Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-08

people to pay for their dinners. I do not be-
lieve in it and think it is time that some one
| at least who was connected with the Grand
Army should have the courage 10 say 80 before
the people.
no AUTHORITY TO GRANT THE MONEY.
There is another point to be considered. We
have no authority even to pledge ourselves to
grant this money. Whatever money we agree
to pay is the peoples money; it Is not ours
We are here as the custodians of the people q
money, to use it in their interest and not to an
propriate it for private uses.
| l was surprised. when heard OF the amend
ment being proposed to this bill. that the peo-
! pie of the country should be asked to pay an
| obligation that the citizens Of Washington have
| voluntarily assumed.
| Having said this much. will now take one
J night to consider. think that we will hardly
dispose OF this measure finally until tomorrow
| l will take one night to consider what INV old
soldier friends in Kansas would ask me to DO in
| voting upon this question. There are MANY of
them here in this city. l say will take time
to think about that; and if my vote should in
the end be in favor of the approximation. il will
be under my own personal protest and in obe-
dience to the wishes of those who stand behind
me.
CONGRESS THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF THE
DISTRICT.
Mr.. Higgins-Mr. President, it seems to me
quite indifferent whether we regard the Con-
gress of the United States as standing here as
the city council or municipal government of
Washington and the District of Columbia or as
the state legislature 1t seems that in Massa-
chusetts the state legislature appropriated a
part OF the fund for the entertain ment of the
Grand Army at Boston. We are told by the
Senator from Missouri that the state OF Mis-
souri, did not contribute to the entertainment
OF the Grand Army at st. Louis, but it was
done by the municipality Of ST. Louis alone.
However. the COpprela of ha nit toll tot
is virtually the municipal government OF the
District OF Columbia and that District is not
state. Originally it was but ten miles square,
After that Alexandra was taken off Of it and
virtually tho city of Washington il coterminous
with the District of Columbia. 1t therefore
comes before Congress, virtually acting for
this municipality, and the reason why we have
| to act upon it is that we have taken away from
this people the power and right of municipal
government so our obligation is precisely
| equivalent to what it would be if we were the
| city council OF the city of Washington.
THE SAME COURSE HAS BEEN FOLLOWED BEFORE.
| The Senator from Missouri has said that we
are called upon to pay the bill of an entertain
mont which we have not asked for. but which
asked for by the citizens of Washington on
their own motion before they came to Congress
| in the first instance. l would ask il that has
not been the course in every instance of the
kind. would ask whether in any city of this
encampment an invitation was not extended in
| the first place by the citizens before they had
support from their city council or from their
state legislature. They go forward upon the
expectation that they are speaking for the peo-
| pie Of the city. and that the citizens will be
perfectly willing to expend their money on that
behalf.
Neither can it be said in this case that we are
voting the money OF the people Of the United
States in any different sense from what do
thn
| the District of Columbia. The duty to pay one
half of this tax. like that of every other rests
upon the fact that the United States is the half
owner of the property here. and therefore has
to meet one-half of its obligations.
SOME MORE AMENDMENTS
Mr.. Cockrell-I do not know that we can dis
pose of this question this evening and there
fore should like to suggest one or two amend
ments. propose to strike out "S1OO OO0'' and
insert ESQ 900 In connection with that pro-
! pose to make 1t payable to the District. l want
that to come In with my amendment and hope
that it will be agreed to.
Senator Hawley then offered an amendment
which gives the supervision Of the expenditure
into the hands of the Secretary of War; but
| as no action could then be taken on it it was
simply read and laid on the clerks desk
The Senate then adjourned alter brief ex-
| ecutive session.
| AN IMPROVED SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
Other matters besides the G. A. r. encamp-
| ment appropriation produced debate. On the
proposition to have the District Commissioners
| prepare for an improved sewerage system
| Senator German approved the committee
amendment. THE matter of sewerage in this
District said he, lis one of the greatest con-
| Germ to erybody who has had occasion to ex-
anime into it. The Senator from Iowa, the
chairman Of the committee on appropriations,
and his committee two years ago inserted q
! inf h.
! for the appointment OF commission of three
sanitary engineers to take this whole matter
| into consideration and report to Congress. The
result Of their examinations is before us in the
document referred to in the pending amend
ment. but in that report they have three or
four or half a dozen suggestions. practically all
on the same plan, differing in char
acter as to the size OF the sewers
and the outlet and the pumping arrangement
Either OF these, they claim, would perfect the
| sewerage system. Their description of II in
| its present condition is alarming. 1t was con-
structed. think. principally by army engineers
| who had had no special training and knowledge
of that class of work, and the result l think, is
that we are simply living in the lower section
| Of the city over great cesspool, with no way
| at all to carry off the sewerage. 1t is marvel
GUS that the health Of the town is as
| good as it is. We have had
complaints in this body of the bad
ventilation of the hall, and we have had
tueln LOT years. 1uere nave Deen complaints
in both houses of Congress. When we come to
take into consideration the facts stated in this
report by the sanitary engineers that the sew
| ersge from the building in which we are. emp
tying into the tide sewer which is one third Of
! the time closed by high water or by high tides
| in the Potomac river and driving the gases
back into this building and into all the build
| ings whose sewerage empties into the old Tiber
canal. we cannot afford, in my judgment, to
abandon the worthy project we are now en-
terIng upon to correct that great defect.
| trust there will be no opposition here or
| elsewhere to the appropriation. and again ex-
press the hope that il there is opposition to the
| appropriations we intend to make the Senator
| from Iowa, in the interest Of humanity and
good health, will insist upon this appropria-
ton being retained in the bill"
| THE BIOLOGICAL PARK.
Speaking to the amendment providing for
the extension Of kenesaw avenue to the
Geological Park, Senator Mcpherson said:
before agreeing to this amendment should
| like to make an inquiry of the chairman OF the
| committee: What disposition is being made in
| appropriations at this session Of Congress to
| supply the Geological Park or the grounds
| with animals; in other words, to complete the
| park in the manner intended and provided for
in the original act? If nothing is to be done
what is the particular necessity of improving
the streets leading to the Geological Park at a
vast expense? i understand that there is a
great deal of dissatisfaction, and justly, as
| think manifested on the part of the citizens of
| IL viii Ua ado Tod