Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-16
THE DISTRICTINVESTIGATI
RLPORf OF TIE JOINT SELECT C9NHITTRE.

The report of the JOINT select committee to
investigate affairs in the District Of Columbia
submitted to Congress this afternoon, sets
out by quoting the joint resolution OF the
two Houses ordering the investigation.
IL then quotes from the memorials asking such
investigation. The opening proceedings Of the
joint select committee on the 18th of February
sr then referred 10 and the lnterros tons sub
united to Governor shepherd by tue commit
tee on the 18th OF that month are quoted. Hls
answer as TO the debt Of the late cities Of Wash
inSton and Georgetown, and OF that portion OF
the Di. trict outside of Washington aud @ cor ge-
town; a so, the bonded debt of the District
the balance sheet showing assets ana liabilities
OF the District; transactions Of the Board o.
Public Works since Its organization, with a list
of receipts and expenditures made BY the trea
surer OF the board, and list OF contracts made
for improvements, giving the names of con-
tractors, &c; q list of contracts not yet COM
pleted, with the estimated cost of the compile
uon OF the work under them, amounting in all
TO the sum of 81 ,325, 9l1 81: also, balancesheet
showing assets and liabilities OF the Board OF
Public Works, is largely quoted from. Fur
Their preliminary proceedings OF the committee
are then referred TO, and the report goes on to
say:
''On the 18th of March. Mr.. Stewart was ap-
pointed member OF the committee in place of
MIR. Boutwell,, excused on account of sickness;
and on the 10th of March Mr.. Allison was Sc
lected as chairman OF the committee. The
committee commenced taking testimony on the
9Th day of March, anu continued its sessions
daily for that purpose until the 2Sth day of May
The several members of the committee were
compelled not only TO absent themselves from
the regular sessions of their respective Houses,
but also TO absent the mselves almost wholly
from other committees requiring their time
They have endeayOred to make the inyestiga-
ton thorough and complete, as far as it could
he done, Withholding no paper, document, or
testimony sought TO be produced by the memo
rialists or by any member of the COMMITTEES.
The utmost latitude was allowed in the ad-
mission OF testimony ard in the examination OF
witnesses, ard they subpPnaed every witness
whose presence was required by counsel for the
memorislists, or by any member of the commit
tee. or by the District government.
The committee report herewith all the testi-
mOny taken.
The committee are united in the legislation
they propose, and in the recommendations they
make; but having occupied so much of the time
Of the present session in the taking of testi
moDy, sufficient time does not remain to review
The testimony at length, and the committee,
therefore, submit summary only of what the
testimony discloses, and OF the reasons for the
Recommendations made.
The greater part OF the testimony relates to
the conduct of the Board OF Public Works, a.
the charges and specifications related almost
wholly to the transactions Of the board"
The act creating the Board of Public Works
il then referred TO, and the action of the board
after its creation. The comprehensive plan of
pTOpC ed improve ments submitted 10 theDisfrict
legislature is then quoted from, 4" the object"
tie report says, being 10 secure the passage
OF an act authorizing a loan equal 10 the
amount required to be borne by the whole Dis
ifict for the improvements. And in the plan
and estimate submitted TO the Legislative As
Sembly they design tied but two chief thorough
fares, TO wit, eth street south and 1ith street
North, besides the then unfinished part Of Penn
syiyan'a avenue west, as proper to be paved
With wooden pavements, no concrete pavement
whatever was recommended. The remaining
streets and avenues were 10 be paved with
cheaper material, the whole to De so dis.rib-
uted as that no one section could complain that
II had been neglected. With this plan in view
and 10 enable the beard to carry il out, the
81 Loo, COO loan act was passed on the l0Sh OF
July, ISL"
The language Of the act is given, and the re
Iort says: "The second section of the act pro-
ni6ifed fhe board from exceeding the estimate
submitted in this plan
Tie 37th section Of the organic act cont lins
The following provision:
J he Gaid BceTd of Public w .rks shall have no
pos CT TO make contracts to bind said District to the
psN mcpg Ct aIy sums Of money except in pursuance
appropriations shall have besn made
lie il manifest from this that the intent of the
legislative Assembly was that the board should
substantially follow the proposed plan. and
>hOuld not exceed 1t In cost unless or until fur
her provision by law should be made by the
LeeislstiNe Assembly or by Congress, and that
Congress absolutely prohibited contracts from
being made in excess Of or in advance of appro-
lriatons.
The board have expended and contracted to
eXpeDd, according TO the Governors showing In
his answer, opp 1861 SIS, ST., 565 20, or more
than S12 eco ,0C0 in excess of the estimated cost
Of the proposed plan, and largely in excess of
or by the Legislative Assembly, which could be
available as basis upon which to make con-
tracts. II is claimed by counsellor behalf of the
Board of Public Works that the board had law
full authority, derived from appropria atoms made
by Congress and by the Legislative Assembly,
% incur these obligations and make the con-
tracts of which they FORM a basis.
The committee ca mot give their assent to the
claim thus made. The committee do not claim
that the board were required to furnish to the
Legislative Assembly the plan in detail or the
o4aNraat ted
precedent condition TO the making Of appropria-
tons; yet good faith required that so great bur-
dens las have been imposed should in 30 ne man
ner, have received in advance legislative sane
ton.
1t seems plain from the provisions just
quoted that Congress. by the organic act, and
the legislative assembly, in the loan act, in
tended to place upon the Board of Public
Works and all others having the power to eK-
pend money in the district, two restrictions,
namely:
That the aggregate debt should not exceed
five per centU I'm of the valuation unless the
proposition -hould first receive the sanction of
the people by popular vote; secondly, that
tracts for the payment OF money exceptin ''pur.
suance OF appropriations made by law, and NOT
until such appropriations shall have been
nsde;" or, in other words. the people directly
were TO have a voice in the creation of a debt
bt! ond fixed sum; and, secondly, through the
legislative ASST mbly they should supervise all
contracts by first making appropriations
AT first these restrictions and limitations were
regarded by the board; for, inssmuch as the
four million loan WAS in excess of the FIVE per
cent. Limitation in the organic act, 1t was sub
mitted 70 a vote of the people, and the voters OF
| the District expressed almost a unanimous voice
| in favor of the proposed improvements. as, in a
total vote Of Il, S13, only l,2i3 votes were cast
| against the loan.
Thus the people Of the District, in the most
emphatic way possible, Endorsed and approved
| the action of the Lee lslative Assembly and the
Board OF Puoiic Works in the expenditure OF a
| large rum of nnoey, which expressed upon its
face that one-third OF the whole should be
| charged directly upon the adjacent property.
| Your committee are OF opinion that the present
embarrasmeDts Of this District, and the serious
complications which now environ its finances
| and affairs, are primarily chaneeabe to the at
tempt early made by the authorities placed
over IL to iDaugurate comprehensive and cost
ly system of Improvements to be completed In a
| brief space of time, which ought To have re-
CURED for its completion several years.
A system Of improvements, covering more
than hundred miee of streets, conte mplating
| system of sewerage and OF other expenditures
which we're TO extend over almost every street
| ard avenue in the cities OF Washington and
| Georgetown, as well Of the roads In the
county, and TO be undertaken at q single stroke,
| without. the preliminary organization Of the
various details of engineering work and plats,
\ plare, and estimates in q community situated
as was this at the time, could not well be other