New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-21

I fourth and, twenty-fifth articles of sail
) | treaty; and provided further, that this eec
ton shall not operate to prevent the fulfill
ment of contracts existing at the date o
the passage of this act; and the Secretar,
Of the Treasury shall, at the beginning o
each session, report to Congress, with hi
annual estimates, any balances Of,appro
pr;ations for specific objects affected BY t sli
section that may need to be resppropriated
Approved June 20, 1874. DCf .lfG aEF
i GENERAL NAruRE-No. CAT
An act for the government of the District
of Columbia, and tor other purposes
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States OF
America in Congress- assembled, That all
provisions Of law providing for an execu-
tive, for secretary for the District, tor a
legislative assembly, for a board of public
works. and for a Delegate in Congress in
the District OF Columbia are, hereby re.
| pealed; provided, that this repeal shall not
affect the term of Office of the present Del.
egate ia Congress. iw fs.r1l.t ed T..
4 SEC. 2. That the President of the United
1 States, by and with the advice and consent
OF the Senate, is hereby authorized to ap-
point commission, consisting of three per-
sons, who shall, until otherwise provided
by law, exercise all the power and author
i ity INV .0W AuAy- NCetC0 IN ktiC kOScIuOr OF
board Of public works Of said District, ex-
| cept as hereinafter limited; and shall be
| subject to all. the restrictions and
limitations now imposed by law on
| said governor or bOard and shall
have power to apply the taxes or other rev.
enues of said District to the payment of the
current expenses thereof, to the support of
She public schools, the fire department, and
the police, and to the payment OF the
dohta nf sold nictvio hus laJr
OF the securities of said District or board of
public works as collateral and also to the
payment of debts due to laborers and en-
ployes of the District and board of public
works; and for that purpose ehaIl take pos
session and supervision of all the offices,
books, papers, records, moneys, credits, Sc
curities. assets, and accounts belonging or
appertalning to the business or interests of
the government of the District Of Columbia
and the board Of public works, and exer-
cise the power and authority aforesaid; but
said commission, in the exercise Of such
power or authority, shall make no con-
tract, nor incur any obligation other than
such contracts and obligations az may be
necessary to the faithful administration Of
the valid laws enacted for the govern
ment Of said District. 20 the execution Of
existing legal obligations and contracts,
and TO the protection or preservation OF
improvements existing, or commenced and
not completed, at the time of the pas
sage of this act. All taxes heretofore
lawfully assessed and due or to become
due shall be collected pursuant to law ex-
cept as herein otherwise provided; but said
commissioners shall have no power to an
| ticipate taxes by a sale or bypothecation Of
| any such taxes, or evidence thereof; pro-
| vided, that nothing in this clanse contained
! shall affect any provisions of law autboriz-
| ing or requiring deposit of certificates of
| assessment with the sinking fund commits.
| sioners of said District; aud said commits.
sioners are hereby authorized to abolish
| any Office, to consolidate two or more offices,
reduce the number OF employ es, remove
FROM office, and make appointments to any
office authorized by law; and the compensa-
| tion Of all officers and employees, except
| teachers in the public schools, and officers
! and employees in the fire department, shall
be reduced twenty per centum per annum.
Said commissioners shall each, before en-
tering upon the discharge of his duties,
take an oath to support the constitutiOn of
| the United States and to faithfully dis
charge the duties imposed upon him by
the penal sum of fifty thousand dollars
| to be approved by the Secretary Of
the Treasury, for the faithful discharge
| Of the duties Of his Office; and shall each
receive for his services q compensation at
the rate OF FIVE thousand dollars per annum;
| provided, that nothing in this act shall be
construed TO abate or in any wise interfere
with any suit pending in favor OF or against
| the District of Columbia; and provided fur
Their, that in suits hereafter commenced
against the District Of Columbia, process
may be served on any one of said commits
! sioners, until otherwise provided by law.
/ SEC. g. That the President of the United
| States shall detail an officer of the Engineer
Corps of the Army Of the United States, who
| shall, subject to the general supervision
and direction of the said board Of commits
sioners. have the control and charge OF the
\ work of repair and Improvement of all
streets, avenues. alleys, sewers, roads, and
bridges of the District OF Columbia; and he
| is hereby vested with all the power and
| authority of, and shah perform the duties
| heretofore devolved upon, the chief en-
| gineer Of the board of public, works. He
| shall take possession of, and preserve and
| keep, all the instruments pertaining to said
| office. and all the maps, charts, surveys,
hooks, records, and papers relating to said
| District, or TO any of the avenues. streets,
alleys, public spaces. squares, lots and
| buildings thereon. sewers. or any of them,
as are now in or belonging to the office OF
said engineer of the board of pub
lilo works, and shall. in books pro-
| vided for that purpose, keep and
preserve the records now required to be
kept, and such IA may be required by regu-
Iations of said board. He may, with the
advice and consent CT said board of com
missiOners, appoint not more than two as.
sistant engineers from civil life, who shall
each receive a salary of one thousand eight
hundred dollars per annum, and shall be
subject to his direction and control. He
shall receive no additional compen sation
for such services. And he shall not be
deemed by reason OF anything in this act
contained to hold a civil Office under the
laws Of the United States. And no salary
or compensation shall be paid to the sur
veyor of the District, or any of his subor
dinates, except such fees for special ser
vices as are allowed by law. And the offices
OF assistant surveyor and additional assist
ant surveyor of the District OF COlumbis
are HEREBY abolished.
SEC a. That for the support of the gov
eminent of the District Ut Columbia, ant
maintaining the credit thereof, for the lis
cal year ending June thirtieth, eighteeI
hundred and seventy-fve, there shall bt
levied upon all read estate in said DIS
trict, except that belonging to the Onltet
| States and to the District of Colum
bia, and that used for educationa
. and charitable purposes, the following
taxes. namely: Upon all such real estate II
) the city of Washington, three dollars OF
, each one hundred dollars Of the presen
! assessed value thereof; upon all such rea
i estate in the city of Georgetown, two dol
I ! lars and fifty cents on each one hundre'
| dollars of the present assessed value there
/ | Of; and upon all such real estate in the Dis
/. ! trict of Columbia outside of the cities q
r Washington and Georgetown, two dollar
, on each one hundred dollars Of the presen
: assessed value thereof; which said take
shall become due and payable on the frs
| dav of NnYemher eionteen hundred an