Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-17
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DIS.
TRIST.
The Amended Bill ~ Reported I'm
the Senate lesiersIaN.

she SSuate heSttteaNs
The following is the full text of the amended
bill providing a permanent form of govern
ment for the District Of Columbia, reported by
Mr.. ingalls, in the Senate yesterday from thN
District committee, and ordered printed
Strike out all after the enactiug clause and
insert the following:
That all the territory which was cefeI by
the state OF Maryland 10 the Congress of the
United States for the permanent seat of the
government of the United states shall con
tlnue 10 be designated as the District Of Co
lumbia. said District and the property and
persons that may betheTein shall be subject
To the following provisions for the government
OF the same, and also 10 any existing avs ap-
| pllcahle thereto not hereby repealed or incon-
| SlStent with the provisions OF thlS act The
District Of Columbia shall remain and con
unue municipal corporation, as provided I'm
section two of the Revised Statutes rela ing 10
said DStric:, and the Commissioners herein
| provided fer shall be deemed and taken as
oIicers oil such corporation: aud all laws now
| IN force relating 10 the District of Columbia
| not Inconsistent with the provisions of this
| act shall remain IN full force and effect
Sec. = That within twenty days after the ap-
| prOval of this act. the President of the United
| states, 10y and with the advice and consent of
| the Senate, Is hereby authorized To appoint
| two persons, who, with an officer of the CorpS
| of Engineers of the United States army, shall
| be Commissioners of the District of Columbia
and who, from and after July lSt, lS7S, shall
exercise all the powers and authority now
vested i'm the Commissioners of said District,
except as are hereinafter limited. and shall be
Sublect 10 all restrictions and limitations which
are now imposed upon said Commissioners
The Commissioner who shall be an officer de-
tailed from the corps of engineers by the Pres
ldent for this duty shall not be required 10 per
form any other, nor shall he receive any other
compensation than his regular pay as an officer
OF the army. The two persons appointed from
civil life shall at the time of their appointment
be citizens of the United States and shall
have been actual residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia for three years next
before their appointment, and have, dur
ing that period, claimed residence nowhere
else: and one of said three Commissioners
shall be chosen president of the Board of Com
mlSSlOnerS at their first meeting, and annually
thereafter; and said Commissioners shall
each of them, before entering upon the dis
charge of his duties, take an oath or ailrma-
ton 10 support the Constitution OF the United
States, and 10 faithfully discharge the duties
imposed upon him by law; and said Commits
SlonerS appointed from civil life shall each re-
celyN FOR his services compensation at the
rate of five thousand dollars per annum. The
official term of said Commissioners shall be
three years, and until their successors are ap-
pointed and qualified: but the first appoint
| ment shall be one Commissioner for one year
| and one for two years, and AT the expiration of
| their respective terms their successors shall
| be appointed for three years. Neither of said
| Commissioners, nor any Saaried officer what
Soeyer OF the District of Columbia shall be
| accepted as surety upon any bond required TO
| be given 10 the District OF Columbia: nor shall
| any contractor be accepted as surety for any
| officer or other contractor in said District
| Sec. 3. That as soon as the Commissioners
| appointed and detailed as aforesaid shall
| have taken and subscribed the oath or aifiT-
| nation hereinbefOre required. all the powers,
| rights, and privileges lawfully exercised by
| and all property, estate, and effects now
! vested by law in the Commissioners appoint
| ed under the provisions of the act of Congress
| approved June Goth, 1874 shall be transferred
| 10 and vested in said Commissioners; and
| the functions of the Commissioners so ap-
| pointed under the act OF June 10Th. 1874. shall
| cease and determine. And the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia shall have power,
| subject 10 limitations herein provided, to ap-
| ply the taxes or other revenues of said Dis
| ulct TO the payment OF the current expenses
| thereof. TO the support of the public schools,
| the fire department, and the police. and for
| that purpose shall take possession and super
vision OF all the offices, books, papers, records,
| moneys, credits, securities assets, and ac-
business or interests OF the government
of the District of Columbia, and exercise the
| power and authority Aforesaid; but said Com
| SiOnerS, in the exercise of such power and
| authority. shall make no contract, nor incur
| any obligation other than such contracts and
| Obligations as are hereinafter provided for
| and shall be approved by Congress. All taxes
| heretofore lawfully assessed and due, or 10
| become due, shall be collected pursuant To
| law, except as herein otherwise provided; but
| said Commissioners shall have no power To
| anticipate taxes by sale or hypothecation OF
| any such taxes or evidence thereof, but they
| may borrow, in anticipation of collection OF
| revenue, not TO exceed in any one year two
| hundred thousand dollars, at rate of interest
not exceeding SIX per centum per annum.
| And said Commissioners are hereby author
lzed TO abolish any Office, to consolidate two
| or more offices, reduce the number of EN-
| ployeS, remove from office, and make appoint
| mentS to any office under them authorized by
law: PrOrided, That nothing in this act con-
| tanned shall be construed to abate i'm any wise
| orlnteriere with any suit pending i'm favor of OF
| against the District of Columbia or the Com
Is mliSsloners itneIe9l, or AFFECT any rights or
| OF the District of Columbia or any other per
son, but the same may be commenced or pros
| ecuted to final judgment, and the corporation
| shall be bound thereby as if the suit had been
| originally commenced for or against said cor.
| poratiOn. The said Commissioners shall sub
| nit to the Secretary of the Treasury for the
| ally thereafter for his examination and ap-
| proyal, statement showing in detail the
work proposed TO be undertaken by them
during the fiscal year next ensuing, and the
| estimated cost thereof; also the cost of con-
| Structing, repairing and maintaining all
bridges authorized by laws across the Poto.
| and also all other streams i'm said District;
| the cost OF maintaining all public institutions
OF charities, reformatories and prisons be-
longing to or controlled wholly or i'm part by
the District of Columbia, and which are now
| by law supported wholly or in part by the
United States or District OF Columbia and
| also the expenses of the Washington Aque.
| Duct and its appurtenances; and also an
itemiZed statement and estimate of the
amount am necessary to deiray the expenses of
the next fiscal year: PrOCtded, That nothing
herein contained shall be construed as trans
ferring from the United States authorities any
OF the public works within the District of Col
umbla, now in the control and supervision OF
said authorities. The Secretary of the Treas
ury shall carefully consider all estimates sub
mitted TO him as above provided, and shall ap-
prove, dlSapprOye, or suggest such changes I'm
the same, or any item thereof, as he may think
The public interest demands: and after he
shall have considered and passed upon such
estimates submitted TO him, he shall cause To
DE made statement of the amount approved
by him and the fund or purpose to which each
item belongs, which statement shall be certi-
red by him, and delivered, together with
the estimates as originally submitted 10
The Commissioners of the District of Columbia
who shall transmit the same 10 Congress To
the extent TO which Congress shall approve of
said estimates, they shall appropriate the
amount OF nifty per centum thereof; and the
remaining fifty per centum thereof shall be
leVlSd and assessed upon the taxable property
and privileges i'm said District other than the
property OF the United States and OF the Dis
trlct OF Columbia; and all proceedings in the
assessing, equalizing, and levying of SAID
taxes the collection thereof the listing return
and penalty for taxes in arrears, the 2dyer-
tising for sale and the sale of property for
delinquent taxes, the redemption there
OF, the proceedings to enforce the
lien upon unredeemed property and
every other act and thing now required To he
done IN the premises shall be done and per
formed at the times and in the manner now
PROVIDED by law, except in so far az il other