Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-16
THE EVENING STAR.
TUESDAY..-....... December 16, 1879.
DISTRICT AFFAIRS IN CONGRESS-,
Debate in the House Yesterday.
THE CLAIMS BILL DISCUSSED.

L
| Debate in the House Yesterday.
THE CLAIMS BILL DISCUSSED.
The debate in the House yesterday on the bill
10 transfer all outstanding claims against the
District Of Columbia to the Court Of Claims was
very interesting. The point which elected the
discussion was an amendment offered by MT.
SANFORD, of Alabama, which provided I" that the
government Of the United States is In no event
liable for the payment of the principal or inter-
est OF any bonds authorized to be issued undo
the provisions of this bill"
Mr.. Mcmillan said think that by all manner
OF means the amendment that Is now pending
should be adopted, and will state very briefly
my reasons for thinking so. The gentleman
from Virginia (Nir Hunton) says that the rea-
son why he does not want the amendment
adopted is that the bill as 1t is now Framed OBJ
the appropriate taxes to meet the Indebtedness
Now the amendment that is offered does not
preclude that at all. 1t simply prevents the
people of the United States from having to pay
either principal or interest of the debt of the
District of Columbia; which ought to be pre-
vented. 1t does not seek to go further 1t does
not preclude Congress from, at any time levy
ing the'tax necessary to meet the interest on
these bonds. II It's the object OF Congress to
saddle the District debt upon the people OF the
United States, let us know IL. II Ii Is not, then
let us adopt this amendment and put the ques-
tion altogether at rest. do not think tina the
amendment l can do any harm; on the contrary
our constituents shoulder the burdens of other
| people.
MIR. Neal do not think the reasons which
are given by the gentleman who has just taken
his seat mir. McMilanl ought to influence this
| House to adopt the amendment which has been
proposed here. These debts We're contracted
when this District was governed by Congress.
| The board OF public works and other boards
which were instrumental In contracting these
| debts were created by Congress-; the people Of
the District had nothing to do with them The
| government of the United States owns at least
800 600 900 Of the property in this District, one
therefore, no reason why the government of the
| United States should not pay one-half of the
| debt, of the interest, and Of the current ex-
| uict In addition TO that, the FOrty-fifth Con-
| greSS, in the organic law which now governs
this District, provided that one-half> of the
| current expenses and OF the present indebted
| ness of the District should be provided for by
| the United States In other words, for every
dollar Of tax levied upon the people Of this Dis
| tr1ct the government of the United States will
| pay 81 out OF its general treasury.
Mr.; McMillin.-Win the gentleman allow me
to ask him one question?
| Mr.. Neal.-YeS, sir.
Mr.. McMillin.-Are you in favor of your con-
st1tuents helping to pay the debt OF this District
and of the interest thereof?
| Mr.. Neal.-I am in favor of my constituents
| contributing their fair proportion for the pay
ment Of one.half Of the debt of this District.
| Mr.. McMillin.-Well l am not.
Mr.. Neal.-BecauSe my people in common
| with the rest Of the people OF the United States
| own one-half of the property of this District.
| There is no justice, there is no equity there is
| nothing that appeals to a fair and candid mind
| that will influence me to say that the people of
| the United States should pay no proportion of
| the Indebtedness of this District or OF the cur
| rent expenses thereof
Mr.. Garfield said:-When l first came here
| Congress had treated this city very much as a
| capr1ciouS Step-mother would treat an orphan
child committed to her charge. Sometimes the
| capital was helped by Congress, sometimes it
was harshly and severely neglected, sometimes
| bill was gotten through on the petition of
| some citizens allowing certain street to be
| graded in certain way and the people graded
| that street eight, ten, or twelve inches higher
| than the grade of the neighboring street There
| had been no order. There had been no unity.
| There had been no regularity; but at last we
| have gotten what believe to be in this capt.
| tai now about the best form of municipal gov
| eminent which has ever been devised, govern
ment by commissioners whose legislative power
| is given to them by Congress. We cannot farm
OUT as we tried to do once before legislation for
| this District to any one else than ourselves our
| legislative power cannot be delegated We must,
therefore legislate for this District and we must
| legislate for it in that broad-minded way that
| the history of the city requires us to do One
| word more and am done. Up to a few years
ago there had been no order, no agreement, no
| understanding. II street was to be paved the
citizens paid for 1t and then petitioned Congress
| to pay for that portion of the pavement which
Of other ppp Sno Sadag or on a
sssRer apsa the a ses1os q e ce4
7 gTeSS Wu6GIeF IL WOul1 Day
at last we have settled down OWL upon nan an
| equitable arrangement-it may not be just the
Certain cent Of ali the sy of rn
| ming this municipal government shall be paid
by the nation that owns so much of the proper
asse ssments made by general law upon the pri-
| vate property holders In the city. Now, that is
the only decent just, equitable mole OF settling
| the relations between the nation and those who
| live here as private citizens l am not saying
now that the adjustment is the exact per cent.
that it ought to be: but that it sho lid be fixed
pie OF this District shall be understood to be
| fixed and regular and not depend upon the daily
caprice of what one Congress and another may
40 IS to my mind as clear as any proposition in
the world. am glad to say that the gentlemen
| who have the thankless task of attending to the
interests Of the District of Columbia-for it Is
| always more or less an onerOuS and thankleSS
| burden-are determined to carry that principle
| through and are generally carrying it through
In their legislation; and I hope that we who
| this committee as we have in times past so Of
| ten treated them, as sort of intrdderS, as men
who are trying to make our citizens thousand
| miles away pay for something they had no in
| terest in. The people of my district have an in
terest in every brick, every stone, every ton Of
iron, every nail IN every public building in this
city, 1t is the capital of nation, and not a city
| that Is the mere pensioner upon the country OF
| an indulgent Congress. am glad this commit
tee has stood upon these doctrines, and in SO
them for the bill, although as said at the out
| set, know nothing about the details.
Mr.. Reagan, Of Texas, said: 1.-THE District
| authorities here can create an Indebtedness.
| Does my friend from Ohio [Mr. Garfield know
that the District authorities here may create the
Indebtedness, both current and permanent, and
we are bound to pay the bill without even the
| consent OF our constituents? That is all wrong.
| The government is unwilling, unadyised, mere
looker-on; yet for any purpose-for police, for
| sewerage, for payementS, for everything that is
done here-all the Federal governments able to
do is to look on, with the poor privilege Of some
| times saying, ''You may take one-half, since
| you cannot take all. Now, Mr.. Speaker 1T is
time that this thing should be fixed. am tired
OF making my protest against giving to Wash
the expense Of our own constituents Why, sir,
| when l represented the old Columbus metropol-
ftan district we never thought OF asking Cincin-
natl or Cleveland to assist US in paying our
f n tba END ir S on ol H Ne OF
city thinks of helping Albany In its local taxa
ton. Yet the whole of the Unitod States is called
on again and again to pay one-half of the indebt-
edness Of this District contracted without our