Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-30
DISTRICT APPROPRIATION BILL.
The Conference Report Adopted by the
House This Afternoon.

Hc SOuIeTenCe hePOEt <AuOptcu Wy tuc
House This Afternoon.
Mr. x'coMAs CONTENDS THAT II THE BILL Is
PASSED AZ REPoRTKp BIZ THE coSFKREEs
THERE WILL BE 80 pKFIcIKNCy-TALK ABOUT
STREET nAnRoAD MOTORS, SUFFRAGE, ETC.
The House laid aside the sundry civil bill
today and took up the conference report on
the District appropriation bill. It was agreed,
after some discussion, that there should be
two hours-one hour on each side-for debate.
THE THREATENED DEFICIENCY.
Mr.. Mutchler spoke against the. conference
report, basing his opposition upon the report
of the District Commissioners that II the bill
should become q law in the present form there
would be a deficiency. He said the deficiency
would be at least s275 900, and possibly it would
reach S400, 600. He said according to the earlier
estimate Of revenue the deficiency would be
$276, $50. In the estimate Of revenues there was
one item Of $97, 500 for taxes upon new build
ings. 1t now turns out that the taxes on new
buildings will not be more than $50 900, all OF
which may not be collected. This would
enlarge the deficiency by twice the amount
or $4,000. In the same estimates was an
item Of S45,090 for deficiencies. This was
not large enough, the amount of District
deficiencies for past years caused by the gen.
eral deficiency bill being SIS, 634 79, increase
Of appropriation Of 3a,634.79, which would
still further increase the deficiency. These
two items added would swell the deficiency to
1855, 466 under the most favorable circum-
stances.
He said that to approve the conference re-
port was to make q debt against the.District or
TO place in the hands of the Commissioners the
discretion 10 scale down the expenditures au-
thorZed by the bill 80 as to keep within the
revenue He thought that Congress should
appropriate just the amount that could be
safely expended and should say how it should
Mr.. Mutchler yielded five minutes to Mr..
Sayers, who also spoke against the adoption OF
the report
DISCUSSING STREET RAILROADS
There was q long discussion over the provis-
ion that the street railroads earning ten per
cent shall within eighteen months substitute
some other motive power in the place of
horses, but the confusion on the floor, by rea-
son OF general conversation, was 80 great that
it was impossible to hear what was said.
Mr.. Sayers raised some objection to the
phraseology of the provision and Mr.. McComas
explained.
Mr.: Heard thought the length of time for
the change was not sufficient.
Mr.. McComas said there would be no diff
Guilty in making the change in one year, but
that six months more were allowed that there
might be no possible lack of time.
Mr. MCoMAs CONTENDS THAT THERE WILL BE NO
DEFICIENCY.
MIR. McComas, returning to the question of
deficiency, said that the bill was we'll within
the limit of the revenues OF the District, but
that the Commissioners were arguing in favor
OF dividing the payment for the expenditures
on the new water main and the zoo PARK
In twenty-five annual payments. He said he
proposed to show that there was no deficiency
Notwithstanding the remarkable figures of the
commissioners. He then proceeded to show
wherein the figures Of the Commissioners were
wrong. He said the revenues OF the District
would be far in excess Of the last estimates of
the Commissioners. He had letter
from the District auditor, under date
OF July rs, which showed that if the
receipts for the next year were as great as
those already collected for tie year preceding
the denciency would not be more than S2S, 0OO,
and suggesting that the natural increase would
more than overcome this deficiency.
Mr.. McComas said that there was no doubt
of the revenues exceeding the appropriations.
He said that six years experience with this
subject had made him confident of what he de-
clared.
IN FAVOR OF THE CONFERENCE REPORT
Gen. Henderson next spoke in support of the
conference report. He said that the House
committee were unanimous in their opposition
TO the proposition to extend the payments ON
tno WatoE main anu the zoo PARK.
He strongly defended the proposition to
make street railroads adopt some other motive
power in the place Of horses.
MR.. BRECKINRIDGE WANTS CHANGE.
MIR. Breckinridge in a general way opposed
the report on the ground that they ought to
be cautious about creating n deficiency. He
then spoke of the anomalous government
OF the District. He thought there ought to be
some sort of readjustment or dissolution OF the
partnership between the government and the
District. However proper the plan may have
been at the time Of its adoption, he though.
that there had been changes He thought it
would be In the interest OF economy to let the
District collect and spend their own revenues.
THE DUAL SYSTEM.
Mr.. Vaux spoke Of the dangers Of deficiencies
He though. that deficiencies we're apt to arise
from the uncertainty Of the dual system of
making appropriations.
Nr. Peters contended that in expanding the
money for street improvements preference
should be given to streets which are largely
built up.
THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
Mr.. Bayne answered the suggestion
that the government of the District
should be separated from the ma
tional government, stating that the Con-
stitution expressly provides that the national
government should exercise sole control of this
District. and declaring that this power oi con-
troll could not be delegated. lie added that
the present government of the District was the
best IN force Ill any municipality.
THE QUESTION OF SUFFRAGE
Mr.. McAdoo thought that the people of this
District were intelligent enough to be given
the right to govern themselves An argument
against this was an argument against the ad-
visibility of popular self-government
The denial OF the right of suffrage to the
people of the District was a denial of the es-
sence OF popular self-government.
A DEMOCRATIC CRITICISM
Mr.. Mcmillan criticised the majority for the
delay in passing the appropriations bills. He
twitted Mr.. McComas with having boosted that
the appropriation bills were to be passed very
promptly and not delayed, as the democrats
had delayed them in the former Congress, and
asked where his boosted proniptness was.
Mr.. Cannon spoke for a. few moments to show
that the practice of extending appropriations
did not originate in this Congress.
THE GOVERNMENT GOOD ONE
Mr.. ]. ID. Taylor, recurring to the question
of suffrage, said that large number Of the
residents of the District voted elsewhere. He
said that the government here WAS a good one,
and another thing that some seemed
to forgot was that the nation owns tho District
and governs it for the whole people, that it
might be the pride OF tine whole nation.
Mr.. McComas said that in the public interest
Of the great nation he believed that the appro-
priations should be made dollar for dollar out
Of the general revenue and the District rev.