Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-16
Why Fifty Per Cent.

In opposing the amendment reducing the
proportion of District expenses to be borne by
Government to forty per cent, Mr. HuntOn
gave the following conclusive reasons why the
proportion of fifty per cent. fixed by the bill
should be retained:
penses of the District of Columbia between the
Federal Government and the people of the
District is question which has engaged the
attention of this Government for the last thirty
years and more, and the question never has
been referred to a committee except on one
occasion, when that committee did not report
either TO the Senate or to the House of Repre-
Sentatiyes, from which the committee was APP
pointed, that the true proportion of the ex-
pense to be borne by the Federal Government
and the people of this District was ne-half by
each.
The first report / find on the subject was one
by MI. Southland, made to the Senate i'm 1885,
in which he took that ground. The subject
was again referred TO committee of this
House OF which Judge Poland was the chair
man. and the committee reported to the House
that each one of the parties to the government
OF this District should pay % per cent. Then,
sir, when there was special joint committee
appointed in 1876 to investigate this question:
that committeeman the only committee that
has reported differently from the bill now
under OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 60 and 10 per
cent But since that time this bill now under
consideration includes burdens upon the
people OF this District not heretofore embraced
III any bill or any report from committee
of this House or the Senate. Fer in
stance, Slr- this bill imposes upon the District
30 per cent of the expense of the bridges lead
ing into the District: it imposes 30 per cent of
the expenses of all the charities: it imposes
by an amendment which is offered 80 per
cent. OF the expense of the Aqueduct and its
appurtenanceS: and this committee deter
mined that when these additional subjects of
burden to the people of the District of Column
bia were added to the bill it did not do more
than keep up the proportion of the bill report
ed BY the joint select committee of so per cent.
and 40 per cent.
| believe / can say in the presence of the
gentleman from Vermont that a large ma
jOrity of that joint select committee thought
that 80 per cent. on the part OF the Govern
ment ard 10 per cent on the part of the paO-
PIE was about the fair thing. Well now |
have studied this question with great deal of
care, and having been member of that Joint
select committee and also member of the
committee that framed and reported this BILL
say, after the matureSt reflection that could
give To the subject, that it is but Just to the
people that the Government should bear
equally with the people the burdens of the
government of the District of Columbia"
MIR. HuntOn proceeded further to show by
the debates in Congress. when the seat of gov
eminent was established here that it was
never intended that the people of the Dis
trlct should bear the expense of founding a
capital for this great nation. with its vast areas
OF pubic grounds set apart for public Use, and
its immense streets one hundred and sixty and
one hundred and ninety feet wide.