National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-11
L -. She'll ..RD'S ANSWER.
~ AHSTER TO THE INQUIRIES OF
EHI SkLECT COMMITTEE. u s

EHk AkLECT COMAITTEE. = NJ
ALL THE INQUIRIES cATEGoRICALLY AN
OWERED-THE FINANCIAL CONDTTloN OF
THE DIsTRIcT-DETAILs OF TIRE LOCAL
0ovERNMENT-TAE AMOUNT or INDEBT.
EDNEss-How IT WAS CREATED-CHAR-
ACTER AND EXTENT OF IMPROVEMENTS
MADE. -.
The answer of the Governor to the INQUIRIES
If the select committee was Yesterday pub
ashed, and copies furnished the members of the
committee and the counsel on both Sides It
embraces all the exhibits and tabular state
ments, and makes a volume of five hundred
and forty-fye pages. .--..--.,,
The first question, q What was the indebted
ness of Washington City when the presen: gov
eminent came into existence! is answered in
detail and aggregates 81, oa7 1881. .,
Second question: If any part of it was in bonds,
when they were issued, for how long time
had they to run, what interest did they bear,
and what was the aggregate amounts! The
answer shows that May 1, 1871, the bonds and
certificates amounted to S2,067 ,9G2; that the
sinking fund commission have redeemed
$685.. 637 OIL, leaving the amount outstanding
81 ,405, 324.99.
- Third question: How much of said indebted
ness has been paid! When paid, and out of what
revenues or funds! And if any acts ofthe District
Legislature have been passedin relation thereto,
give q reference to the same. The reply in
detail occupies fourteen pages of the report of
the sinking fund commission, with the follow
ing recapitulation: Claims against corpora
ton of Washington, approved by auditing CON-
mission, 1914, 107.74: certificates for paving
Pennsylvania, Louisiana. and Indiana avenues,
$207 ,408.1; certificates for the improvement of
the canal, S93, 500 %: judgments, costs of suits,
outstanding warrants, and sundry miscelane-
Gus claims, $3.50, 1855: expenses incurred by
the Board of Public Works in completing old
contracts, s317 ,321 81: for amount paid to
George Z. Baker, comptroller, in settlement of
accounts under act approved June 20, 1872,
1856 ,2S345; payments on account of Washing
ton and Alexandria railroad bonds, guaranteed
by city of Washington, SIS, 16O; water-stock
redeemed, SIS, 1881; purchase of ten-ycar
bonds, $50, 517.0l; redemption of three-year
1910 certificates, s5l4, los .a6-total, $685.
6S1.41. .'
The above payments were made in conformity
with the provisions of the following acts of the
District Legislature An act approved January
u, 1872, "providing for the payment of the
debts Of the late corporation of Washington"
Act of same date, {! making an appropriation
to pay the outstanding indebtedness of the late
corporations of Washington, Georgetown, and
the levy court" And act approved June 20,
1872 ito fund unsettled liabilities of the city of
Washington, and providing for the issuing of
bonds, and levying and collecting taxes to pay
the same" (This tax was not levied.
There has been paid for Georgetown
SIC, 1908 SO, and for the county SD, 311.S9.
In reply to the fourth question, the total debt
of the late corporation of Georgetown, existing
or contracted for at the time the new govern
ment went into existence, is stated at $685.
7S0.3 %, and the county SD. 81 SO. The pres
ent debts of the late corporations of Washing
ton, Georgetown, and the county, are stated
Washington, - ,096 sol .Ul Georgetown, S251,-
6S9 !; county, 81 ,699.9O.
The next question of interest is, what is the
present Indebtedness of the District. Excluding
the above-id est the indebtedness of the Dis
dencedf Describe the bonds or different series
of bonds, giving their dates, amounts, time to
run, and rate of interest.
The answer shows that the total bonded debt
Of the. District up to February %, 1874, was
81, SGT $50, and the amounts due on account of
current appropriations was S497 ,S10.S2.
Question. Furnish a balance-sheet showing
the liabilities of the District, and the assets,
which are considered by you as available for
meeting the Indebtedness of the District
Assets.-Taxes uncollected for the current
and past year, as per statement of the collect
or, 81 49,, 579.54 outstanding indebtedness, as
per statement of the Auditor to Feb. l, 1874,
$40: 80 estimated liabilities for salaries of
officers, employees, support of schools, police,
fire department, payment of interest and sink
ing fund on bonds and contingent expenses Cor
the year ending June so, 1874, SS5O,0O0 sur
plus, SIS, 100 %. %.
The next question was, what was the assessed
value of property in the District February, 1871,
and what changes have been made since The
answer shows that the total assessment for the
year ending Jan. /, 1871, was SIS, 997 ,454
year ending June so, 1872, So, 215, 327: June
80, 1873, ss7 500 1924; June 80, 1874, s96, 49,
In reference to the next question: all acts or or
ders of the District government, or any de-
partment thereof, levying taxes or making as
sessments, are given, and occupy forty-two
pages.
The receipts of the District government from
all sources since its organization are stated at
$14, 1871 ,425.7S.
The next question is in regard to the dis
bursements, and the answer given in detail
occupies one hundred and sixty-two pages and
sums up SIS, 363, 1851.
The next question was what contract for i'm
Froyement had been made. with whom, the
price, how to be paid and whether anything is
due on them.
In answer to this is a very lengthy list of
the contracts arranged in tabular form, which
shows the amount of payments, amount due,
estimatedcost, actual cost, their designation as
TO completeness or incompleteness, the nature
of the work to be done, the prices to be paid
therefor, when and in what medium of funds
to be paid, are specified in the respective con-
tracts. The contracts, ,032 in number, are
forwarded; and the original estimates and
vouchers, IL, 57 in number, as also contracts
made by the market-house commission for the
Seventh street wing, and P street wing of the
Northern Market, the building at the aims
house, and the public school building, in
Georgetown.
The exhibit shows that the increase of the
actual cost of work done under contract by the
board is less than five per cent. over the esti-
mated cost.
The recapitulstion shows the net cost of i'm
provements under contract at SIS, 294 ,094 Al,
paid as follows: By certificates issued to con-
tractors, e1o, s96 DOS. Al; by property issued,
81 ,S!S ,OS9.06. OF the amount paid to con-
tractors by certificates there remains unIiqui-
dated s., 500, IA 81, and there is due on ac-
count of unsettled and incomplete contracts
$500, 900.
The next question is what amount has the
District government received from the United
States for improvement affecting the property
of the latter. The answer to this is given In
thirteen vouchers as paid by the Treasury
Department, and includes q bill of items
for all the work done. The amount
as stated aggregates 1881 soils
@. What amount, If any, does the District
government estimate ought yet to be paid by
the United States for improvements made by
the former! A. The Board of Public Works,
in their report to the President, dated the LIST
day Of November last estimated the indebted
ness Of the General Government, on account of
work done by them, to be as follows: For
work in and around Government reservations
and public buildings, s573, III rs: for work on
avenues, 81 ,056, 574 IS; for main sewerage,
g., 14O, 6s7 SO: total, 81, $50, 427 81
This, however, is but a small portion of the
sum equitsbly due by the Government on ac-
count of expenditures made by our citizens in
their corporate capacity ior the improvement
of the streets and avenues of the city If WASH
ington, and the roads and thoroughfares of
other parts of the District. The streets and
avenues are held in fee-simple by the General
Government This has been expressly de-
cided BY the Supreme Court of the United
States. in the ease of Van Ness against the CITY
of Washington and the United States Of
Amerca, in which the opinion was delivered by
Justice Story, and will be found in 4th Peters,
page 275, Streets and avenues have since been
opened or closed, as the purposes of the Gov
ernment seemed to require, without regard to