National Republican., 1878-04-16

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Manner OF Appointing Commissioners.
| Tho House having proceeded at two p. m. to the
consideration OF the bill to provide form Of gov.
ernmcnt for the District OF Columbia, Mr.. Town.
send, Of New York, opposed that portion Of the
bill which required property qualification for
Office, and also that which required a ten years
| residence for the Commissioners. lie approved OF
that portion, however which required the General
Government 70 nay one half Of the expenses Of the
District. The United States must help TO pay the
debt which was necessarily contracted IN the great
improvements which had been made. Washington
had the handsoncst streets Of any city In the
world We could not go back TO the time when
Pennsylyania avenue was paved with cobblc-
stones, and when the old canal ran through the
city, carrying death and destruction in it, wake,
He believed the country could endure this debt,
for II was only nominal one,
| Mr. Jones (0hio, said y looked TO him . though
this bill was 70 be rushed through the House with:
| out that dellhention aAi care which Il should
command. The District wanted to get rid Of its
debt, and those who held that debt wanted to be
paid. 50 that both parties wen ready TO accept al
| most any bill. There were many features OF the
Dill to which he objected He objected, for exam.
pie TO that part which prcscribsd that Congress
| the power Of Congress IN do thEl which was q
purely administrative act. The right TO lcsisate
or 70 designate ths ofiSer who shail govern his
District TO create All office is legislative f,nc.
ton. To make an appointment 10 ill that Office Is
| an administrative function.
The bill was then read by sections for amend.
ment.
Mr.. La,hrop (Ill1 moved to amend the first sec.
tion By describing III. limits VI the District by add
ing the words including the TycE Potomac In Its
course through the District and the Islands therein"
| Mt HuntOn tNa) said there vas no necessity for
that and besides Il might interfere with the settle
ment OF the boundary recently made by Maryland
aud Virginia; The section as II was In the bill was
agreed upon by representatives OF Maryland and
Virginia, and II was framed as Il was rs not 10
| affect the settlement referred to-
The amendment was rejected.
| a. M cd Ia
ton by striking out the catIse In relation to the
election OF two OF tho Commissioners, aud yesting
the appointment of all three In the President by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate lie
objected to this section only as 10 the mode OF Ap.
pointment, aud that mode, he thought, was all
wrong. because 1t deprived the President OF one of
his prerogntivcs
Mr.. Blackburn regretted that this suggestion
came from member Of the committee lie had
hoped that the committee would be a unit To
adopt tho proposed amendment would be 10 de.
stroy the whole framework of the bill.
| The amendment was rejected
| An amendment was adopted designating the third
Monday in June as the time when the Commission
erS shall be elected or appointed.
| Mr.. Finley moved to amend by striking out the
clause requiring the President to appoint an officer
Of the engineer corps Of the army as one Of the
Of competent skilled engineer from civil fe,who
should serve for three years.
| The amendment was rejected.
On motion Of Mr.. Heudee an amendment was
adopted requiring that the Commissioners to be
elected shall hold propcrty each In his own right
Mr.. Maish offered an amendment requiring
that the engineer Commissioner should be selected
frem the retired list of the army. Rejected.
Mr.. Davis (Cal.) moved to strike ont the words
which require that the engineer shall he above the
inea rank OF captain 50 as to permit the President
10 select any officer.
Mr. blackburn said that while Mr.. Brentanois
amendment would have affected the whole frame
work the bill. this Of Mr. Davis would tend to
amendment was intended for the benefit OF one
officer, lfyou strike out the rank, as proposed in
hs, he H1se % s You pSce
him In the position where he must either appoint
Hoxie or, by falling y appoint him. cast an impu.
tation upon him as being unworthy. by electing
an officer above the rank Of ca aptan you get All Off
Ger of age and experience. BY throwing the Oiice
open You may get boy OF oftwenty'three or twenty.
four wears OF age as Commissioner for this Dis
trict
Mr.. Clark 1owa) moved to strike oa, the rank en-
trey and to provide that one Commissioner
should be All engineer appointed by the President.
The amendments OF Mr.. Clark anu Mr.. Davis
were both rejected.
Mr.. Blackburn on behalf Of the committee, Of.
iered an amendment, which was adopted, reducing
the amount which the Commissioners may bor-
row. in anticipation Of collection of revenue, from
SDOOOO 10 slDjOO
Mr. Clafin offered an amendment providing that
all voters for councilmen shall have been regis
tered before voting. Adopted.
Mr.. Reagan offered al amendment 10 strike out
the provision that the United states shall bear 80
per cent the expenses Of tho District, and 70
make the proportion Of the General Government
,, " per cent Mr. Reagan Thought 30 per cent, was
excessive
Mr. Eden approved of the amendment 1t was
not fair to charge the Government with 30 per cent.
Of the expenses of the District The people OF the
United States should not be taxed for One-haf OF
the expenses of the District for the support ot
schools and for repair Of streets, &C. In this Dis
trict.
Mr.. Hunton said that the question OF the division
of the expenses between this District aud the Gen.
era Government has been a subject Of discussion
for thirty years. And with one exception. all re;
ports agreed that 10 per cent, would be 4 fair and
proper proportion. This bill embraces subjects
which impose. new and Increased burdens on the
people Of this District and ii was only fnr that this
Dme-half should be borne by the United States
When this location selected as the site of the
capital II was wilderness, and no one ever i'm.
all the expense 1t was never contemplated that
this people should build capital for this great
ton. Look at the streets here-thcir great width
Look at the parks aud reservations In all Of which
the United States still holds the title. The Govern
ment owns one'h.lf Of the property In the district
is to make each pay onc-half
: Mr.. Reagan wanted to know on what authority
. the gentleman said the Government owned one
. Mr.. Hunton. said lie made 1t on the authority 0
+ the last assessment
l. Mr. Reagan's amendment was rejected.
. Mr. Eden moved to strike out the proyiso which
limits the rate Of taxation to sl.iO on every slO0
lie was UppOscd 10 this low rate of taxation. Hi
constituents had TO pay much more. lfthis limita
ton was kept up there would not he enough
rs'enT: en- & E,'eH for the DstrS! to PSy The interes
d The amendment was rejected.
|. Mr.. Eden then moved to strike out the eight
II section. which authorizes the payment Of the in
q tereSt on the 3G5 bonds by the Treasurer Of tn,
|, | Uniled states. The effect Of the section was 4
: make permanent APPROPRIATION for this puTpos
4 instead Of an annual one, The practice has beei
" make annual appropriations 10 pay the interei
On these bonds. This made II permanent anC
made the Inrsd Stntcs Government RESPONSIBLE
for 1t Tor all time. The adoption of this sectol
S would add from ~ 10 - per cent. ~ the value o
4 the bonds and he was unateTably opposed 10 thi
Il permanent appropriation.
= y Mr.. HuntOn said the gentleman certainly kney
= that under the law now the Government guaTan
y teed the interest on the bOnys.
IS Mr.. Randall said II they were already guaranteed
d what Is The nece' sty Of Inserting this srctiOn2
II Mr.. HuntOn sa!d To avoid the necessity of wraI
Cling over this appropriation each year. They onl
proposed tO make 1t permanent
Mr. Randall said If the Government was alrcad
bound there was no necessity for this. bill
u pending in the House, reported from the Way
~ aud Means Committee, which makes the appropr
;, alton permanent.
a Mr. lIcndes said we had q war over this matte
1r every year, aud 1t was letter TO put this clause
3 this bill. the committee proposed. II was .prt
U" vided that the Government should pay ~ per cen
OF the expense, and this was part of It. Beside
what the Government paid was charged up again,
the expenses OF the District.
i Mr. lnndull said this was great question, and
~ should bs considered sepaately aud by itself,
/. proposed IN the Ways and Means Committees bill
> Mr. Blackburn said none would go further tina
5. he would 10 deny that tho Government was bOuu
e for the principal Of the 3GJ bonds. This only mad
s | f.,,y FesDDnsible the a