Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-18
Amendments that should Have been
Made

tA1--NNN WV u VIZ
Amendments that should Have been
Made.
BY rushing the District bill through the
House yesterday under the previous question, a
number OF proper amendments proposed by
General Chapman, and others, were crowded
out, in that house at least. One of the points
our delegate sought the opportunity to make
was that the tax Is eNcesstYe-mOre than the
property can bear. Our real estate Is assessed
At near lis full cash value. Other cities, whose
tar appears larger, assess property a. tsO-third
value. We now pay about three per cent. Ippu
what wOuld be An average ass sSsmsnt. We
have expended for three years = 900 900 per
annum, exclusive OF our tax of two per cent.
This Is equivalent to more than twenty per
cent. Of our whole property valIsfiOa. De-
Quoting the amount paid By thu United States
and adding our general tax to November next,
ard we have not less th N twenty ii - per cent.
of the whole property valuation paid by our
people in three years. Again, our tax for 1874
falls due June 30 inst. IL il two per cent. The
bill requires payment OF three per cent. more
in November next, making i've per cent in the
short space OF four months.
Gen ChiPn.an urges further that Congress
cSnIOt shrink the responsibility of this debt
What J. this District government? Isita gov
eminent Of the people? Can any one say that
the citizens OF the District Of Columbia have
deliberately and knowingly placed their backs
under this load? Where, then, rests the re-
spODsibility? The Oaly sh sIOE of self govern
ment is in the House OF Delegates, over whom
another house, appointed by the President
holds the power Of preventing any legislation.
According 10 the INVESTIGATING committee, this
representative body. such as It Is, never legally
sanctioned anything beyond the 5000 600 OF the
four million loan act. Again, the committee
more distinctly separate the people from this
expenditure on page l. OF thsi. report. The
Board of Public Works, therefore, did
this thing, and upon them rests the re-
spOnsiblity, as 70 them is largely due the
credit attending it. What is this board?
1t is shown in section 81 OF the organic act.
There the responsibility OF C1nEress is defined.
They are the own officers of CO1Zres-: beyond
expenditures made under lawful authority of
the legislature, the United States are directly
responsible much as for the act OF any other
officers OF the United States. Again, the com
mittee say that the legislature itseIfis an uncOn-
stitntionsl body tha al their acts are Illegal
But the legal relations OF the ID, strict and the
United States have been defined by the C1nn-
mittee on the Judiciary, and by that the United
States responsible for every thing done by this
District govern ment in all OF any ofits branches
III, then, the United States are responsible for
this great debt, what justice equity OF deceDcy
IN the face Of the worlds there in cJ0lly turning
to the PEOPLE and saying, for this vast work
equally beneficial TO Us s. 70 you, goa sd.ll pay
the whole bill?
stu comes the question, HOW shaV our debts
he paid without increased tax alton? The an
sWeT Is TIE C,-sr8H,stt mast ID ia duty. It's
agent, the Board Of Public Works, in in curing
this debt, acted upon this hypothesis The
United States should bear At least ono half OF
all exPt ndltures. To show that this is NJ fan
ciiul basis, General Chapman quotes from the
Senate, Southland report, February =, 1sjj.
The cCmmitte are OF the opinion that the
Government was bOunI b. every prinsIul. of
equal night and justice 20 pay a prop JrtiJn OF
The expenses incurred upon this subject email
u the amount OF property which II held and
which was 20 Re increased in value anu benefited
~ II, and this would have been greatly mJ-e
than One half. Ii the streets are IJs property
and IN be REGARDED at1ge sher under Is control
10 u not asy 10 perceive why il should call upOn
or permit OJher- To keep that pro perry in order;
ana u Tie <tTtets are TO be regarded as for the
joint convenience If the Government AMI the
Inhabitants, the expenses OF maintaining them
should be JOINT. and ia Proportion To their re-
specuye Interests, and "a At the eaTiy acton of
Ciple.
To the same effect il the report of Senator
Brown, March 10, 1S5S SSH Cong, l Sea-, No.
ll2; record in investigation into District OF Co.
lumbis, 4-d Cong, p. 10; present C1ng, DID.
ID
holding that the United States should paw at
least one-half. Ii this be -, the government
should not increase our tax burden until at least
II has done it. duty. Has it dlne il?
Our delegate here presents an irrefutabIe
array OF data showing that the genar Al govern
nent is indebted 10 the District of Columbia
over twelve and One-half million or dollars. III
the assumption il right that the United States
should reimburse the District its excess OF one
half the expenditures here fer the common
good, how can Congress consistently, honora-
bly, or honestly Increase our TAXATION with this
enormous balance against IL? II Congress does
anything rear its dIty, OnV taxes mast be di-
minisEed instead " increased.
General Chlpmzu's notes then present tAe
outline OF his argument upon other Of his pro-
posed amendments. He insists that il is unjust
10 pay the creditors OF the District with A bond
which cannot sell for over 50 cents on the dol
lar, AID calls il repaid alton 20 that extent He
urges that IL Is unjust 70 reduce the salaries of
officers, employees, labOrers, and all Others
twenty per cent He urges that il small busi-
ness for government that justly owes this Dis
tict $1,000, coo 70 require from TIE taxes col
lected repay msnt to the United states the
Pitiful advance Of $50 COJ on our interest &C.
count.
Although he did not get an opportunity to put
IN BE Arguments, data, and Amendments IN the
House, We hope they will reach the attention OF
TIE senate seGsOIably, IN Justice TO the people
OF the District.
SENATOR MORTON SAYS 4" No. Again the
staten EFT has been sent from Washington that
Senator Morton il positively eaJayad in tba