National Republican., 1876-07-10

and fostered and completed this plot from
deriving any of the benefits from it of
which they have so fondly dreamed. When
the pardon door is opened the order and the
motto should still be, "Let no guilty man
escapeP' Let those innocent parties who
have been the victims of persecution and
perjury be released, and passing through be
restored to their places in society; but let
those vile, brazen, confessed thieves, con-
spirators, despoilers of the fortunes and
characters of their fellow men, who have
thrived upon this perjury and corruption,
still remain disgraced by the felon's brand
THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS AND THE
HOUSE INVESTIGATION.
The District House Committee having
closed their investigation of the affairs OF
the District, two reports have been sub
mitted to the House, one by the chairman
with four of his colleagues, being
minority of the committee, and the other
of Governor Hendee, of Vermont, with five
of his colleagues, making his the majority
report. 1t is an occasion of congratulation
when we see, as in this, two highly re-
spectacle members of the committee be,
longing to the majority of the House refus-
ing to approve the report of the chairman,
ard joining the minority of the committee
in its report of the facts shown in the tes-
timony before the committee, and thus vim
dicating the integrity of the Commissioners
in their administration of the District gov
ohoir oft tIoo
Judge Buckner, of Missouri, has, since the
printing of his report, made an elaborate
and most extraordinary speech in its sup
port, in which he has, regardless of the
testimony taken before the committee, and
in reckless defiance of truth and justice to
the executive authorities of the District,
assailed them with the grossest vituperation,
for no other reason apparently than to
meet the demands of pressing political
exigency. But, violent as is the speech of
Judge Buckner, and unwarranted as are his
accusations of the Commissioners, it will
speech impeach their integrity or deny that
their administration of the District has
been marked with commendable economy.
His complaint is that the Commissioners,
under the advice of their legal counsel and
with the concurrence of the members of
the Board of Audit, the First and Second
Comptrollers of the United States Treasury,
the two highest accounting officers of the
Government, misconstrued, not corruptly,
but from misrepresentation, the law defn-
ing their powers and duties, whereby they
paid, in 3-65 bonds. for kind ofpublic work
which they had no right to pay for in that
particular fund, but could have properly
paid for in cash from the District Treas
ury If the resources of the treasury had
been equal to such demands.
The objection is not to the work done by
the Commissioners nor to the manner in
which it has been done, but to the mode of
payment, to wit: in 3-65 bonds, and this is
really all there is in both the report and
speech of Judge Buckner, that in auy sense
legitimately is in controversy between him
and Gov. Hendee. All else in the report
and speech are unwarranted differences or
wholly unauthorized charges, having no
support in the testimony before the com
mlltee OF OL0erWlSe.
1t is refreshing to pass from these parti-
san displays of Judge Buckner to the care
fully prepared report of the majority, and
TO the candid and very able speech of Gov
eInor Hendee in the elucidation of that re-
port.
We have seldom read more conclusive
answer to partisan speech than Governor
Hendee's to Judge Buckner's. The Gov
ernor shows that the Commissioners have
not only managed the affairs of the District
with the greatest fidelity and q largely
reduced annual cost. the reduction in sala-
ries alone being nearly 100000 per an
mum, but he establishes the fact beyond
controversy, to the total discontinue of
Judge Buckner, that they have exercised
no powers and performed no acts not
clearly authorized by the act of June 90,
1874, under which they were appointed,
and which defines their powers and duties.
He shows from the testimony before the
Committee of Investigation, to which his
statements are strictly confined, that the
Commissioners have administered the gov
eminent in all its branches with the most
commendable economy; that they have
largely reduced the old funded debt and
have no floating debt of their owR creation;
that in their notifications of the contracts
of the Board of Public Works, whereby,
with the consent OF the contractors and
otherwise, they distributed the public i'm
provcments over portions of the District
the most in need of them, they have greatly
promoted tie general welfare of the Dis
trict and, what is particularly gratifying,
he shows that The actual cost of all the
work so done with such valuable results is
less by S3372, 047.59 than would have been
the cost of completing the contracts of the
Board of Public Works, according to their
exact terms and the general plan of i'm
prOvements of that board.
The speech is a crushing refutation of
the charges Of Judge Buckner against the
Commissioners, and of the many misrepre-
sentatiOEs Of their administration which
have been circulated for partisan purposes:
shows The finances of the District to be in
excellent condition, and justly reminds
Congress 20 provide for the United States
to bear its proper proportion Of the ex-
pcrses Of mlirtaiDing the District govern
ment and the making of the necessary pub
lIc improvements.
Governor Kendee has plIced tue resi-
dents and friends OF The District under last
ing obligations 10 him for the gratifying
exhibit lie has made of the condition of the
District and lor the fidelity with which he
has discharged his duiss as member of the
House District Committee. The ability di
played in his report and speech is highly
crcdilsh!e to him, while the spirit Of fair
ness AID justice that pervades them bJth
commend them TO the approval OF every
iaI minded reader.
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