Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-04
The Commissioners ID. G. and Treas.
urer Gilfillan.

Editor Sdr:-The Treasurer of the United
States has thought proper to complain OF the
action of the Commissioners in the matter of
the revision of special assessments, and re-
quests suspension of the law authorizing their
revision, to the end that certain bonds issued
by the board of public works, under an act of
the legislative assembly, D. c., May 20, 1873,
may first be provided for out Of the receipts
from special assessments. This is, practically,
the proposal of the Treasurer, and it means that
the holders OF these bonds are apprehenSve,
that aer eTea sme To- dpe
outstanding bonds
Upon this point there appears to be no great
cause for alarm, 1nasmuch as the Commission
ments remaining unpaid, after the completion
OF the revision provided for by law 81, ,l59 451.
Add to this s, ,040, 1914 due from the United
ernment property, and we have the net sum of
50, 1879, ,6G2. "a with which to pay the bonds re-
ferred to, amounting, principal and accrued in.
terest, to 100000. II the United States will pay
their past due assessments, the sum will, OF
tself, be more than sufficient to redeem these
bonds; and exactly why our citizens should be
required to pay under penalty of eviction. and
the United States be exempted on cotermln-
GUS property is what we fail to understand.
The revision now being made by the Commits.
sionerS is the outgrowth Of numerous and we'll
founded complaints against the assessments of
the board OF public works. The people were not
averse to the Improvements, but it was ap-
parent to even casual observer, that not only
were the improvements based upon most
liberal scale Of prices, but that the assessments
were obviously unjust, and disproportioned to
the cost Of the work.
SO widespread and general was this dissatisfac-
tton that Congress, for several months, were
considering this matter, and several bills were
prepared. proposing equitable relief; all of
which, however, gave way to the act of June 10,
1875 to provide for the revision of unpaid special
assessments and to enforce their payment. This
after the fact, and thus Congress gave them
legality, which they had not previously pos
sessed, {the Supreme Court so deciding,) doing
In this case what the constitution forbidS state
10 do. This was followed by the act of June 81,
1879, which provided relief to those who had
paid their erroneous and excessive special
assessments, and completed to that extent, the
work of justice to all our citizens and property
owners.
With respect to the revision of assessments
Tor special improvements made under contracts
with the late corporation of Washington, 1t Is
only necessary to say, that the work, under these
contracts, was done by the board of public
works, and the assessments made by them
they had no right or authority to assess, except
in manner prescribed by the 37th section of the
act OF Feb. 21, 1871. And in addition to this the
leg. assembly, d. c., enacted that these assess
ments be made in conformity with that act, and
amount to pay the two thirds proportion to be
borne by the District Of Columbia, which was
not paid. The property owner was required to
SonerS only gives the relief that the law requires
We have thus far endeavored to show that
the amount due from special assessments is
ample to provide for the bonds, about which
the treasurer is SO singuarly solicitous. The
treasurer further complains that the United
States will suffer by the further use of draw
backs in the payment of arrearages Of taxes
1t has been said, and very truly, "that COM
pariSonS are odous," and we think In this mat.
ter there can be no question, but that the
citizens of the District have suffered more
heavily by the acts of the United States than
the United States could suffer by the payment
into the District Treasury of a hundred times
the sum of S250,000 In drawback certificates
against s25o,OOO OF lawful money by the United
States.
1st They have been saddled with debt of
S15,O00,0OO contracted without law, and legal
fZed by Congress; and I'd. They have been re-
Quired by the United States to pay in lawful
money, interest on $4,000, 900 of bonds at par,
the bonds when issued being worth but 20 to
IS cents.
The position OF the Commissioners in respect
OF this matter, is not only tenable, but in our
judgment they hold the treasurer at disad-
vantage, because of the fact that they favor the
payment by the citizen OF such amount only
as he owes, no more, no less, whereas, the trea-
surer proposes to pay the bondhOlder without
reference TO the means by which the money Is
obtained. FAIR PLAY.
Washington, d. c., March 4th. 1850.