Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-02
of revenue which it ought rightfully to have
received. Very respectfully,
JAMES GILFTILAN,
Treasurer United States.

treasurer UmUeQ STATES.
Answer of the District Commissions
In reply to the above letter the following has
been received by the District Committee:
OFFICE OF COMMISSIONERS
OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
WASHINGTON, March l, 1sS0.)
Hon. Eppa Honton, Chairman ofthe D. orc.
The letter Of the Treasurer Of the United
States, read before your committee to-day,
that the reference in their letter Of February
10th to the suspension In May, 1876, by the late
Board OF commissioners of the issue of tax lien
certificates was intended merely to exhibit more
clearly the reasons which infiuenced the action
of the present board In continuing that sus-
pension. 1t Is entirely imnaterial to the issue
raised by the Treasurer that the Commissioners
inadvertently confined their statement to errors
in assessments made by the board of public
works when 1t should have applied equally to
those made by the late Commissioners. The
material fact remained that the existence of
these errors having been brought fully to the
knowledge Of the late Commissioners In 1876,
more than two years before the present board
was created, they suspended the issue of these
certificates to await the revision and correc tion
OF these errors, which is now in progress under
authority OF the act of 10Th June, ISIS, passed
almost simultaneously with the act creating
the present board.
By order of the board.
Very respectfully, j. DENT, President.
The Investigation To-day.
The House committee on the District of Co.
lumbia to-day commenced the investigation OF
the charges made against the District Commis-
Sioners by Treasurer Gilhllan. There was pres
ent OF the Commissioners Judge Dent and Maj.
Twining. Attorney Riddle was also present.
The only spectator was Columbus Alexander,
esq.,
Treasurer Gilf1llan was sworn and examined
by Mr.. Aldrich. He explained the duties i'm
posed upon him by law with reference to his
connection with District government as the
custodian Of its funds: the payee OF the interest
on its debt. &c. He testified that under the law
only portion OF the taX-lten certificates which
should have been issued were deposited with
him. and that he had demanded that the bal
ance should be so deposited.
MR.. GILFILLAN's FORMAL CHARGES.
Mr. Gilfillan then made the following formal
charges against the CommiSsionerS:-Ffrst.T The
District authorities have not issued and deliv-
cred to the sinking fund Office all the ten per cent
taX-en certificates required by the I'd section of
the assembly act of May 90, 1873. SecOnd They
have not demanded. and do not now demand or
collect, any interest whatever upon tax lien GER
tif1cates not delivered as above. Third. They
have since october l, 1879, in collecting assess
mentS covered by tay-lien certificates in the
sinking fund Office, demanded but six per cent
interest to that date, and for the time SubSe-
quent to that date have demanded no interest
whatever. Fourth. They have revised assess
mehtS, paid and unpaid, Tor special improve
ments prepared under the act OF August 10, 1871,
though such assessments have not been COM
planned Of as erroneous or excessive, as required
by the act of Congress OF June 10, 1878. and
June %, 1879, by the owner OF the property or
his authorized agent. FIN. They have revised
assessments for Improvements under an act OF
the corporation OF Washington, dated long prior
to the assembly act of August 10, 1871 referred to
in the acts OF Congress comforting upon the Dis
trict commissioners authority to revise assess
mentS and issue drawbacks. !Srth. The draw
back certificates issued under their revision are
excessive and Illegal.
All the correspondence had between the
Treasurer and the District Commissioners was
then read. 1T has heretofore been printed in
THE STAR.
MR.. GILFILLAN SAID
thathe had no direct information of the amount
Of loss to the District by the non-c0lection Of
interest on the tax lien certificates, but his
estimate was that 1t would approximate
10000; that there were two million per cent
certificates issued, and that there Is still out
standing between $s0O,0 and $900, 900. He has
no means of knowing and does not know, who
holds them. The certificates were used to pay
contractors. Witness said he thought he had
now in his custody, as Treasurer, half million
of per cent certificates He surrenders these
certificates to the Commissioners when they
notify him that the taxes which they represent
upon property have been paid, OF tax lien GER
tificate deposited with him In place Of the S per
cent certificate. All told, there had been de-
livered to witness about one million dollars of
tax lien certificates.
said that only a portion of the taxes due for
special Improvements by the citizens of Wash
ington had been paid, and that the action OF
the Commissioners had put the burden upon
such taxpayers as ha promptly paid their
taxes. Witness said as to the charge that the
Commissioners had not collected interest on
tax-lien certificates, that the only evidence he
Commissioners, rendered to his office, from
which he would furnish an extract to the COM
mittee.
Judge Dent was asked If the commissioners
denied or conceded the charge?
Judge Dent-We deny 1t.
Major TwIning said the charge made was one
OF detail, and the commissioners required a
specific charge in each case.
Touching the fourth charge, that the Com
miSSionerS had revised assessments which were
witness said that it was question which could
only be settled by witnesses, and he would fur
nish a list of witnesses who would testify on
this point. All he knew was what had been
told him
Major Twining said the Commissioners desired
that the charge be accompanied with specific
details.
Mr.. Gifillan said he would furnish the wit
nessesif if the committee desired them.
Witness read two drawback certificates as
samples-one numbered 10,361, which was orl-
ginally for $S3.12 had been revised and reduced
to s9.04. and that a drawback certificate had
been given for $136.43; the drawback is G2 per
cent. more than the original assessment; he
made the point that the law didn't contemplate
the revision OF the assessment at all, and hence
its revision was in his judgment illegal. because
1t did not come under the act OF August, 1871.
lie also fead certlflcate lO, l4o. The assessment
was for $l44.22; it was reduced to S4474 and
drawback certificate issued for $l6514. This
also he claimed was not under the act of August,
1871, and was therefore Illegal Witness said
he produced these two certificates merely as
samples, but that he had at least 100 similar
ones in his Office, which he would produce if
the committee desired them.
The committee adjourned until tomorrow at
1ON O'Clock, meanwhile Mr.. Gilfillan is to fur
nish a list OF witnesses to make good his fourth
charge.
COLOR LINE DECISIONS IN THE T. S. SUPREME
CoURT.-The United States Supreme Court yes
terday decided the petition for mandamus
from Virginia upon United States Judge Rives,
storation of certain colored prisoners to the
state court, in favor Of the petitioner. The Pc
tition, however, to bring before the Supreme
Court the case of Judge Cowles indicted In the
all cOlOred citizenS from the iuIy lists de,