, 1874-03-24
DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.
Strt7aI Dis,,atch 10 This Chtedgo Itr,tM7ss.

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WASHINGTON, u. u, Aiaich 25.-Ae' the OPEN
Ing of tho session OF tho District Investigating |
Con,rnlttoo to-day. q letter was read aguod BY |
Te,.,, 1e,,.a,, mn If lin rnomo,,n1iata stating
sat * ~, not III tn In wos worramtoa n % carg,
ing the District officials with fraud, and aeking
tt,ot his name 10 oraYod from tho signatures to
TIN mo,noriata
ELEVEN NEW CHARGES
wero hled BY the counsel Tor tho mefaofia1sta,
and moro will he presented in Il tow days. |
Those filed to-dny allego that tho Doard Of |
Public works have digrceardod tito lavs Of
the United s'atos aud tic District as s
well as tholf own 1o6''n'lons' Ill
making improvements by materially altering
aud changing contracta lung after their oxeotl-
tfon vho1eby tho compensation Of contractors
~. ,-.-..,a1 H., o-,ona,o,, ,,a o,,u,r-
"uS' t"a 6o4f Ae.oaeou' - o@ sa"..t',.,., a "o
lug lho improvements TO 10 maao under ea1d coll
tracts, without requiring additional security; by
executing contracts for tho making OF extensive
improvements without requiring contractors to
givo aiiy security whatever for tho performance
Of Tie conditions OF tho contract aud in aomo
cahps without requiring sufficient security; ana
by executing contracts Tor making improvements
long after tle improvements havo boon matte
and paid for.
Thai thd saio Board hngc managed nnd -
ADMINISTERED AFFAIRS sEalsaENTLy AND M
rnov1DENTLY'
n tha ty h1Vo paid much more Tor WORK tnn
fhat, while they undertook to mike theso i'm
proyenionta for sg5oo, ,ooo, thoy have already
spent over SIT, ,250, GOO. whilo tue improvements
}lavo not boon ona.i,alf completed, aud aro in
dabt over 81 ,250. .000 for work alraaly donc.
That tho Boatd have tfanseended thor powe,s'
and have treated the citizonH OF tho Dis
triot in an un5uet, oppressive, aud
arbitrary ma1nor By taliing private property for
public nse without paying any just or adequate
compensation therefor; by using co1titicatoB
Lonr.iug Interest for spoc|nl improvements and
selling aud hypothccating tho Same boforo tho
ntantial why's, and substituting therefor ways
constituted Of
INFERIOR MATERIALS;
by improving part Of An avenue or street in
cost Of the samo on a part Of the same avenue Or
street upon which Improvements Of m inferior
and much cheanor sort woro maflo:
by improving In: front Of churches
ucnool-housea and other property exempt from
bv 1nakmnr he improvements % 3 without cousultIng tho
wlshos, or taatos, or nterosta Of citizens owning
to to- ry 81 ths pr"rty sna Of
citizons without paying any just compensation
therefor,
That tue Board havo imposed
OPPRESSIVE TAXES AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
upon the people OF tho District blnco
June. 1871, amounting to moro than
S33, ,0D0,0 900 over and above tho
amount appropriated by Congress. apd over and
aboye the ola oebt (oxcoedlng 81, ,00O 000) OF the
That they hayo by privately and capriciously
changing their schedule OF rates agrooa upon
for certain classes Of work, added greatly to tho
| coHt Of tho improvements. as Tor instance |:
Evans coucroto pavement. INCREASED from S2.95
per square yard to $500 Filbert's rulcaptto
concrete pavement, increased from 39 to $500 !;
Beidler'B keystone wood pavement, increased
from 80 to $500 Stoves wooden payetnent. IN
oreascd from 50 to $3.50 por square yard.
That thoy ila'e mtaappropr1atod :and mlsap-
pliod S700.ou roceved fiom tic 9nltcd E:ato7
| Government III payment fur the Gave! n.atht's
| interest IN improvements maco IN Judiciary
Square.
| Ihat the toafd OF ta9so Hofks aosiae III
| concert With tile Ofstrlck Legislature nave in-
oreased
THE DEBT OF TIE DISTRICT
beyond tue limit I proscrlbod @ ~ oongrosa' tue
| limlt being Slu,ooU,uoo ahd 1nVe adued oyer
81 ,00e, ,0o0 to the authorized dobt OF t1o DID,
| trict.
THAT the assessment Of moro than ~, ,0oo, goo
for general sewerage waa ma4e III alrece Vlola-
tion of tho organic .act:
| That they carelessly and peElEeutlT made
coutrscts at exorbltant and unreasonable rates
thereby enabling contractors TO pay large sulna
to pcraona using influence in SECURING tho Goa"
| tracts, US IN the case of tue DO dolyor d Nc
| Cleliand Paving Company.
That they have, by gross and onlpablo neg.
| igonce aud caroessncsa, allowed the people OF
| tic District aud tho United S1atea to be cheated
! aud defralded by false measurements, which arc
set forth in dotai. After tho charges and spocl-
icationB, which wore very full and detailed, the
foregoing being but the morest abstract OF thon,
had boen read, tho
| ExAM1NATioN OF WITNESSES
WAS resumed; aud Mr. Latin was agalii placed
upJ1l tho stand. For d long. timo be refused tt
was but I one % Tor whom lie hoid thc largo amouutt
OF real estate in trust, but finally, by tho per
mission, AZ he aaid, Of the beneficiary, hc gayt
tho aan.c. Ii was that Of Hallett Kilbourno, his
partner.
Kilbourno was then sworn, hut refused to giv<
tho names of those for wl,on 1ae Ind held tht
property it, trust. He said that no Que helong
to tic District Government was interested in
THE NEAL ESTATE RING,
except Gov. Henry D. Cooke, and ho only 30 fa'