Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-31


TAKEN FoR IT'S AsoLrrIoS-ornER SUBJECTS
PRxsENTED AND DISCUSSED.
The attendance at the session Of the Ameri-
can Historical Association this morning at the
National Museum was larger than at any pre-
vious day session Several papers Of more
than usual interest to students and others we're
read. The vice president, Hon. William West
Henry Of Richmond, Va, presided. Before
beginning the regular program Mr.. Thomas
Wilson OF the Smithsonian Institution exhib-
tied a collection Of prehistoric pottery found in
this country, which he described briefly.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUDGET.
The first paper read was entitled THE
Historical Development of the Budget In the
United States" and the writer, Prof. Ephraim
ID. Adams Of the University Of Michigan. gave
| IN account of the discussion in the federal con-
vention upon the constitutional provision
restricting the origin of money bills TO the
House Of Representatives he traced the
struggles which had taken place between the
executive and the House on financial questions
terminating with the appointment of the first
regular committee of ways and means. He
spoke Of the attempt of the senate in 1855 20
| originate general appropriation bils
HAzoo LAND COMPANIES.
DR.. Charles H. Haskins of the University of
Wisconsin read the next paper, which was en-
titled the 'Yazoo Land Companies" He said
that the field Of the two great land speculations
| was in the territory named from one Of its most
important rivers. the Yazoo territory which
| was claimed by Georgia at the close of the rev.
olution and is now included in the states of Ala
bama and Georgia. The first speculation in 1859
involved the founding Of a colony independent
| of the United States and controlled by Spain.
This failed through the vigilance of the federal
| authorities The second speculation was started
| in 1895 when the state of Georgia sold great
| slice of this territory TO form grant land CON-
clared void by the next legislature. most of the
original purchasers had disposed OF their lands
The cession in 1902 by Georgia to the United
States OF the western territory gave "a
| Congress the task of settling with the new
| Claimants The writer bowed that the discus
sion of this matter in Congress produced the
| first split in the democratic party. A decision
of the Supreme Court as to the validity OF
these claims was, the writer said, one of great
importance, since in it. rather than in the
more famous Dartmouth College case. is to be
found the origin of the present Interpretation
of the law of public contracts. The claims
were finally compromised by the act of 1874
'isrArE ACTIVITIES AND POLITICS"
was the subject of the next paper, which wa,
read by w. F. Willoughby of this city Thi,
thoughtful treatment of an important theme
was listened to with appreciative attention by
| the audience. He said that the phase in the
administration of state governments which he
would discuss had made its appearance mainly
since the close of the war. He pointed out the
extent to which the states were entering
new fields of usefulness and looking
after the welfare of their citizen,
| through the establishment Of special
boards and commissioners, such for example a,
railroad commissioners, banking and insurance
commissioners. boards CT health. &c. In Thu,
connection he referred to the views advanced
In some quarters that state and local govern
ments were in a state OF decay. he expressed
| the opinion that the changes that had occurred
| had been greatly misunderstood. He regarded
them mainly as in the line of progress. Their,
had been in reality growth in state govern
| ments. The distinction between politics ant
| government had not been distinguished b,
some writers. With this distinction in mind
| the writer expressed the opinion that the deca,
which had taken place had been a decay not o
| government but Of politics.
SLAVERY IN NEW YORK
The next paper was by Edwin V. Morgan O
the Harvard Graduate School on slavery il
| New York, which was an interesting sketch o
slavery under the English colonial government
| SLAVERY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
An interesting paper on slavery in the Dis
trict of Columbia by Mary Tremain, who ha
the distinction of being the first woman I,
present paper before the association, wa
| read by Prof. Geo. L. Howard. University o
Nebraska. The writer stated that in the choic,
of the seat of government slavery played no part
| Virginians hoped to gain financial advantage
from a southern location, and, to win a few
southern votes in assumption, the capital wa
given to the south. While the legislation fo
the federal district was affected by the char
acter of the institutions in the adjacent state
there is no reason for believing that Legislation
on other subjects is on slavery in general show
the influence of the southern surroundings o.
Congress. 1t has been asserted that the exist
ence OF slavery in the district rendered tn,
government incapable of resisting the en-
croachments of the southern system. There i
no proof of this; but il is most certain that tn,
fear of offending shareholders and endangerin,
the Union prevented Congress from legislatin,
property on slavery in the District. The frs
act passed for the government of the Fedora
District, in 1901, declared that the laws o
Maryland mp to December I, 1900, should re
main in force in the county north and thos
of Virginia in the county south of the Potomac
This was" in the opinion of the writer, ION,
| of the worst measures passed"
| DIFFICULT TASK OF GOVERNMENT.
The task of government was rendered q diff
cult one for Congress and the people wer,
restless and dissatisfied. Retrocession of tn,
| two counties to their respective states, the es
| Enlistment Of a local government and repre-
| some of the remedies discussed. The bitteres
complaints were against the laws and severa
| unsuccessful attempts were made to prepare
| and adopt uniform system The fault of Con
gress lay less in making a mistake in il,
| first measure OF government than in neglectinl
to remedy that mistake when il was discovered
| ION the WHOLE" the writer thought '.mucl
time and money were spent in legislating fol
the District. But matters of Importance thai
promised to involve care and discussion wert
| as far as possible avoided. This is true no
merely in relation to tn" slavery question, bu
| in relation to other questions"
1.-THE LAW IN MARYLAND"
| the writer continued, against runaways led e
the practice of selling for Imprisonment charge,
all unclaimed negroes taken up as runaways
The same practice was followed in Washington
| county. The committee Of the District of Co
lumbia in 1927, though denying the prac-
tice, reported o bill to amend this
law. 1t was left on the table, how.
ever. and another. reported IN ls2s
failed for the same reason. 1t is evident that
| some free negroes we're sold into slavery under
this law, though the extent to which the
| wrong was carried cannot be known. Probably
the local magistrates were careless in commit
| ting as runaways persons not proved to DC
bound to service for q term of years, was also
| very common and was unchecked by law till
1881. The slave trade was carried on extensively
in the District till $780,"
MOVEMENTS TOWARD ABOLITION.
"Thoughy many leading men in Virginia and
Maryland" tho writer stated, "were opposed
to slavery, they believed it would die out and
| adopted no plan for its abolition. The earlies,