Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-10
THE NEW DISTRICT TGoTERNHENF
Full Text Of the Bill as it Has Passed
Congress.


the Presidents signature to become law:
That all the territory which was ceded by
the state of Maryland TO the Congress OF th5,
United States for the permanent seat of the
government OF the United States shall con-
llnue TO be designated as the District Of Co
lumbia. Said District and the property aud
persons that may be therein shall I've subject
| to the following provisions for the govern
ment OF the same, aud also 10 any existing
| laws applicable thereto not hereby repealed
| or Inconsistent With the provisions 0f this
| act: The District Of Columbia shall remain
| ana continue municipal corpora,io as pro
Nided IN section two Of the Revised Statutes
relating TO said District. and the Commission.
erS herein provided for shall be deemed and
laws now in force relating - the District of
| Columbia not inconsistent with the provisions
| OF This act shall remain in fuu force aud effect
Sec. - That within twenty DAYS after The an
| pruyal of this act, the President of the United
States, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, is hereby authorized 10 appoint
TWO persons, who, with an officer OF the CorpS
OF Engineers of the United States aTmy whose
llueal rank shall he above that of captain shall
be commissioners of the District of Columbia
and who, from and after July Isl, ISIS shall
exercise all the powers and authorities now
vested in the Commissioners OF the District of
Columbia, except a. are hereinafter limited
or provided, and shall be subject To all reStric-
tions and limitations and duties which are
now imposed upon said Commissioners The
Commissioner who shall be an officer detailed
from time to time from the corps OF engineer
by the President for this duty shall not be
required 10 perform any other. nor shall he
receive any other compensation than his reg
ular pay and allowances as an officer of the
army: The two persons appointed from civil
life shall, at the time of their appointment
be citiZe of the United States, and shall
have been actual residents of the Dis
trict of Columbia for three years next be-
fore their appointment, and have. during
that period, claimed residence nowhere else
and one OF said three Commissioners shall
be chosen president of the Board of Commits
SlonerSat their first meeting, and annually ami
whenever a vacancy shall occur thereafter:
and said Commissioner shall each of them
| before entering upon the discharge ot his du-
| ties. take an oath or affirmation 10 support the
| Constitution of the United States and 20 faith
| fully discharge the duties imposed upon him
! by law: and said Commissioners appointed
! from civil life shall each receive for ms ser
! vices compensation at the rate of five thou
! sand dollars per aunum: and shall before en-
! teriHg upon the duties of the office each give
! bond IN the sum OF $4,000. with surety as re
! quiled by existing law. The official term of
| said Commissioners appointed from civil life
Shall be three years, and until their successors
! are appointed and qualified but the first ap-
| pOintment shall be one Commissioner for one
| year and one for two years and al the eNpira-
tlon OF their respective terms their successors
| shall be appointed for three years. Neither of
! said Commissioners nor any officer whatSO-
| ever of the District of Columbia, shall be ac-
cepted as surely 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.
DEC. D. lldl dS SOoD dS tue commissioners
appointed and detailed as aforesaid shall have
| taken and subscribed the oath or affirmation
| hereinbefOre required, all the powers, rights,
duties and privileges lawfully exercised by,
| and all property, estate, and effects now
| vested by law in the Commissioners appointed
| ul.der the provisions of the act of Congress ap-
| proved June 2Oth, 1874, shall be transferred tD
| and vested in and imposed upon said Commits
! SiOnerS; and the functions OF the Commission
| erS so appointed under the act of June 10Th,
| 1874, Shal cease and determine. Aad the
'nupT mi # SfTia Of
| shall have power, subject To the limitations
| and provisions herein contained, TO apply the
taxes or other revenues of said District
TO the payment Of the current expenses
thereof, 10 the support of the public schools,
the fire department, and the police, and
| for that purpose shall take possession and
| supervision Of all the offices, books, papers,
records, moneys, credits, securities, assets aud
| accounts belonging or appertalning TO the
| business or interests of the government Of the
| District of Columbia, and exercise the duties
powers and authority aforesaid; but said
| Commissioners, In the exercise OF such duties,
! powers and authority, shall make no contract,
nor incur any ooilgdlloh olheT lhah S4ch con
| tracts and obligations as are hereinafter pro-
| Vlded for and shall be approved by Congress.
The Commissioners shall have power TO locate
the places where hacks shall stand and change
them as often as the public interest require.
| AnyperSOnS violating any orders lawfully made
| mpurSuance OF this power shall be subject TO a
fine OF not less than SO nor more than 800,
10 be recovered before any justice of the peace
in an action in the name of the Commissioners.
All taxes heretofore lawfully assessed and due.
or TO become due, shall be collected pursuant
to law, except as herein otherwise provided
but said Commissioners shall have no power
TO anticipate taxes by the sale or hypOCheca-
ton OF any such taxes or evidence thereof, but
they may borrow for the first fiscal year after
this act takes effect IN anticipation OF cOllec
tion of revenue, not to exceed two hundred
thousand dollars, at a rate OF interest not eX-
ceedlng five per centum per annum which
shall be paid out of the revenues OF that year.
And said Commissioners are hereby author
lied 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. Said Commissioners shall have power To
erect light and maintain lamp-posts with
lamps, outside OF the city limits, wnen, i'm their
Judgment ii shall be deemed proper or neces-
sary: ProUtded, That nothing i'm this act con-
tanned shall be construed TO abate i'm any
wise or interfere with any suit pending in
favor OF or against the District of Columbia or
the Commissioners thereof, or affect any right,
| penalty, forfeiture, or cause OF action existing
| In 1ay0r OF said District OF Commissioners or
any citizen of the District of Columbia or any
| other person but the same may be commenced
proceeded for or prosecuted 10 final judgment.
and the corporation shall be bound thereby as
II the suit had been originally commenced for
or against said corporation The said Com
mlSsioners shall submit TO the Secretary of the
| Treasury for the fiscal year ending June 3Dth
1879, and annually thereafter, for his examina,
| tlon and approval, statement showing in de.
| tail the work proposed TO be undertaken by
llell uilllS lne fiscal year next ensuing, and
| the estimated cost thereof: also the cost of
! constructing repairing and maintaining all
| bridges authorized by law across the Poto
mac river within the District of Columbia
| and also all other streams in said District: the
cost OF maintaining all public institutions of
| charities, refOrmatorieS and prisons belong
| ing 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 aqueduct and its
| appurtenanceS and also an itemiLed state
| ment and estimate OF the amount necessary to
| defray the expenses of the government of the
| District OF Columbia for the next fiscal year:
| Pr0Cided, That nothing herein contained shall
| be construed as transferring from the United
| States authorities any of the public works
| within the District OF Columbia, now i'm the
| control or supervision of said authorities
| The Secretary of the Treasury shall carefully
| consider all estimates submitted to him as
| above provided, and shall approve disap-
| prove, or suggest such changes in 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 20 him, he shall cause to
be made statement of the amount approved
by him and the fund or purpose to which each
| item belongs, which statement shall be certi-
| ned by him, and delivered, together with the
| estimates as originally submitted, TO the Com