Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-09

De fOuowing oil was reported IN Ootn House
of Congress to-day from the joint select COM
mittte iLvet tigstng affairs in the District OF
Coiumbia-Mr. Al ison reporting il in the Senate
and MIR. Wilson In the House:
A BILL fer the government of the District
Columbia, aud for other purposes.
Be II enacted by The Senate and House Of Repre-
SeRtdtires of the United States Of Auerica iR Con
STsss assembled, That all provisions Of Law pro
yiding for an executive, for a legislative Assem-
bly,, for board Of public works, and for a II 81.
egRte in Congress in the District of Columbia
are hereby repealed: Prorided, That this re-
peal shall not affect the term of Office of the
present Delegate in Congress.
SEC. ?. That the President of the United
States, by and with the advice and consent OF
the Senate, is hereby authorized TO appoint
commission, consisting OF three persons, who
shall until otherwise provided by law, exercise
all the power and authority now lawfully vested
IN the governor or board OF public works OF said
District, except as hereinafter limited; ana shall
be subject TO all the restrictions and lmitai InS
now imposed by law on said governor or board,
ana shall have power to apply the taxes or other
revenues OF said District to the payment OF the
current expenses thereof, to the support of tue
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 coIlat
eral, and also to the pay ment of debts due to IA
borers, and for that purpose shall take possess on
and supervision OF all the offices, books, papers
records, moneys, credits, securities, assets aud
accounts belonging or appertaining TO the busi-
trict of Columbia and the board of public works
and exercise the power and authority aforesaid;
but said commission, In the exercise OF sacG
power or authority, shall make no contract, nor
incur any obligation other tn an such contracts
and obligations Is may be necessary to the faith
full Administrative of the valid laws enacted for
the government OF said District, 70 the execution
Of existing legal obligations and contracts. aud
the protection or preservation of improvement
existing, or commenced and not completed at
the time OF the passage OF this act All taxes
nd dna 70
become due shall be collected pursuant 10 law.
except as herein otherwise provided; but Aid
commissioners shall have no power 20 antjci-
pate taxes by a sale or hypOthscation of any
such taxes, or evidence thereof: PrOviied, That
nothing In this clause contained shall affect any
provisions of law authorizing or requiring de-
poslt OF certificates of assessment with the sink
iGg-fund commissioners OF said District; and
said commissioners are hereby authorized to
abolish any office, To consolidate Two or more
offices, reduce the number Of mpiOYees remove
from otflce, and make appoint "a znts 10 any OH 60
sufhCriZed by law, anC the compensation OF ali
officers and employees excepg teachers in the
public schools. Said commissioners shall each.
before entering upon the discharge OF their
duties. take an oath 10 support the COnstitutlo on
Of United States and to faithfully discharg-
The duties imposed upon them by law; and shall
each give bond in the penal SUN OF fifty thOus-
ana do.iarsJ 10 be approved by the Secretary OF
the Treasury, for the faithful discharge OF the
duties Of his office; and shall receive the um o.
twenty -nye hundred dollars for his services.
SEC. 3. That the President of the United
States shalt detail an officer OF the engineer
corps OF tie army Of the United States, ~1C
shah, subject To the general supervision aud di-
Tec;iOn OF the salG board Of commissioners have
the control ana charge OF the work OF repair
ard Improvement OF AL streets, avenues, alley,
sewers, roads and bridges, of the District of
Columbia; and he Is hereby vested with ali the
POWER and authority, and shall perform the
duties heretofore dev0lved upon the chic: eng
neer of the board Of public works. He shsi
take possession of and preserve and keep all the
Instruments pertaining to said Office, aud all
the maps, charts, surveys, books, records and
papers relating To said District, 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 OIL % of
said engineer OF the board OF public works,
and shall, In books provided for That purpose,
keep and preserve the records now required 70
be kept, and soch as may be required by gu
lations of said board. lie may, with the advice
and consent of said board OF commissioners, ap-
point not more than two assistant engineers
from civil life, who shall each receive a salary
of one thousand eight hundred dollars per an
mum, and shall be subject to his direction and
control. He shall receive no additional COM
pensation for such services. And he shall not
be deemed 10y reason of anything in this act
contained to hold a civil Office under the la We
of the United States. And no salary or COM
pensation shall be paid to the surveyor Of tue
District or any OF bis subordInates except such
fees for special services as are allowed by law.
And the offices of assistant surveyor and addi
tional assistant surveyor of the District OF Co
lumbis are hereby abolished.
SIC. 4. That for the support of the govern
ment of the District of Columbia and maintain
ing the credit thereof for the fiscal year ending
June 30th, 1875, there shall be levied upon ali
real estate in said District, except that belong
ing to the United States and to the District OF
Columbia, and that used for educational and
charitable purposes the following taxes, name
ly: iron all such real estate in the CITY of
Washington, three dollars on each one hundred
dollars of the present assessed value thereof;
upon al such real estate IN the city OF George
town, two dollars and fifty cents on each Que
hundred dollars of the I present assessed
value thereof; and upon all such real estate
in the District OF Columbia outside of the
cities OF Washington and Georgetown, two
dollars on each one hundred dollars OF the
present assessed value thereof; which sad
taxes shall become due ami payabls on the
LIST day of November, 1914, and, If not paid,
shall be in arrears and delinquent from that
date; and shall, except as herein modified, be
assessed and collected as now provided by law;
and of the sums so collected, one-fourth thereof
shan be applied, first, TO reimburse the Unitei
States for its advances on account of interest.
which shall have been paid by the United
States on the funded debt OF the District of Co.
lumbia and Washington and Georgetown, duc
aud payable July LIST, 1874; and the remainder
shall be used to pay deficiencies ia the various
funds for the fiscal year ending June 39th, 1874
And all the remainder or said taxes not re-
Quired for the aforesaid purposes shall be dis
tributed for the purposes and In the proportions
provided by the art OF the legislative assembly
of the District of Columbia, approved June PC,
1873, entitled Gan act imposing taxes for the
fiscal year eLding june 30th, 1885," 80 far as
act. Irortded, That no evidence of debt issued
by the District of Columbia, or any branch
thereof, or by the board of public works, shall
in any manner be received In payment for said
taxes: ind preceded further, That no payment
shall be made on account of the militia Of said
District, or for the purpose OF erecting q Dis
trict Jail.
SEC. 5. That a joint select committee shall
be appointed, consisting OF two Senators, to be
appointed by the presiding officer OF the Sen
ate, and two members Of the House, to be APP
pointed by the Speaker Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives, whose duty 1t shall be to prepare a
suitable frame Of government for the District
of Columbia and appropriate draughts Of stat
utes to be enacted BY Congress for carrying the
same into effect, and report the same to the two
Houses, respectively, on the fret day OF the
next session thereof; and they shall also pre-
pare and submit to Congress statement Of the
proper proportion OF the expenses OF said gov
eminent, or any branch thereof. including in
terest on its funded debt, which should be borne
by said District and the United States. reepec-
lively, together with the reasons upon which
their conclusions may be based; and In the dis
charge Of the duty hereby imposed, said com.
mittee is authorized to employ such assistance
| a. 1t may deem advisable, st an expense not 10
exceed the sum Of five thousand dollars; aud
| said sum, or 30 much thereof as NAV be necss
ssry, be, and the same Is hereby, appropriated
| for that purpose.
SEC. 9. That IL shall be the duty of the First
.