Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-19
The District i'm Congress.

BILL TO EQUALIZE SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS.
The House committee on the District OF Co.
lumbia tOday agreed upon the following bill
with reference to assessments, and instructed
Gov. Hendee to report it to the House at the
earliest opportunity:
BE it enacted, dc, That the rate CT interest to
be collected OF any person owing arrearageS of
taxes assessment or water rate, now due, or
which may become due hereafter, for any ar
rearageS OF taxes, assessments or water rents
and penalties, to the District of Columbia shall
be ten per cent. per annum, except where eX-
existing law provides for lower rate OF inter-
est upon taxes or assessments now due: Pro
rided, That nothing in this act contained shall
Ice constructs as eAempting property sold under
tax sales ana pougnI In py any other party than
the District of Columbia, or any property upon
which third persons have acquired tax lien Ger
tificates from the penalties attached thereto by
law.
Section . That the Commissioners of the Dis.
trict of Columbia are hereby authorized and (i-
lected, upon written complaint being made to
item within thirty days from the passage of
this act by any person or persons who had
prior to June 10, 1885, paid their special i'm
prOvement taxes, prepared under an act of the
legislative assembly OF August 10th, 1871. that
neous, to reissue such assessments so com
planned Of and in case any such amount
Is found to be erroneous or excessive the
Commissioners shall issue to the person
entitled to the same drawback Certificate for
the amount OF such excessive or erroneous
charge, which certificate shall be received in
Payment lOf al Speclal assessments for which
no tax lien certificates have been issued and
Which are not pledged for any existing obliga-
top, and for all general taxes due before the list
OF July. 1877.
This bill is a substitute for the Senate bill re-
latiDg to the arrearageS of taxes. 1t is the bill
which Gov. Hendee intended to offer as sub
stitute for the bill reported by Mr.. Townshend,
OF Illinois, last Monday. The first section re-
lieves persons in arrears on general taxes OF the
two per cent. per month penalty. The second
section 1t will be seen, authorizes the revision of
special assessments which were paid prior to
June 18th, 1878. The effect is to put all parties
on an equality as to assessments Tor special i'm
prOVementS.
WATER RENTS.
The committee also agreed to report without
amendment the Senate bill with reference to
water rents.
A BILL BY GEN. BUTLER.
The following bill was introduced in the
House by Gen. Butler:-" That it shall be law
ful for any person or persons to whom letters
testamentary or OF administration have been
or may hereafter be granted by the proper
authority in any OF the United States, or the
territories thereof, to maintain any writ or
action, and to prosecute and recover any claim,
in the District of Columbia, In the same manner
as If letters teStamentary or of administration
had been granted to such person or persons by
the proper authority in the said District; and the
letters testamentary or OF administrator. or
copy thereof certified under the seal OF the au-
thortty granting the same, shall be sufficient
evidence to prove the granting thereof, and that
the person or persons, as the case may be, hath
or have administration"