New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-19

fourth and twenty-hfth articles of sal
!, treaty; and provided further, that this se.
ton shall not operate to prevent the fulfil
ment of contracts exciting At the date q
the passage of this act; and the Secretar
of the Treasury shall, at the beginning G
each session, report to Congress, with hi
annual estimates, any balances of apprt
pr.ations for specific objects affected by Uni
section that may need to be reappropriateC
Approved June 20, 1874.
GENERAL NArURE-No. GAL
An act for the government of the Distric
| Of Columbia, and tor other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and Hous
of Representatives of the United States @
America in Congress assembled, That al
provisions Of law providing for an execu
tive, for secretary for the District, tor
legislative assembly, for a board Of publ,
works, and fer a Delegate in Congress il
the District of Columbia are hereby re
pealed; provided, that this repeal shall no
| affect the term Of Office of the present Del
egate in Congress.
SEC. 2 That the President Of the United
States, by and with the advice and consent
| Of the Senate, is hereby authorized to ap
point commission, consisting of three per.
sons, who shall, until otherwise provided
by law, exercise all the power and author
ity now lawfully vested in the governor or
board of public works of said District, ex.
| cept as hereinafter limited; and shall lie
subject to all the restrictions and
limitations now imposed by law on
said governor or board; and shall
| have power to apply the taxes or other rev.
| enues of said District to the payment of tie
current expenses thereof, to the support of
| the public schools, the fire department, and
| the police, and to the payment of the
debts of said District secured by pledge
of the securities of said District or board of
! public works as collateral, and also to the
| payne Mt of debts due to laborers aud em-
ployes Of the District ard board of public
works; and for that purpose shall take pos
session and supervision Of ali the offices.
! books. papers, records, moneys, credits, Sc
curitles. assets, and accounts belonging -Or
appertalning to the business or interests of
the government Of the District Of Columbia
and the board of public works, and exer-
cise the power and authority aforesaid; but
; said commission, in the exercise of such
, power or authority, shall make no con-
tract, nor incur any obligation other than
such contracts and obligations as may be
necessary to the faithful administration Of
the valid laws enacted for the govern
/ ment Of said District to the execution of
! existing legal obligations and contracts
! and to the protection or preservation of
| improvements existing. or commenced and
! not completed, st the time of the pas
| sage of this act. All taxes heretofore
| lawfully assessed and due or to become
due shall be collected pursuant to law, ex-
cept as herein otherwise provided; but said
commissioners shall have no power to an
| ticipate taxes by a sale or bypothecation Of
! any such taxes, or evidence thereof; pro-
vided, that nothing in this Glance contained
shall affect any provisions Of law authoriz-
, ing or requiring deposit of certificates of
assessment with the sinking fund commits
sioners Of said District; and said commits,
! sioners are hereby authorized to abolish
any office. to consolidate two or more offices.
reduce the number of employees, remove
FROM Office, and make appointments to any
Office authorized by law; and the cOmpensa-
ton Of all officers and employees, except
teachers in the public schools. and officers
and employees in the fire department, shall
be reduced twenty per centum per annum
Said commissioners shall each, before en-
tering upon the discharge of his duties
take an oath to support the constitution Of
the United States and to faithfully dis
charge the duties imposed upon him by
law; and shall each give bond il
TO be approved b. the Secretary o.
the Treasury, for the faithful discharge
of the duties of his Office; and shall each
receive for his services a compensation al
the rate OF five thousand dollars per annum
provided. that nothing in this act shall be
construed to abate or in any wise interfere
with any suit pending in favor OF or agaius,
the District OF Columbia; and provided fur
Their, that in suits hereafter commenced
may be served on any one of said commits
sioners, until otherwise provided by law.
SEC 3. That the President Of the United
States shall detail an officer of the EngiDeel
! Corps of the Army of the United States, who
shall, subject to the general supervision
! and direction of the said board OF commits
sioners. have the control and charge of the
work of repair and improvement of al
streets, avenues. alleys, sewers, roads, ant
bridges of the District of Columbia; and he
is hereby vested with all the power ant
authority of, and shall perform the duties
heretofore devolved upon, the chief en-
gineer of the board of public works. HI
shall take possession of, and preserve ano
keep, all the instruments pertaining to sale
office, and all the maps, charts, surveys
books, records, and papers relating to sale
District, or TO any of the avenues, streets
alleys, public spaces. squares. lots ant
buildings thereon. sewers. or any OF them
as are now in or belonging to thu office o
said engineer of the board of pub
lie works, and shall, in books pro
vided for that purpose, keep am
preserve the records now required TO b.
kept, and such as may be required by regu
lations of said board. He may, with tn
advice and consent CT said board of com
missioners, appoint not more than two as
sistan. engineers from civil life, who shall
each receive salary of one thousand eigh
hundred dollars per annum, and shall b.
subject to his direction and control. IL
shall receive no additional compensation
for such services. And ne shall not b
deemed by reason OF anything in this ac
contained to mold civil office under tn
laws of the United States. And no salar.
or compensation shall be paid to the su,
veyor Of the District, or any Of his suboi
dinates, except such fees for special sci
vices as are allowed by law. And the office
of assistant surveyor and additional assls
! ant surveyor OF the District Of ColulnDl
are HEREBY abolished.
SEC. A. That for the support of the GOV
eminent of the District of Columbia, an
maintaining the credit thereof, for the ti'
cal year ending June thirtieth, eightee
hundred and seventy-hve, there shall
levied upon all real estate in said Dl
trict except that belonging to the Unite
States and to the District OF Coun
bia, and that used for educationa
. and charitable purposes, the foliowin
, taxes, namely: Upon all such real estate
the city Of w ashlngJOn, tnreo uolarS u
, each one hundred dollars Of the presel
t assessed value thereof; upon all such re-;
| estate in the city of Georgetown, two do
I lars and fifty cents on each one hundre
| dollars of the present assessed value ther'
/ Of and upon all such real estate in the Di
. trict of Columbia outside of the cities
r Washington and Georgetown, two dolla
: on each one hundred dollars of the presel
assessed value thereof; which said tax
| III Il Il rl.,E
/ day OF November, eighteen hundred al
9 seveEty.tour, and, if not paid, shall be-