The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-08

n'but w AVoSlCu W tu6 RI6ht pLOut OF
: both labor and capital. How % induce
Q capital to employ labor Is the question.
CHAP TRANSPORTATION.
The subject Of cheap transportation
has occupied the attention OF Congress,
and much new light on this question will
without doubt be given by the committee
appointed by the last Congress to investi.
gate and report upon this subject. A
revival OF ship building and particularly
oil IRON steamship building Is Of vast i'm.
nottance to our National prosperity, the
unlledStates Is now paying over 800, OO0..
GOO per annum for freight and passage on
} IoIeign ships, 10 DO carried abroad and ex.
, pended in the employment and support Of
other peoples beyond fair percentage of
what should go to foreign vessels, estimal-
ing on the tonnage and travel Of each re.
specttyely. II is to be regretted that this
disparity in the carrying trade exists, and
TO correct 1t would be willing 10 see u
great departure from the usual course Of
governments in supporting what might
usually he termed private enterprise. l
would not suggest rs n remedy a direct
subsidy to American steamship lines, but
would suggest the direct offer of ample
compensation for carrying the mails be.
tween the Atlantic seaboard cities and the
Continent on American-owned and Amer.
ican-built steamers, and would extend this
llberaIity to vessels carrying the mails 10
South American States and 10 Central
America and Mexico, and would pursue
the same policy from our Pacific seaports
TO- foreign scaports on the Pacific. II
might be demanded that vessels built for
this service should come up to a standard
liked by legislation in tonnage, speed, and
all other qualities looking to the possibility
OF the Governments requiring them at
some time for war purposes. The right
also of taking possession Of them in such an
emergency should be guaranteed. offer
these suggestions, believing them worthy
OF consideration in all seriousness, affect
ing as they do all sections and interests
alike. If anything better can be done 10
direct the country into a course OF general
prosperity, no one will be more ready than
| 10 second the plan.
THE DISTRICT. GOVERNMENT.
Forwarded herewith will be found the
report of the commissioners appointed un.
der an act of Congress approved June 10,
1874, TO wind up the affairs of the District
Government. 1t will be seen from the re-
port that the net debt of the District of
Columbia, less the securities on hand and
available, is: Bonded debt issued prior to
July l, 1874, Ss,SS8,040 40; 3-G5 bonds,
act of Congress June 90, 1874, $685..
l6S 70; certificates of the Board Of Audit
ors Si,770,jjS As; total Sl5,742, G67 81;
less the special Improvement assessments,
chargeabIe to private property in ex.
cess of any demand against such assess
ments, Sl,Gl4,05i 81; less the Chesapeake
" Ohio Canal bonds (S75,O0O) and the
Washington d Alexandria Railroad bonds
(S59,0OO), in the hands of the Commits
sioners ofthe Sinking Fund S1,74s,054 81;
leaving the actual debt, less said assets
Sl3,99l,G13 81. In addition to this, there
are claims preferred against the Govern
ment of the District amounting, in the es.
timated aggregate reported by the Board
of Auditors, to SS,l47,7S7 as, Of which
the greater part will probably be rejected.
This sum can with no more propriety be
included in the debt account Of this Dis
trict Government than can be the thou
sands Of claims against the General Gov
crnment be included as 4 portion of the
national debt; but the aggregate sum thus
stated include something more than the
funded debt, chargeable exclusively to the
District of Columbia. The act Of Congress.
of June 2S, 1874, contemplates an appor.
tlonment between the United States Gov
eminent and the District of Columbia in
respect to the payment Of the principal
and interest of the 1865 bonds. Therefore,
in computing with precision the bonded
debt Of the District of Columbia, the
aggregate sums which arc above stated.
as respects the 3.G5 bonds now issued
the outstanding certificates of the Board of
Auditors, and the unadjusted claims pend
ing before that Board should be reduced 10
the extent of the amount to beapportioned
to the United States Government in the
manner indicated in the act OF Congress
of June 20, 1874.
| especially invite your attention to the
recommendation Of the Commissioners of
the Sinking Fund relative to the ambigui-
ty of the act of June 20, 1874, the interest
on the District bonds, and the consolida-
ton Of the debt of the District. | feel
much indebted to the gentlemen who con-
sented 10 leave their private affairs and
come from distance TO attend to the bust
ness of this District, and for the able and
satisfactory manner in which it has been
conducted. am sure their services will
be equally appreciated by the entire coun-
try,
1t will be seen from the accompany
ing full report of the Board of Health that
the sanitary condition of the District is
very satisfactory. In my opinion the Dis.
trict of Columbia should be regarded as
the ground of the National Capital, in
which the entire people are interested. /
do not allude to this to urge generous ap.
preparation to the District, but to draw
the attention of Congress in framing a law
for the government Of the District to the
scale on which the CITY was
planned by the founders of the Govern.
ment, themanner in which, for ornamental
purposes, the reservations Of the streets
and avenues were laid out, and the pro-
portion Of the property actually possessed
by the General Government. think the
proportion Of the expenses of the Govern.
ment to be born by the General Govern
ment, the cities of Washington and George
town and the county should be carefully
and cquitaby defined.
In accordance with section 9 Of the act
approved June 90, 1874, 1 appointed
board to make u survey Of the
mouth of the Mississippi river, with
a view TO determine the best method of OBJ
tanning and maintaining depth of water
sufficient for the purposes of commerce, &C.,
and in accordance with an act 10 provide
for the appointment of Commission of
Engineers to investigate md report per.
manent plan for the reclamation of
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