Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-03-23


al debt for contracts made and incampleted
amounting as per their estimate to 81 325 9ll. g.
Governors answer, page 465.l
Fourth Chdr0e-That said Board of Public
Works have transcribed the powers conferred
upon them by the laws of the United States and
OF the Legislative Assembly of the District of
District in an unjust and oppressive and arbi-
tary manner. And your memorislists submit
the following statement of facts and speciica-
tions in support of said charge:
/. That said Board of Public Works have
taken the property of citizens of the District of
Columbia without allowing any just or ade-
quate compensation therefor. And yeur me-
morlaists refer to the numerous instances in
which said board have taken up and carried
away brick and curbiDg, forming the footways
adjacent to the residences of citizens of said
District, and also TO the stone steps aud shade
and ornamental trees belonging 70 citizens of
said District
2. That said Board of Public Works have
taken the property of citizens of said District
in making improvements" and have there
after issued certificates for the cost of such i'm
provements against the real property of such
citizens, without crediting thereon the Just
claim of such citizens for the value of the prop
erty so taken as aforesaid. and this notwith-
standing said Board Of Public Works sold or
hypOthecated such certificates, drawing inter
est out of the jurisdiction of the courts OF said
District.
8. That said Board of Public Works have
issued certificates, bearing interest, and sold or
hypothecated the same, for special improve
ments before the com pletion of such 'improve-
ments."
4. That said Board of Public Works have
5rick fOotways I'm front of the residences of va
riOus citizens of the District of Columbia, and
have replaced them with other footways made
OF brick of a greatly inferior quality.
8. That said Board of Public Works have in
many instances improved portions of a street
or avenue in an expensive and ornamental
manner, to wit, by parking and with stone
steps and iron fences, and other portions of the
same street or avenue in a cheap ana inferior
manner, to wit, without parking and without
stone steps, and with unsubstantlal wooden
fences, and thereafter assessed the cost of all
the said Improvements" on all the property
adjacent to such street OF avenue.
6. That the said Board OF Public Works have
included the wages of general and special su-
perntendents appointed by and in the employ
IF said Board of Public Works, in the cost of
special improvements. and have included such
wages in their assessments against property for
-peCial improvements.
Z. That said Board of Public Works have in
cluded the cost of special improvements made
n front of churches, school houses, and other
property exempt by law from taxation, in their
assessments against the property of citizens re-
mote from said improved property, but ada
cent to the street or avenue upon which such
exempted property is situated.
8. That said Board of Public Works have
made Improvements" adjacent to the property
OF citizens, without consulting the wishes,
tastes, or interests of such citizens.
9. That said Board of Public Works have
changed the grade of streets and avenues in the
cities OF said District of Columbia, to the great
iDjury.of the business and prosperity of many
citizens thereof without paying any Just COM
pensation therefor.
Fifth Ckarge.-That the authorities of the
District of Columbia, including the Board of
Public Works, have since the LIST of June, 1871,
imposed burdensome taxes and special assess
ments upon the people of said District in their
needless and prodigal expenditures to the
above all appropriations made by Congress
within that period and over and above the debt
OF 81 so, 1s9 IL resting upon the people by rea
son OF the old debts of the said government
Sizh Charge.-That said Board of Public
Works, neglecting and refusing to let the max
ing OF improvements after the public advertise
ment to the lowest bidder, established a scale
OF prices ostensibly intended to be and remain
liked and stable, upon which to let and award
contracts and to regulate the price of work and
labor performed, and OF the materials furnished
hereunder, and have since, without public no
uce, but privately, arbitrarily, capriciously and
unreasonably departed from and changed the
same, to the great loss and injury of the said
District OF Columbia and the government of the
United States. And your memorialists submit
The following statement Of facts and specifica-
lions in support of said charge:
l. Evans concrete pavement" increased
from S295 per square yard to So 20.
2 "Filbert's vulcanite" concrete pavement
Increased from 50 to 50 20.
3. "Beidler Keystone" wood pavement, in
4. "Milles" wooden pavement, increased from
IS to SO so.
5. "Stowe" wood pavement, increased from
3 to $3.50 per So uare yard.
6. And for wood pavement laid at Scott
square and reservation corner of 2lst street and
pennsylvania avenue, and reservation corner
Of Pennsylvania avenue and Goth street, and
reservation corner of Pennsylvania avenue and
18th street, and reservation corner Of Pennsyl-
vania avenue and 18th street. The said Board
OF Public Works have charged 1910 per square
page 1851 and grading increased from 20 cents
per cubic yard to 80 cents per cubic yard, and
Suhseq uently increased to allow cent per cubic
sard for hauling for each 200 feet in excess of
Setenh Charge.-That the officers of the Dis
trict government, including the Board of Public
Works, have misappropriated and misapplied
the SO 600 received from the government Of the
United States in payment for the interest of
said District government in the Improvements
Of Judiciary Square in the said city of Wash
ingtcn.
iighh Charge.-That the authorities of the
District Of Columbia, to wit, the Legislative
Assembly, and the Board of Public Works act
hs mt dsbs Of
prescribed by act of Congress of May 8, 1872,
and under the guise OF certificates of assess
ment issued under the acts OF the Legislative
Assembly of May 10Th, 1885, chapter 1, and OF
June 26th, 1873, chapter Al, have added
District.
Ninth Chdrye.-That the assessment of 80 ,l2O,-
600 for general sewerage, provided to be made
under the act of the Legislative Assembly of
June 20. 1872, was made in direct violation of
the 81 section of the organic law, which pro-
vides that for the improvement of streets, ave-
nues, alleys, and sewers, and roads, aud bridges,
the Board of Public Works shall assess in such
manner as shall be prescribed by law, upon the
property adjoining and specially to be benefit
ted by the Improvements authorized by law,
and to be made by them, a reasonable proper
ton OF the cost of such improvements, not er-
ceedin9 one third If such cost. and that the assess
ment made under color OF said act was made
without reference to the proportion of costs OF
said supposed improvement, and without being
connned to the property adjoining and to be
specially benefited by said supposed improve
ment, and the said assessments were so oppres
sive as in many cases to operate as q practical
confscation Of the property assessed, being
nearly II not quite equal to the market value OF
such property since, as well as prior to, making
such sewerage.
Tenth Chargs.-That said sewerage assess
meDt, which protested to be an assessment for
particular local improvements under the 10th
section OF the organic act, was IN reality an at
tempt TO establish general system Of sewerage
taxation OF the most onerous and oppressive
sort, under the thin disguise of An arbitrary d.
vision OF territory into i've sewerage districts,
80 as colorably to bring the same within tho let
ter while violating the obvious meaning and
Wnoie spirit OF that clause Of the 10th section
which authorized the AERIAL afiv A aaoruhlv IN