Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-11-15
Future Government OF the District.

NETTING OF THE JOINT CoNGR EssIONAL
COMMITTEE TO DAY.
The joint special committee appointed to
| frame q form OF government for The District
/ o. Columbia met this morning At 10 O'Clock.
Judge T. ]. Durant made an argument In
| precedents to show that Congress had the
! right 10 create such municipality. He wa
ID fayor OF forming municipality based on
universal suffrage. He held that the reason
tLe TERRITORIAL form OF government failed
was because IL was not Q popular govern
ment, but an aristocrscy. He said II the
travagant debt IL was not done Through the
popular viii, but Congress Was clearly re.
sron sible for 1t, because IL had deprived the
eees II 1 s1e 1 1s 70 select the board and
Juuse dunton:-When you speak Of uni-
xersal suffrage, do You mean to include wo-
Answer.-I am here TO ask for q republican
Iolm or government, and not TO discuss
social questions; but IL you want my indi
ground On that question i se I I believe Women
Judge Durant said the rate of tax here was
be ns
one Of the greatest evils the corporate sys-
tenn Of cities for public works, and advocated
dnst e ahes th1o han 40 5ne,r Own work BY
tty was created, Congress would prohibit
the council from going into debt; that is. NOT
allow bonds to be issued for posterity to
Prof. Loomis opposed the sugges I,un OF
o1vorclDg the county from Washington cit y
he favored that there De but one form OF
government for Washington, GEORGETOWN
and The county. IL there is TO be division
OF districts he favored that Georpetoyn.
cnioptown, Mount Pleasant and TennaIIy,
MI. simon Wolf, recorder ofdeeds, wanted
q IRE proof building for the records of the
pistrict. Also. the salary of the recorder to
mat me expense of the Office be borne by the
District IL stead OF by the recorder. He also
advocated legislation which would empower
some one to act for the recorder when was
In reply 10 question MFR. Wolf said Inc
fees or the office 1uctuated, but that they had
ea1ned sseOo per year He said the lowest
Mrs. Sara j. Spencer, DR. Caroline B.
WtDslow, Mrs. Ellen O'Connor, Mrs. Ellen
Ssd sargent MIS- PANEL and several other
Suffrage association, the District OF CoIum-
bla Woman Franchise association and sew
erai benevolent organizations, were present
and desired to be heard. The chairman, Mr.
Spencer, said they would be heard through
one OF ther own number, according toscns-
tom. ID
Mrs. Spencer addressed the com m,ss,on
lor twenty minutes. She said th at the very
existence Of this commission to frame gov
eminent for the District OF Columbia Is a
1 Gmi,a confession that the Congress- of the
nave totally failed In the government O, this
small section OF our national domain. at
y, ,sd true you have announced TO men only
mat you would hear them on this subject.
D0t since the term men included women. for
purposes OF punishment, we may fairly in.
der mat incindes women for purposes Of law
Senator Spencer.-"We certainly mesns
70 Include women in this case and n we
had thought Of 1t would have specially
named nan them. We are very glad to hear
Mrs. spencer.-Thanks. We thouxnt III
was only an oversight such as the men Of
the United States have committed for q
hundred years, and therefore we came to
Kingdoms Of this world are the pride of the
nations: They are the homes of the kings
and their coartiers. But the capital of the
OF the nation. Our three hundred and sew
enty. eight kings have their homes and their
courttere In their separate Kingdoms, and
ours. In this District there are seven thou.
sand more women than men, and cali the
world to witness that they are honest, In
dustrious, law abiding citizens. Men have
controlled our nearest interests as wives.
mothers, and daughters, without as skiing our
counsel. We are here to day to ask that in
whatever form OF government you, In your
District, whether 1t be monarchy, aristo-
cracy or republic, you give woman an
eqnal representation. II you provide a
ANO SASo % HuOOh' IL . COLHullS-
sion, let 1t consist OF an equal NUMBER OF
men and women. If republic let IL be
based upon equal votes of all our citizens.
Do mol treat us wives, mothers, and daugh-
tiers as you treat the inmates of yoar aims
houses, station houses and jails, as unfit to
have voice in questions which affect our
homes, Cur persons, our sons and our daugh-
tiers.
DR.. Charles B. Winslow followed with a
Drlef argument upon the moral effect OF CIV
ipg the women OF the District q voice In
making the laws
Mr.. Joseph Libbey, OF GEORGETOWN, pre-
sented the memorial adopted at q mass
meeting of the citizens OF Georgetown, the
provisions OF which have been heretofore re-
ported in THE STAR. In brief, the memoria
desires separate municipality, and tina
Georgetown only be charged with the debit
owed when the charter was taken from It.
A representative of a temperance organi-
zatfop made an argument favoring that the
SAFE OF alcohol should be prohibited, because
1t was poison. He favored that both males
and females be allowed to vote on the SUBJ
ject Of prohibition.
Johu Bl Mccarthy favored some provIs.
lon being made TO take care Of such sick
IrSmP Pc as may come to the city.
E1.Contio!ler Bskef appeared to make
ssoHy sNBSeS.ons with reference to the float
.Dg debt. He wanted provision made for the
funding debt and pay ment OF IL. He remind
ed the Commissioners since the board of
audit had been abolished there was no pro-
vision for funding the debt.
Mr.. HeRdee said he thought the matter
was proposition which should come before
Congress In an Independent manner. Ad-