Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-06
HOW WE ARE GOVERNED.
Senate Debate ON tho Two-Commissioners-a
Quorum Bill.

S~~-~S
Quorum Bill.
THE WHOLE SUBJECT OF DISTRICT CONVENIENT
AND DIsFRANcHIsEMExr DISCUSSED FREELY,
BUT NO ACTION TAKEN ON THE BuL-AN IN
TEREsTINa DISCUSSION.
The question Of quorum Of the Commits
sioners was brought up suddenly in the Senate
today. Mr.. Ingalls, reported the bill consti-
tuting two of the Commissioners quorum and
providing that in case Of the absence of the
Engineer Commissioner his assistant
shall perform the duties Of Engineer
Commissioner required by law. Mr.. Ingalls,
reported the bill and asked unanimous consent
for its immediate consideration. which was
agreed to, and It looked as if the question
would be settled in short time, but the debate
rapidly branched from quorom Of the Com
missioners to suffrage in the District and other
points of interest.
His bill was taken up in committee OF the
whole. The committee had only one amend
ment to propose, which consisted in striking
out the words ''while sitting as board" The
committee. however, immediately agreed to
withdraw this amendment.
Mr.. Henderson moved to amend by adding
the Commissioners while two were acting as
a quorum. The committee then proposed an
amendment providing that the Engineer
Commissioner might be a captain Of engineers
or higher instead Of requiring the officer to
have reached the rank of major, provided,
however, that the captain had seen fifteen
years service.
SENATOR VOORHEES, ON "MILrTARY KNOW MOTH
INGs.'
Senator voorhees, took this opportunity to
say some very sharp things about army Off
GERS in general and the officers detailed for
work in the District in particular. He objected
strongly to One-third of the government OF
the capital of the nation being given up to what
the Senator styled military know nothings ="
The men detailed, he said, had no knowledge
OF the local needs. He had known one capable
engineer officer here and that was Capt Hoxie
AMENDMENTS AGREED TO.
The two amendments were then agreed to
and the bill favorably reported to the Senate
when Mr.. Dolph proposed an amendment pro-
viding that the first section should prevail
while the commissioners were sitting as board
ment brought on discussion at great length.
MR.. INGALLS, ON SUFFRAGE IN THE DISTRICT.
Mr.. Ingalls, objected to the proposal and pro-
ceeded to give his views on the District govern
ment. An absolute despotism prevailed here,
he said, The government was an anomaly
and this was the only place under the
flag where the people had nothing
whatever to say as to their local government.
1T is not wholly to the praise of republican
all this Washington is the best governed city in
the world" The experiment of self-govern-
ment had been tried and had failed.
The government had then by unanimous
consent of the two houses and of the people of
the District. with the exception of those wish
hnan nhanuaA Tho mt 81
this city was not open to invidious criticism
when compared with that Of other cities.
MR.. BLAIR ON DISTRICT REPRESENTATION.
MIR. Blair Immediately took up the cudgels in
defense of franchise in the District. He be-
lieved also that the government was a despotism
and likewise an evil which. if not eradicated.
would work infinite evil. 1t was not a
well governed CITY,. There was
peace here as there was in Warsaw. Nine
desired suffrage. Here, at the center Of the
national government. there should be model
Of our institutions. The District should have
representatives in the House and Senate.
HAVE WE A GOOD GOVERNMENT OR NOT?
The discussion was then taken up by several
other Senators arguing as to whether the gov
eminent of Washington was a good one or not.
Senator Dolph thought the present ad minis
tration of affairs in Washington was against the
spirit Of our government.
Mr.. Reagan held that the government Of the
District was extravagant in the extreme. 1t
cost more money to run the District
than it did to run the state Of Texas,
said the Senator, but Mr.. ingalls, speedily con-
WINGED him of a slight error when he compared
the cost Of the actual government of Texas in
stead of taking the county expenses and school
expenses for the state.
The latter part of the debate stretched even to
wider grounds. -.
THE CoLORED PEOPLE AND DIsFRANCHIsKxENT.
Mr.. Morgan said the government Of the
District had been changed for the
mer, reason of disfranchising the ne
groes in the District. He appealed to
Senator Allison if this was not so. and the
Senator from Iowa gave a long history of the
different governments in the city and the
causes which led up to the change Of govern
ment in 1874.
CUT OFF.
The debate was here interrupted by the
pending order-the elections billiard although
Mr. Ingalls, asked unanimous consent to take
vote on the resolution at once Mr.. Morgan OBJ
jected and the resolution was dropped 80.