Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-01-02
9i3i b
s1.57l.0I6 =

''RcHdrk&.-FrOm This view of the eXpendi
lures of the United States. within the city of
Washington. IL will be perceived thai if the
expense oI rebuilding the public buildings
which were destroyed in August. 1874. be- de
Quoted from the whole amount of the eXpendi-
lures. the amount of money actually received
by the agents OF the United States. i'll cOnSe-
quence of locating the seat of government i'm
the place in which it is now administered.
added 10 the value OF the public property re
manning undiSpOSed OF, in the city of Wash
ingtOn. land the value has been fixed by the
public agents themselves. the amount will moi
only have been sufficient 10 reimburse the pub
upon the removal to. aud the establishment OF
the government III this city. but that a fund
would have remained % SS74.510; and il il
deemed entirely fair To make this deduction
the buildings having been completed. if By
any casualty. OF the force Of events. beyond
the control OF the citizens of Washington they
are either destroyed or so dilapidated rs To
make ii necessary to incur large expenditures
To rebuild or repair them. il will not be pre-
tended that the sources from which The ne:eS-
Sary funds ae to he derived ought 10 be found
within the pace in which the buildings ale
situated. II Is, however, denied, that there
was any obligation either moral or otherwise
on those persons who resided aud held prop
erty ~ this place: previous 10 the location al
the District OF Columbia. to surrender uD to
the public any part Of their property. or i'm any
manner To have contributed To the expenses
which would necessarily be incurred in pro
hIdIng Tor the due and convenient adminiStrl-
tlon OF the general government in some Der
manent and central situation. Yet the pro-
prleiorS OF the soil. with generosity and
public spirit which does them infinite honor
and which ought ever To he held in grateful
remembrance, voluntarily surrendered ND their
lands and made deed Of gift To the public Of
property which. by the showing OF this exhibit
was worth S242.1l2.
The Commissioner of Public Buildings. in
his report TO "a committee of the House of Rep
resentatiyes Of the United States in the month
Of February, 1870. observes that il is rational
10 estimate the value of the property now he
longing to the United States in this city. at
double the amount il Is here set down at, the
estimate fixed above being founded on sales
nlne tenth, of which were made III the infancy
OF the city: yet in this review of the matter
We VIII take the property at what was sup
posed by the commissioner to be its cash value
III ls1 II then, to the sum OF ,0l6, which
IS the amount of the actual receipts from. and
the value oi, the remaining property belong
ing 10 the public within the city of Washing
ton, including the donations from Virginia
and Maryland, be added to the sum of 81. Sos, 3iG
Which IS the net amount OF the duties on Gus
toms, internal duties, direct tax and postage
collected within and actually paid into the
Treasury of the United States from the Dis
tllct OF Columbia, since the said District was
coded 10 Congress, il will make a sum of
$3.50, 362 of receipts within said District from
which, il We deduct the whole amount of build
M, rebuilding, altering and purchasing public
buildings, necessary Tor the convenient ad-
mlnistration of the civil department of the
government, a balance will remain i'm favor of
the said District of $500 1886: sum which il is
bHefeu II more imam equal TO the eXpendl-
lures which have heretofore taken place for
naval and military purposes within the same
And II IS presumed no man can he found who
will pretend that there is any color of reason
or prcpriety iii charging such expenditures
10 us.
These remarks have been made with view
OF correcting the erroneous impressions which
have obtained with many honest and well in
tentioned persons abroad, that this District is
dead weight upon the community at large
that Ill the money in circulation within it
ha mn snffp yxhi In mn An Il
its way back. On the contrary, it will be per-
ceived that We contribute largely to the ex-
penses of a government Of the benefits Of which
II is very certain zoe do not partake OF more
than OF right falls to our share, aad not with
the Intention of drawing Odious and invidious
comparisons"