Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-08
Largest Circulation in the District
The Latest Proposed Plan Of District
Governments.

Elsewhere will b. found the points of the
substitute offered by Senator Sargent by
way Of amendment to the Sc bill for the
bette government OF the District of Column
bia-" IL proposes the government Of this Dis
ITiC:. under Congress. by mayor and NUM-
Cipal council; the mayor to he elected and
hold Office for tvO years. and six OF the
twelve members Of the council to b- elected.
and six appointed by the President A del
cgate tO Congress to serve two years il also
10 he elected The council is dcbarred FROM
authorizing any increase % thu indebted
HCSS of the District for any purpose what
ever, and the District - not permitted "tO
borrow money or issue bonds or other
evidence Of Indebtedness of any class
or nature except by the express au-
thority and direction of Congress
The rate Of taxation shall not exceed one ami
one-half per cent unless authorized by Con-
sresS. aud 10 is provided that Congress shall
annually appropriate such sum sS would b.
produced by the ratio Of one and Onc-half per
cent. upon the assessed value of the property
nj the United States within the District
These arc tine main features ct the plan: and
IL certainly eommendS itself To the judg-
mrut ON the ground Of its brevity. sim
plicity and clcarneSS; the points requisite
III any measure that will stand the ghOSt Ola
chance OF adoption during this brief and
hurried session.
10 * hardly necessary to repeat that we in
common with the mass OF the taN-payprS
here. would much prefer n plan of govern
mCnt in which all the officers were appointed:
hut we are told that no bill that fails 10 re-
Cosnize the principle OF suffrage in this Dis
trict can possibly get through Congress. If
this - the case, il j. probable that, as a COM
promise measure. the substitute offered by
citizens of the District a. well as anything
that could be devised. Its great merit is that
10 establishes by definite legislation the pro
portion that Congress shall appropriate nnu-
ally for its share Of1he expenses OftheDistricf
This j.. after all, the great point to be Sc
cured in behalf of the interests of the Dis
iTiCt; and the question whether half a dozen
OF the District officers shall he appointed or
elected is a trivial matter in comparison:
the more especially, as by the provisions of
this bill. the elected officers. if they should all
prove Of the pattern Of the Hon. FeatherIus
tiers Of our late Legislature. could not vote
away the peoples money or raise taxation
shove the limit prescribed. so. il this plan
- the hest We can get. let us hope that il will
he put ON its passage thie session without
ian.
II i 81 important that the present paraly-
SIS UTOn business and enterprise of every
kind in thi. District should he lifted by def
mite sctiOn this session fixing our financial
status District affairs will come right when
Congress undertakes to pay its share of the
expenses of the District proportional TO the
property owned by the government. The
difficulty has been that One-half the proper
". that owned by private citizens. has had
to bear the whole expense.
3 Senator COnkling-S bill consolidating the
whole District debt should beappended to the
Sargent bill in order 10 make il vet more eff
feCtive in dealing with our financial problem