Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-03-16


tee on Privileges and Election Tor consultation.
AT half-Iast two O'Clock Senator Thurman
appeared and stated that he had been instructed
BY the committee to adjourn the hearing of
The argument until half-past ten O'clock to-
morrow morning.
District Affairs In Congress
IMPORTANT BILL INTRODUCED BY MR CHIP
Mr.. Chapman introduced in the House of Rep
resentatives to-day a bill "to define the rsla.
tons of the District Of Columbia to the United
states, and for other purposes" 1t enacts:
"That the Secretary OF the Interior, the en-
gineer In charge of the public buildings and
grounds, and the Governor of the District of
Columbia for the time being, be and they are
hereby constituted Board of Assessment and
It shall be their duty to take, or cause to be
taken, valuation OF all the real estate within
the District of Columbia belonging to the Unit
ed states, and they shall also take, or cause to
he taken, valuation of all the real estate
within the said District other than that belong.
ing TO the United States, and they shall there
upon certify the same 70 the Secretary of the
treasury, whose duty it shall be to place to
the credit of the Secretary of the Interior
sum which shall bear the same proportion to
he whole amount levied upon real estate other
man that OF the United States which the as
,essed value OF the real estate belonging to the
United States in said District bears to the as
'esstd value OF real estate in said District other
than that belonging to the United States. And
The said Secretary OF the Interior shall pay the
said money 10 the officers authorized BY law to
pay the municipal expenses of said District nj
COiImhla, including the expenses for Improve
uehts III said District OF streets, avenues, high
ways, sewers. and the like, upon vouchers to D..
approved by the said Secretary of the Interior
Prortdsd, That the amount paid out of said fund
10 said Secretary shall at no time exceed the
amount paid out for like purposes from tbs
funds OF the District OF Columbia.
Section 2. That the said board shall ascertain
the amount paid out by the United States with
III the District of Columbia since the wear 1850
70 the passage of this act, in the opening anu
Improvement OF streets, avenues, highways, al
leys, the laying of sewers for the con str1ction
II The aqueduct, tor the lighting and impCoyine
Jf the public parks of the city of Washington
which are kept open for the use of the public
t0r the lighting OF the streets and avenues, for
TIE support OF police, health and fire depart
Bent, for the public schools, and generally all
expenditures in the said District, made for the
common benefit of the citizens of said Dis
trict and the government. And the SAID
board shall also ascertain the amount paid by
the proper authorities OF the several munici-
palies in said District, and by said District
or the like purposes, and hall strike a balance
iheet between the United States and the said
authorities OF the District of Columbia on &C
count CT said expenditures, and shall certif,
whose duty II shall be to place to the credit OF
he sinking fund commissioners for the Districs
II Columbia an amount which shall be suit
Iclent TO reimburse the expenditures or the
District of Columbia and the local authorities
therein. The amount which shall be found
necessary from said balance sheet t. make the
Expenditures of the United States for
aid purposes equal to the expendi.
lures OF the said District of Columbia
and the local authorities therein, which said
iund shall be used by the sinking fund commits
Toners In payment of the Indebtedness of said
District, and for no other purpose. 1t shall be
the duty OF the Governor of the District of CO.
'umbia to forward annually to the Secretary OF
lie Interior an estimate of the amount neces
sary 10 deiTay the expenses of said District and
The Improvements to be made therein. And il
shall also be the duty of the engineer in charge
OF pubic buildings and grounds to forward to
the said secretary annually an estimate of the
cost OF improvements in the public parks,
streets, and avenues deemed by that officer de-
sirable to be made. And the said Secretary
opening of its annual session, with an estimate
said expenses.
BILL TO CURE DEFECTIVE TITLES.
MI. Chapman also introduced q bill en-
Titled can act to cure defective titles in the
District Of Columbia" The bill provides that
th to all real property lying and situate in
the United States by escheat per defectum san
GUMS, in cases OF persons heretofore held In
slavery be, and the same Is hereby,
vested IN the children of such persons
add in the descendants of such children, If
deceased, and such children are hereby ca
pacited to inherit one from the other or others
IN the same manner, and to the same extent as
to the District Committee.
A NEW GAS COMPANY PROPOSED.
Mr. Eldridge introduced in the House of Rep
reese natives to-day bill, which was referred to
the District Committee, to incorporate the
Citizens Mutual Gas Light Company of
Washington city, in the District of Columbia"
ret, Robert b. Coleman, VIM. Herrick, Robt
M Galloway, Abner Doubleday, Ebon q. In
gersoll, L. f. Roessle, and James Sykes,
ana 1t gives the company the authority
TO lay gas pipes, &C., so long as they do not in
'erfere with public travel. 1t provides that the
capltal STOCK OF the said company shall consist
OF 100000, which may be increased by a vote
of the directors. The bill gives the Company
The usual powers and privileges OF corporations.
RESIDENT OF BosToS, whose signature il
II, )" sent 500 in coin 10 the treasury to-day,
and requests that the fact be made public. As
attribute to his honesty we give him the benefit
OF an insertion gratis.
ARMY ORDERs.-Colonel James A. Hardle.
inspector general, win soon visit Yanktou AMI
ether points in Dakota, In come ction with Old
Indian war claims. First Lieut.. Nj. G, Grier
4tn artillery, has resigned.
THE Ice CROP OF 1868 -The Trov Times
says: "On March 10, 1868, eleven years ago to-
day, the ice dealers commenced for the first
pound had been harvested until that time. and
the same fears Of ice famine during the sue
ceeding summer were manifested that have
opened and closed three times during the
months Of January and February, and the last
break up was on the LIST of March. On the 9Th
the river again closed mp, and by the 10th the
Ice was four inches thick. Cold weather con.
unued until the Ice was over q foot thick, and
an ample harvest was gathered"
NORTHERN VISITORS IN FLORIDA.-The in
nux or Northerners into the state this season
nss oeen unprecedented: On recent visit to
Jacksonville We watched the trains for several
psys ana saw them pouring In by the hundreds.
s EnSesy motel and boarding house in the city Is
- ~ me river and at ST. Augustine. A notices-
VIC ieatuie tnie year ie that visitors are post
pon,ng tnen visits until late in the season, due
desire 70 see the state in the fun bloom of early
spring tme.-Fioridian, Va SA'