Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-16

executed by the said board OF commissioners,
instead OF the Governor and the secretary.
Sec. 5. That joint select committee shall be
appointed, consisting of two Senators, to be
appointed BY the presiding Off Ger of the Senate
and two me mbers Of the House, 20 be appointed
tives. whose duty It shall be to prepare a sulta-
ti~ frame OF government for the District of Co
luAbis and appropriate drafts of statutes to bs
enacted by Congress for carrying the same into
effect, and report the same to the two Houses,
respectively, on the first day of the next session
thereof; ana they shall also prepare and sub
init TO Congress statement of the proper pro.
portion OF the expenses of said government, or
any branch thereof, including interest on its
funded debt, which should be borne by said Dis
met ana me United States, respectively, toge-
Their with the reasons upon which their conclu-
stons may be based: and in the disch are of the
duty hereby imposed said committee IL author
ized TO employ such assistance As IL NAV deem
advisable, at an expense not TO exceed the sum
OF 5000, and said sum, or 30 much thereof as
may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby,
appropriated for that purpose.
Sec. 6. That 1t shall be the duty of the First
Comptroller of the Treasury and tue Second
Comptroller Of the Treasury of the United
States, who are hereby constituted board of
audit, 10 examine and audit tor settlement all
the unfunded or floating debt OF the District
OF Columbia and of the Board of Public Work
hereinafter specified, namely: First, the debt
evidenced by Sower certificates: secondly thu
debt purporting 20 be evidenced and asc4rtained
by the certificates OF the auditor of the Board of
Public Works; thirdly, the debt evid need bv
the certificates Of the auditor aud the conn
trOlier of the District of Columhis: forrthIy
claims existing or hereafter created for which
no evidence Of Indebtedness has been Issued
srising out or contracts, written oral. made
by the BOARD of Public Works: filthy, claims
which no evidence of Indebtedness has been
Issued, arising cut of contracts written or oral
made by or on behalf of the District of Column.
biz; sNrhly, all claims for private property
taken ny the Board of Public Works from the
SETerues, streets, and alleys of the cities of
Washington and Georgetown; and, sevenShly
all nEadjusted claims for damager that
may nave been presented TO the Boud
OF OF f tno WORKS, pursuant to an act
District of Columbia entitled Gan act provid-
ing Tor the payment of damages sustained by
reason OF public improvements or repairs" APP
proved june 20, 1872, which last-namsd claims
shall severally be examined and audited with
ont regard to any examination heretofore
MADE and shall make a detailed and tabular
statement OF all claims presented, the persons
or corporations owning the same, aud the
amount found TO be due on account OF each
6ogether with tabular statement of the funded
debt OF the District of Columbia and of the
cities OF Washington and Georgetown of everv
KIND and character whatsoever. giving the date
OF issue, tlme OF maturity, and the rate of in
terest. And it shall further be the duty of said
BOARD 10 ascertain the amount of sewer tax or
assessment paid by any person, persons OF cor
poratIOn, under the act of the Legislative As
senbiy OF said District, entitled IAN act Gre
aing drainage and sewerage sections in the
cities OF Washington and Georgetown, in
tne District of Columbia, and providing for
the payment of tie construction of sewers
ana Grains therein by assessments and is
suing certificates therefor" approved the
Zoth cav OF June, 1873, and TO prepare q
tahuiated statement thereof. Such board OF
auult ~ all also issue TO each claimant a certif-
care, signed by each of said board and counter
signed by the comptroller of said District stat
ing tue amount found to be due TO each and on
what account, and a register thereof shall be
Kept by said board to De transmitted to Com
gress, and also by the comptroller of said Dis
triet and said board of audit shall also ascer-
"a IN md -
thereof, The amount eqGitably ehargeable t.
the street railroad companies on account OF
paving along and within the tracks of said
companies, pursuant to the charters of said
con panies or the acts of Congress relating
thereto, together with their reasons therefor
" shall further be the duty Ut said board Of an
or 70 examine into and audit all Of the accounts
OF me AUDITOR and of the treasurer of the Board
OF Public Works, and Of the au li.or. the trea
nter, the collector, and tue comptroller of the
District OF Columbia, from the Date of the or
ganlzstion of said board and o. the present
government of said District; and for the pur-
pose herein before specified shah have the
power to subpoena witnesses, administer os.hs,
ana examine witnesses under oath, ami shall
have tull access to all OF the records books
P8pers and vouchers of every kind whatsoever
OF the Board of Public Works and OF the Die
trlct OF Columbia; and to the end that said books
aud accounts may be thoroughly examined,
snd the Indebtedness of said District, and of the
Board Of Public Works, aud the state of the
books and accounts of each OF the OIL GERS afo-e
said' may be accurately ascertaned, shall enl.
ply one or more skjlltul and impartial account
ants, NONRESIDENT of the District of Columbia
ahusuch Other assistants az they maydeem nece--
sary, TO make examination of said books, YJuch
ers and papers, and discharge their other duties
under this act, and shall procure ins pectiou of
such blank books and papers as may be nsces-
sary; and they are hereby authorized TO paw for
the services OF such accountant or accountan.,
ana assistants such Sums as they NAV dem
proper. And raid accountant CT Accountants
shan take an oath TO faithfully discharge thu
cuties imposed by this act Said board of "ufit
snail give notice for the presentation of the
claims herelnbef0re specified in such manner
as may be deemed neccss airy; and no claim shall
be audited or allowed unless presented within
ninety days after the first publication of such
notice. Each of the said officers constitut ting
sald board shall be paid the sum of - 900 for
bis services under this act. out of the funds of
satiOn.
Sec. 7. That the sinking fund commissioners
Of said District are hereby continued; aud it
shall be the duty of said sinking fund commits
sloners to cause bonds of the District of Column
bla to be prepared, in sums of $50 and $500
bearing date August /, 1874, PAYABLE fifty wears
after date, bearing interest at the rate of three
and sixty-fve hundredths per centum per an
the secretary and the treasurer of said sinking
fund commissioners and countersi gned by the
comptroller of said District, and sealed as the
board may direct; which bonds shall be exempt
from taxation by federal, state, or municipal
authority, engraved and printed at the expense
OF the District of Columbia, and in form not
inconsistent herewith. And the faith OF the
United States is hereby pledged that the
United States will, by proper proportional
appropriations IS contemplated in this
act, and by causing TO be levied upon
the property within said District snch
taxes as will provide the revenues necessary 10
pay the in crest on said bonds as the same NAV
become due and payable, and create a sinking
fund for the payment of the principal thereof
at maturity. Said bonds shall be numbered
copseeutiyely and registered in the ofice of the
comptroller OF said District, and shall also be
registered in the office OF the register of the
Treasury Of the United States, for which last
named registration the Secretary of the Treas
ury shall make such provision as may be neces-
saTy. And said commissioners shall use all
necessary means for the prevention of any uu-
authorized or fraudulent issue of auy such
bonds. And the said sinking fund commission
ers are hereby authorized to exchange said |
bonds at par for like sums of aLy class of in
debtecness In the preceding section of this act |
named, including sewer taxes or assessments
paid, evidenced by certificates of the auditing |
board provided for in this act.
Sec. s. That the authority conferred on the
Board Of Public Works to issue additional GER
thcates of Indebtedness by section four of the |
act Of the Legislative Assembly, approved on
the twenty ninth Gay of Nav, eighteen hundred
and seventy three, is hereby annuled. No
property shall be advertised for sale or sold for
the collection Of any assessment authorized by
the Legislative Assembly by the act entitled
An act creating drainage and sewerage Sec
M ~ liz Al