Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-07
ENDORSEMENT GIVEN
Trade Board Approves GAL
linger Amendment.
BENEFITS FOR DISTRICT
Wants Morrill, Act to Apply to
George Washington University.
LEGALITY IN RECESSION
President Asked to Have Supreme
Court Test Award to Virginia
Of District Territory.


The monthly meeting Of the. Washing
ton Board OF Trade was held yesterday
evening. The new president. Gen. George
H. Harries, presided.
The principal business accomplished
was:
ment to the Morrill, act. extending to the
District the benefits of federal appropri-
atoms to colleges in each state that teach
agriculture and the mechanic arts.
Presentation to President Taft of re-
quest to have the legality of the re-
cession act OF 1916. returning to vir-
ginia that part of the District on the
west bank of the Potomac, tested by the
United States Supreme Court.
Passage of a resolution calling for a
committee Of five to devise ways and
means to raise fund of $4,000 to in
sure payment of the necessary running
expenses and to enable the board to
assist in a limited way worthy projects
of interest to the District.
Morrill, Act Discussed.
District participation in the benefits Of
the Morrill, act was considered after the
transaction of minor routine business.
The subject was presented by Arthur c.
Moses.
A resolution, presented by Thomas c..
Noyes, was adopted, stating that the
Board of Trade renews most earnestly
It's Endorsement of the Gallinger amend
ment to the Morrill, act, and providing
for the appointment of a committee of
five members by the president of the
board to confer with a similar committee
- "a ;,,6 LAWS
ing steps to further the passage OF the
bill, reporting to the Board Of Trade.
The resolution sets forth that the Dis
trict is barred by mere technicality
from participation in the benefits of the
Morrill, act, which provides federal aid to
at least one college in each state and ter
ritory which teaches agriculture and the
mechanic arts: that the appropriations
for this purpose are made out of the
tariff and internal revenue taxes, to
their full share. and that the District
possesses in George Washington Uni
versity a nOn-sectarian institution equip
ped to meet the requirements of the act.
An amendment was offered by MI.
Moses calling attention to the fact that
George Washington University has a
much larger number OF students In agri-
culture than some state institutions that
are receiving aid under the act This
was withdrawn at the suggestion Of
Legality Of Recession.
In a letter to Gen. Harries. which was
read, John B. Larner, counsel for the
board, expresses the opinion that 1t is
time to take action on the moot question
of the legality of the recession act of
1916 returning to Virginia part of the
original District of Columbia, and sug-
hot he
Trade be sent to President Taft.
John Joy Edison introduced a resOlu-
ton which asserted that the only way
to settle the question is to have the Su-
preme Court of the United States pass
upon the validity of the so-called recess
sion to Virginia, and directing the presi-
dent of the Board of Trade to send a
copy of the resolution to the President
of the United States, In order that he
may consider the question with view TO
taking early action.
The resolution states In its premises
that the Congress of the United States
in July, 1916, receded to the state of Vir-
ginia all that portion of the District OF
Columbia lying south of the Potomac
river. assuming that 1t had the constitu-
tional power to recede the same.
AT that time the constitutionality OF
such recession was sharply assailed by
many leading jurists and statesmen.
whose views have gained strength with
of the question should be delayed no
longer.
"The title of the territory of the Dis
trict of Columbia as built up with the
plans of Washington was derived from
three grantors, the state of Virginia, the
nineteen local proprietors and the state of
Maryland, with the United States as gran
tee, each grant being conditioned upon
every other grant, SO as to make them all
interdependent, whereby the recession to
any one of the grantors without the con-
sent of every other may annual the whole
grant. and may involve the title upon
which the city of Washington now stands,
as against the heirs of the nineteen local
proprietors and the state of Maryland
1T appears to me-" said Mr.. Edison
in support OF the resolution, which was
passed. that from every point of view
that portion of the District given back
to Virginia should be returned to the
federal government.
Il understand that the question has
received the consideration of a prominent
lawyer of national reputation. who ex-
pressed the opinion that the recession to
Virginia was beyond the power Of Con-
gress."