Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-10


OF the District Of Columbia. very large por-
ton OF the real estate In this District is owned
by people who for various reasons retain their
residence outside Of the District. They lose
here.
Mr.. Van wyck.-Are they asking for any
Mr.. Aldrich.-Are who asking?
Mr.. Van Wyck.-That class you speak about,
MI. Aldrich.-I have no doubt II they were
heard they would be very glad to have this
change made.
Mr.. Van wyck.-But ask for the fact are
s o9 complaining; are they asking for change
Mr.. Aldrich.-I am asking it on their ac-
count
MI: Van wyck.-By what authority do you
with the Senator from Nebraska
Ar. Van Wyck.-I would not undertake It I'M
less had some little intmation from them.
MI. Aldrich.-I should say 1t was unwise and
improper to exclude those gentlemen from the
field Of choice from which the President may APP
point They are perhaps to some extent resi-
dents OF the District Of Columbia, but their legal
residence is outside of the District and they sre
therefore excluded by the terms Of the act Of
1873 from appointment.
think 1t is no more than right that the
United States, paying One-half Of the expenses
OF the District and owning one-half the property.
should have representation upon this commits
sion. do not think 1t is necessary to allude to
the local reasons why one ofthese Commissioners
should be appointed from outside Of the District.
Every gentleman who is at all conversant with
the affairs Of the District knows that there il a
very large amount Of back unpaid taxes here.
and that there is q dsinclination, to say the
least, on the part of any board residing in the
District OF Columbia to enforce the laws for the
collection Of taxes. There are local influences
brought to bear here upon the Commissioners
against the enforcement Of laws of this kind
which would not apply to appOintees from out
side of the District Of Columbia.
Mr.. Saulsbury.-Mr. President. the assump-
ton Of this amendment ia that the District of
Columbia has fewer righteous men In it than
were demanded and required Of Sodom and Co.
morrah In order to save them from destruction
apprehend that there are more than two men
In this District fully competent to discharge the
duties Of Commissioners of the District;and be-
lieve in local sef-government wherever it can
be applied. The people Of this District have no
voice In the legislative department Of their gov
eminent. The men who make the laws for
them come from the respective states and we are
now proposing to take from them by this
amendment the poor privilege Of furnishing two
commissioners to manage their affairs.
hope the Senate will not do that. There
are gentlemen eminently qualified in this Dis
trlct to discharge all the duties that appertain
TO the Office OF Commissioner, and we hear from
have discharged their duties with eminent sat-
isfaction to the committee, and, 80 far as am
concerned have heard no complaint from any
OF the citizens of the District Of any improper
conduct on the part of the present Commits
siOners.
The Senator from Rhode Island intimates
that because there are unpaid taxes due from
citizens or the District it is unsafe to trust per-
sons living in this District with the duty of en-
forcing the collection Of taxes. Yet l have
learned that the present Commissioners OF the
District have enforced such collections, and
made persons who were delinquent and espec-
tally corporations, fork over the amount due
from those corporations to the District, ana I
apprehend that being here themselves inter-
ested as property-holders Of the District they
have higher interest In making other people
walk up to the chalk and pay their taxes than
any man outside Of the District would have.
For my part want to see these Commits
sioners resident among the people, familiar with
the citizens over whom they exercise control
ready to listen to any Of their complaints and
to redress any of their grievances. 1 want no
outside persons who have no sympathy with
the people of this District to come here and
lord it over them; but let their own fellow-citi-
zens, who are willing to listen to their COM
plants, to redress their grievances as far as
they can, be those who shall exercise control
and authority over them. Then you will have
less complaint on the part OF the citizens OF this
District than you would otherwise.
The Senate subsequently ruled out the amend
ment. and the law stands requiring the two civil
Commissioners to be residents of the District.