National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-19

penditure OF money and the raising of money
shall be under our control. Now, to provide
by appropriations aud by taxation for the en-
penditure of money through Congress, and then
to provide by popular election for the men who
shall administer the affairs, it seems to me is q
mistake.
My friend from Texas is alarmed at the
proposition made by my colleage from Iowa,
(Mr. Wright by which one half of the ex-
penditures of this District are to be paid by the
General Government. That is not a very en-
trGordi'Gry proposition, nor Is Il a neV proposi-
ton. Ifyou look to the legislation of Congress
for many years past, you will find that we have
constantly and always made large appropria-
tons for the people of this District. This very
Metropolitan police that now costs nearly
$500, 900 was wholly paid for by the Govern
ment of the United States for more than four
years; and the District only came to be taxed
to pay portion of that expense because there
was an increase Of the salaries of the members
Of the Metropolitan police force. So the
water supply of this city; the Government of
the United States owns the water-works and
the Government of the United States has made
vast expenditures out of the Treasury for the
purpose Of supplying these people with water,
and the people now are required to pay only
mere pittance for this purpose. So of the gas
supply and other things having reference to the
local affairs of the city, including schools.
Ny friend from Texas says, repeating what
was said by the Senator from California the
other day, that q bill was passed through
without consideration at the last session reor-
~ nf fha .{ok NJ
Columbia and saddling the Government of the
United States with q debt of 10000 900.
protest against that statement. 1t was the
Board of Public Works that created this debt;
board created by our laws, appointed by the
President and confirmed by the Senate; and
we simply provided for its adjustment into
3.65 bonds to the extent, as the Senator has
truly said, of $40, 900 900. 1t was as a limita
ton of the power Of the people of this Dis
trict to create an illimitable debt, that the law
of last session was passed.
do not believe it is safe to intrust the ad-
ministration of all these vast interests to the
hands of majority Of board to be elected
by the people of this District. If we provide
for the election of a majority of this board,
let US provide that the board shall also levy
taxes and provide that the people shall supply
the remainder of the funds necessary to carry
on the affairs of this District. The temporary
Board of Commissioners now managing its
AFFAIR." have made a report showing US that it
will cost 81, 300, 900 to maintain this District
government for the ensuing year. They show
that at q tax levy of 2 per cent. on
the taxable property of this District
there will only be raised 81 GOO, 900; so that
whatever we do, If this District govern
ment is to be maintained as it is now being
maintained at the capital of the nation, zoe are
obliged to appropriate at least a million and a
half dollars per dHaWnI. II tDs do that, then let
US retain control over the appropriations and
their expenditure. If we are not to do that,
and this District IS to relapse into the condition
Il irdS in eight or ten years ago, then let US Or
ganize a mere municipal government here,
and let the people of the District take care of
themselves, and repair their streets and pave
their streets and attend to all their municipal
affairs without Governmental interference. If
this system Of appropriations is to go on, It
seems to me that we ought to provide in some
way, as by the appointment of these Commits
sioners, for the expenditure Of the money under
our otcR control. Therefore l shall vote for
the amendment proposed by the Senator from
California, so that the people of this District
may also have q representation upon this
board. We are bound to tax them. We do
tax them under this bill, and under any bill
that we may pass. We are bound to tax them.
Therefore they ought to have some representa-
ton In the method and manner of the expen-
ditures which we are to make here under this
system of taxation and appropriations.
Mr.. MoRRnL's REMARKS.
Mr.. Morrill,, of Maine. Mr.. President, there
are some desires in this world that grow on
what they feed. My honorable friend sitting
near me [Mr. Mortonl yesterday was ex-
tremely DESTROYS that we should be careful not
to violate the principle Of suffrage in this Dis
trict. That has grown to a desire now to con-
troll the executive part of the government
here. can add nothing to the impropriety
Of that after what has been so well said by my
honorable friend from Iowa. It only needs a
glance at the condition of things to see the
absurdity of that proposition, in my judgment.
What is our situation here to-day in this Dis
trict as Congress of the United States We
have by our legislation, forced upon US by the
action of the people of this District governing
in their own affairs-to use language quite
common on this foor-been put in the position
of indorsing bonds to the amount of $4,000
900. How did that comet By allowing the
people of the District to govern themselves.
That is the way that was done; and zoe are TO-
day liable, as Congress RGViHg The exclusive
jurisdiction here, for betcee eighteen and t.csnty-
one million dollars. That is the debt of this
District. 1 will not 60 into the question of
how that has been appropriated. 1t has been
said that good deal of It has been stolen. I
do not synlpathize Nth that idea at all. think
1t has been expended in an extrsvagant way,
but great thing has been achieved by it after
all. But the question is can we afford to re-
peat it? Will you add other tens and eigh-
teens of millionsl That is the question. Have
we not had enough of that local administra-
tionl Have we not gone far enough in allow
ing the people of this District to manage their
own affairs, as the phrase is?
Why, Mr.. President, what have we been doing
with these people all the time? Does my
honorable friend who sits near me, and who is
The earnest advocate of this proposition, know
how many millions we have expended here for
he water-works, entirely Independent of this
District and of these peoplel Does he know
hat to-day We pay all the expenditures for
he administration Of justice in this District
,very dollar Of theml Does he know that we
and pay two-thirds of the expense of
he Metropolitan police and of the fire depart
nent, and that we support In this District the
benevolent institutions2 And yet the argu-
nent is, " The people ought to govern them
jelves; we should not cruelty these people; we
must make this government and then turn it
over into the hands of these people to admin
ster, we paying the bills" That may be a
'ery nice way to do, but 1t does not occur to
ne that it is so.
This bill goes on the ground that we have
een enough of that. This bill goes on the
yround that there shall be no extravagant ex-
'enditures, and no appropriations and no i'm
,rovements except what are authorized by
Congress. No board Of public works is to
.xist; no such powers are TO be conferred upon