and the amount found TO he due
On account OF each: together with tabular state
nent Of the funded debt Of the cities Of Washing
ton and Georgetown of every klI.d and character
giving the date OF issue, time of ma
turity and the ratio Of interest. And it shall N
further be the duty Of said board to ascertain tt
amount OF sewer tax or assessment paid by any
psrsOn persons or corporations, under the act Of n
Inc Legislative Assembly Of said identified az
IAN creating drainage and sewerage sections n
IN the cities Of Washington and Georgetown in IN
he District Of Columbia, and providing for the =,
payment Of the construction OF sewers and drains NJ
herein by assessments, and issuing certificates n
therefor approved June d, 1873, and to prepare n
tabulsted statement thereof. Said board Of -
Iudit shall also issue to each claimant q ~
certificate signed by each Of said board and en-
ersfgned by the comptroller Of said District, | u,
tating the amount found TO be due tc each and -
N what account and register thereof shall be -
Iept by said board TO be transInittedto Congress-
nd also by the comptroller OF said Districi; and NJ
aid board OF audit shall also ascertain and report 30
o Congress- at the next session thereof the m
mount equitSbly chargeable to the street rail- as
cad companies on account Of paving along and (
within the tracks OF said companies pursuant To- la
- aHRn rn nnNE M I'm