Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-30
MEMORIAL Of GOVERNOR SHEPHERD To CONGRESS.
A Plain Record of Facts Touc hing the
Allegations against the District
Government and the Persons
Making Them.


gress to-day by Governor Shepherd:
Your memorialist, the Governor of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, respectfully represents, that.
in common with other officers of said District.
be has been arraigned before your honorable
body by two memorials of certain pretended
tax payers, in which your memorialst and
his associates are charged with grave offences
Charges so gfayely presented, and apparently
so gravely made, demand of your memorialist,
on the part Of himself and associates, as a duty
they owe to themselves and the good people OF
the District, to place before your honorable
body certain facts OF record and of public no.
toriety touching both the allegations made ami
the persons making them.
Your memorialist, speaking for himself AMI
associates in office, declares that they have not
sought and do not now seek, to evade the fullest
and fairest investigation into the affairs OF the
District, and in proof thereof they remind your
honorable body that at every session OF Congress
since the organization of the new government
for the District, they have been before the Dis
trict Committees and Committees on Appropri-
atoms of both the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives with full exhibits of all the transsc-
tions of said District; that at the I'd session OF
the 42d Congress an investigation was ordered
| by the House of Representatives on the I'D
January, 1872, which was continued throughout
the winter and till May of the same year, when
report was made No. ~ covering nearly one
thousand pages, and embracing record evil
dence and oral testimony upon every su bstantial
| allegation presented by the memorialists OF
| your honorable body at this session of Congress,
that said investigation was regarded by the
42d Congress as an impartial, thorough
and searching inquiry into every expenditure
OF the District government; OF the prudence,
wisdom and honesty Of the expenditures,
District of the improvements then made and
| proposed to he made; that at said Investigation
| the entire plan of Improvement complained OF
by said memorialists was examined and an
proved, and so reported by said committee;
that your memorialist and his associates were
not only warranted by said report TO 60 forward
with their plan, but they were further en-
couraged by appropriations made by the i2d
Congress in furtherance of said plan. as well
also by the apparently universal approval OF the
whole country, and especially by large ma
Iorty of the citizens OF the District of Column
bia; that at the following aud the last session
of the 42d Congress, complaints having been
made that the District authorities we're exceed
ing the limits OF the general debt of the Dis
trict, second investigation ordered, the
result of which will be found in House report
NO. !, third session The confidence of Con
gress still remaining in the integrity of the Dis
trct officers, further appropriations we're ade;
and at the present session OF the I'D Congress
your memoriahst invited an investigation,
which, under the order of the House of Repre-
sentatives, is now being made, and covers every
substantial allegation not heretofore finally and
fully considered.
Your memorsst now insists that unless
probable cause is shown TOR the existence of the
evils heretofore and complained Of and
which have been dis proved before Congress he
and bis associates ought not to be subjected al
great expense 10 the general government and to
the great detriment of the interests of the Dis
trlct, to further needless and fruitless investi-
cations.
Your me morialist further represents that full
and complete printed reports have been male
TO the President, as provided by law, showing
in detail all the financial transactions
OF the officers Of said District govern
ment; Every expenditure of the Board
OF Public Works with the date and
name of persons receiving money, full simple
and complete reports of all the Improvements
ma. al Of oh anf..r I,.1a
and the cost thereof There never has been any
conce alment on the part OF your mem oIiaist
and his associates from the public of a single
official transaction of said District government.
there never has been a time when it was not
within the power OF any citizen Of the District
TO challenge the wisdom of any Improvement
being made, or the expenditure of any moneys
and your memoriaiist declares that there il 10
substantial grievance complained of to your
honorable body for which there is not ample
remedy provided by law through the courts of
the District
Your memorialist would respectfully repre-
sent to your honorable body that the difficulties
and embarrassments which have resulted from
the factious and unreasonable opposition OF
certain citizens, OF whom the memoriallsts
complaining TO your honorable body are a fair
type and part have been such as at times to
threaten the destruction OF all government in
the District, and have resulted in incalculable
pecuniary damage to the citizens thereof. This
opposition arrayed itself even before the Dis
trict government was fully organized; and
while your memorialist, as he feels bound to do
presents 10 your honorable body some Of the
vicissitudes through which the District govern
ment has passed by reason Of this opposition
ne calls attention to the fact that from the be
ginning the people OF the District aud those
most interested in its welfare, have sustained II
with great unanimity.
Your memorialist says that at the first election
neld under the organic act, the question OF lib
esal improvements was made al issue. and was
approved by vote Of several thousand ma iori,y
IN favor Of the plan then discussed. Later, on
the assembling OF the Legislature, this plan
was made known to said body by message of the
Governor, and at once became the topic OF
general discussion. Ii had received the ap-
prOval OF an advisory board of eminent govern
ment offcers and private citizens. and
enacted into law by act OF July Ia, 1871. Every
ing IN which, resort was had to the courts AMI
an inlunc ion obtained, chiefly on the ground
that the proposed loan had not received the en-
1orsement OF the people Unwilling TO wait
the slow process of law, another act was
passed submitting the question to the people.
The opposition organized in every part of the
District, and attacked not only the plan OF i'm
provements, but assailed the personal char
acter and integrity, both in private ami
dent had appointed and the people had elected,
10 carry out the organic act. Not one dollar
mad thus Tar been expended nor had these Of
show whether they intended an honest or dis
honest administration Of affairs. After the
fullest canvass OF the question, only ,2i5 votes
and improvements. Almost the entire working
season was thus consumed when, in November,
the District authorities placed the loan upon
the market, whereup0n the opposition, aided
by the pecuniary and moral support OF some OF
those now complaining to your honorable body,
sought to discredit the District in the money
markets OF the world, and prevent the negetia-
ton Of its bonds.
Upon the assembling Of the last Congress, an
EFFORT was made by these iactionists to suspend
the functions OF the new government, and thus
TO strike o blow at its very existence, and de-
stroy Its credit both at home and abroad. The |
attempt, however, failed, receiving no sympa- |
thy in your honorable body when the propesi |
t0n was presented. At the same time memo |
rial was offered in the Houee OF Representatives
demanding an investigation into charges cover |
ing substantially the same complaints as have |
been recently made to your honorable body, the |
result Of which was report completely vindi- |
eating the District authorities.
Your mem0rialist further says that substan- |
TALLY every charge of unlawful exercise of |
power BY the District authorities now COM
planned OF has been presented to the courts Of !
tne District, and in every instance the District
authorities have been sustained; that at every
election, Of which there have been several, the
people OF the District have sustained its officers
by large majorities; that notwthsta udng at |
tacks through the public press and the utmost |