Evening star., 1877-11-15
The True Relations Of the Govern.
Enent tO the DistrlCt

Editor 81. by the terms of the Constitu-
tion (Art. I, Sec. s, Clause I7) the Jurisdiction
of Congress, together with the co itrol and
maintenance of the property of the United
States in the District of Columbia stands on
precisely the same footing as obtains in re-
gard to the arSenals, backwards and other
properly held by the government, wherever
ceded by any of the states. The avenues,
as the reservations $50 calledl, aud the
ground occupied by the public buildings, are
the actual property OF the government, and
have been occupied, leased, sold a al remOd-
eled at the pleasure OF Congress.
There is no private ownership or reversioH
whatever in any OF these reservations aud
streets. The use OF these streets, &c, as well
as OF the reservations, is only privilege to
the adjacent property. This fact OF entire
aDC exclusive ownership on the part OF tie
government is set forth in the celebrated Van
NesS case. It is not any more comp tie n for
The United Sta es 10 improve the cost of one
class of its property upOn the property OF pri-
vate citizens than TO impose a Simila bur
den Tor any other class OF properly belonging
TO The government uPpn adj jsce;it private
property. The whole cost of the improve
meIt and maintenance of the reservations
streets, &c, of the federal city is a. the
charge of the United States. There is no inn
plcstion by which ihe contrary can be
maintained. For the nominal sum OF $50 ,O99
the government accepted (June 2o IIgil n
gift of all of these reservations streets &C.
in The federal city, and also, for purpose
specified in the deeds, accepted one-half
tiUyi"o] oi tbb puilulns IOtS IN the city,
amounting 10 6+ lSS ,iS0 square feet of ground.
l. was lot declared in the CONVEYANCE nor
was IL so intended, that any of this property
observations, streets, &c, should be under
any other control than that OF the United
States, and at the cost of the people OF the
Iittd States, the owners in fact of the ave.
nues, streets, &c, OF the federal city. The
fact of the ownerSh Z in the streets being so
absolute carries with 1t the Obligation to i'm
prove them. and at the same time prevents
any imposition upon property other than
Ihe property of the owner of the streets TO
Iay the cost
This ownership of the streets on the part
OF The government, however, Is peculiar to
The ieGelal city, aud does not prevail / q re-
gard 10 streets and thorou ghfares in other
parts of The District OF Columbia. All 1dirtil,
expenditures IL other parts of the DiStricf
when made by SuCn municipal or other
officers as may have heen designated by
Congress are chargeable to private property.
IN regard 10 these portions of the District.
therefore, which are outside of the limits of
the federal city, the Considerations dwelt
upon above do not apply But the Illegal
acts of any such officers are not binding
against private property in any part of the
District OF Columbia. 1t is of paramount
importance that the various cOnSiierattons
should be placed upon definite basis aud
that they should be referred TO facts and cir
culnstanCes which can be pat beyond dis
pUte. 1t IS quite proper that prOportiOuate
contributions in the ratio OF the property of
The government to that of private prop
erty should he established in regard TO Ger
tain objects of expenditure. But in the mat
Washington, the government should attend
TO its own property and private property
should be relieved once and for all from ac-
tuRl cOnfiscation. J.P. X.