Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-16
THE DISTRICT GOyERNHENr.
The Amended Bill Providing for "a
Change.


OF the District Of Columbia as reported back
to-day from the Joint Special Committee inves-
tigatiDg District affairs. 1t has bsen amended
in several important particulars, as a COMPARE
son with the original bill (priuted in TIE STAR
a few days since) will show:
\ BILL for the government of the District of
Columbia, ana for other purposes.
BE 1t enacted, &C., That all provisions OF law
providing for an Executive, for Secretary for
the District, for a Legislative Assembly, for a
Board of Public Works and for a Delegate in
Congress in the District of Columbia are here
by repealed: Procided, That this repeal shall
not affect the term OF Office OF the present Dele
gate in Congress
. Sec. ?. That the President of -the United
States, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, is hereby authorized ID appoint a
commission, consisting OF three persons, who
shall, until otherwise provided by law, exercise
all the power and authority now lawfully vested
in the Governor or Board of Public Works of
said District, except as hereinafter limited, and
shall be subject 10 all the restrictions and lin
Hations now imposed by law on said Governor
or board, and shall have power to apply tue
taxes or other revenues of said District to the
payment of the current expenses thereof, to the
support of the public schools, the Hre depart
ment and the police, and to the payment of
the debts OF said District secured by pledge
of the securities of said District or Board of
Public Works as collateral, and also to tt
payment of debts due to laborcrs and EMPLOYEES
of the District and Board of Public Works; and
for that purpose shall take possession aud su-
records, moneys, credits, securities, assets ami
accounts belonging OF appertaining to the bust
ness or interests of the government OF the Dis
trict of Columbia and the Board OF PQoiic
Works, and exercise the power and authority
aforesaid, but said commission, in the exercise
of such power or authority, shall make no con-
tract, nor incur any obi CATION other than such
contracts ana obligations as may be necessary TO
the faithful administration of the valid laws
enacted for the government OF said District, to
the execution OF existing legal Obligations and
LOT ~ Zoo FfFaUafs
improvements existing or commenced and not
completed at the time of the passage of this act,
All taxes heretofore lawfully assessed and due
or 10 become due shall be collected pursuant To
law, except as herein otherwise provided; but
said commissioners shall have no power to an
tcipate taxes by a sale or hypothecation of any
such taxes or evidence thereof: Pr0r{ded, That
nothing in this clause contained shall affect any
Provisions of law authorizing or requiring
deposit Of certificates OF assess ment with the
sill king fund commissioners of said District:
ana said commissioners are hereby authoriz
to abolish any Office, to consolidate two or more
ces, reduce the number OF employees, re-
move from office, and make appointments TO
any Office authorized by las; aud the cOmpeu-
satiOn OF all OF GERS and employees, except teach
eTs III the pub schools anu officers aud en-
ployes IN the IRE department, shall be reduced
twenty per ccEtum per annGm Said commits
sioners shall each, before entering upon the
discharge of his duties, take An oath To support
the constitution Of the United States and to
faithfully discharge tue duties imposed upon
him by law, and hhall each give bond in the
; snal sum of $1,000, to be appro we'd BY the
Secretary Of the treasury, for the faithful dis
charge of the duties OF his office; and shall each
receive for his services a compensation at the
rate OF 5000 per anuUm: Pr0Cide1, That
nothing in this act shall he construed to 40 lte
or IN any wise interfere with any suit pending
in favor of or against the District of Columbia:
And IroUided further, That in suits hereafter
co nmenced against the District of Columbia,
process may be served on any one of said COM
missODers, until otherwise provided bylaw.
Sec. 3. That the President of the United States
shall detail an officer Of the eng corps Ofthe
army of the United States, who shall, subject to
the general supervision and direction of tn said
board OF commissioners, have the control and
charge OF the work of repair and improvement
OF all streets, avenues, alleys sewers, roads aud
br. dyes of the District of Columbia; and he is
hereby vested with all the pJwer and authority
of and shall perform the duties HERETOFORE de.
VOWED upon the Chief engineer OF the Board OF
Public Works. He shall take possession OF and
preserve and keep all the instruments pertain
ing to SID Office, and ali the maps, charts, sur
veys, books, records, and papers relating to
said District, or TO any of the avenues, streets,
alleys, public spaces, squares, lots and build
lDgs thereon, sewers, OF any of them, as are
now in or belong te the Office of said engi-
shall, in books provided for that purpose,
Feep and preserve the records now required t.
be kept, and such as NAV be required by rsgu-
lations of said board. He may, with the ADVICE
and consent or said board of commissioners,
appoint not more than two assistant engineers
from civ IL life, who shall each receive a salarg
l,SU
direction and control. He shall receive no adj
ditIonal compensation IOr such services. Aud
he shall Tot be deemed by reason of ANYTHING in
this act contained to hold a civil Off &c under
the laws OF the United States. And no sal3Cy
or compensation shall be paid TO the sur veyor of
the District or any of his subordinates, except
such fees for special services as are sllO wed By
law. And the offices Of assistant surveyor and
additional assistant surveyor OF the District Of
Columbia are hereby abolished.
Sec. T. That for the support OF the govern
naElf M tha IlEG ~ % of
tanning the credit thereof, for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1875, there shall be levied upon
all real estate in said District, except that be-
longing to tue Uni I'd States and to the District
OF Columbia, and that used tor educational and
Charitable purposes, the following taxes, name.
ly: Upon all snch real estate in the city OF
Washington, 50 on each 800 of the present as
sessed value thereof; upon all such real estate
IN lie city OF Georgetown, $3.50 on each 500 OF
toe present assessed value thereof; aud upon |
all such real estate in the District of Columbia |
outside of the cities of Washington and George-
town, 50 on each 500 of the present assessed |
value thereof; which said taxes shsll become !
due ard payable on the ist day or November,
1874, AID II not paid shall be in arrears and de-
linqnent from that date; and shall, EXCEPT as
herein modified, be assessed and collected as
now provided by law for the assessment and col
lection OF general taxes for theDstrict of Column
bis; and of the sums so collected one-fourth |
thereof shall be applied, first, to reimburse the
United States for its advarc es ON account of |
interest, which shall have been paid by the Uni
ted States on the funded debt of the District of
Columbia and Washington ana Georgetown, due |
and payable july |, 1874; and the remainder |
shall be used TO pay deficiencies in the various |
funds for the fiscal year ending june 80, 1874 |
all the remainder of said taxes not re- |
1uired for the aforesaid purposes shall be |
distributed for the purposes and in the |
proportions provided by the act Of the Legisia-
tive Assembly or the District OF Columbia ap- |
proved June 26. 1878, entitled San act imposing |
taxes for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1874" |
20 Tar az said superintendent Is not inconsistent
with this act: Prouided, That no evidence OF /
debt issued by the District of Columbia, or any |
branch thereof, or by the Beard of Public |
Works, shall in any manner be received in pay |
ment for said taxes: And prouid-d further, That |
no payment shall be made ON account OF tue
militia OF said District, OR for the purpose of |
erecting District Jail. Upon all payments of |
said taxes hereby imposed which sh all be made
I'm advance OF the said LIST of November, 1874,
there shall be an abatement allowed OF per |
centum per month for each and every month |
so paid In advance; and that upon all said |
taxes which shall be delinquent and unpaid |
on said list day OF November there snail be /
added penalty OF one per centum to the |
amount thereof, to be collected with such taxes
and q like penalty of one per cenJum upon the |
amount thereof shalt be added on the first d.y
Of each succeeding month TO all of said tsxes az
are then delinquent and unpaid, To be collected
Ps aforesaid 1t shall be the duty of the collector
of taxes TO prepare complete liss OF all taxes
and property upon which the same are assess "a,
10 arrears on the nrst day Of March next, and