The Washington herald., 1915-12-12
FoREwORD.

This brief treatise on assessment and
taxation in the District of Columbia and
the fiscal relation to the Federal Govern
ment was prepared for general cir
cuiation, but especially for the use of the
Joint Committee Of the Senate and House
on theEF Fiscal Relation of the Federal
Gcvernment and the District Of Columbia.
History of the Federal District.
The history of the Federal District.
legally the District of Columbia. is
well known. The Constitution pro-
vides that Congress shall have power
ITO exercise exclusive legislation in all
cases whatsoever over such District
(not exceeding ten miles square) as
may, hE cession Of particular States
and the acceptance of Congress, be-
come the seat of government Of the
United States" (Article 1, Section 81.
Madison wrote in The Federalist
concerning power and exclusive Juris-'
idiction in the District:
without it, not only the public au-
thority might be insulted and its pHH
ceedings be interrupted with impunity.
but a dependence Of the members OF
the general government on the state
comprehending the seat of government
for protection in the exercise Of their
duty. might bring on the national
councils an imputation Of awe or in
fluence equally dishonorable to the
government and Unsatisfactory to the
members of the Confederacy. This
consideration has the more weight as
the gradual accumulation of public
improvements at the stationary resi-
dence of government would be too
great a public pledge to be left in
the hands of a single State and would
create SO many obstacles to re-
moval of the government as still fur
ther to abridge its necessary inde-
pendence."
The Constitution, the Supreme Court
and an overwhelming public senti-
ment have declared that here the law
of Congress shall be paramount; here
the will Of ninety-five millions Of peo-
pie shall be asserted unvexed by local
politics. unmoved by the clamor of
those whose nearness gives advan-
tage over numbers
June 2S. 1871. the proprietors decided
their lands to trustees for use of the
United States for a Federal city with
such streets. squares. parcels and lots
as the President for the time shall
approve"
The United States thus received the
streets and alternate lots without
money consideration (though the re-
sultant profits to the donors were
enOrm0uSD, ana tne PARKS anu Sues
for public buildings at s66.66 per acre.
This latter consideration, totalling
s36.0ss. bought 541 acres, rood and
50 perches. payable out of the pro-
roeds of the donated lots when sold.
The transaction stood as follows:-
Acres.
Donated 10 L. $. for Streets. 36o6
Bought for public purposes. al
41E
Donated to L. S 0c.135 lots)..... sS2
Reconveyed to former owners
tl0,1S6 LOTS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ~
Total area of old City.-..---..- gill
Since added to the city area po-
tomac Park dredged from the
bottom of the River..-..---..... f3S
Eventually to be added IN parks
that portion of Anacostia flats
north of Eastern Branch about
half OF its l,2Se acres.......--.- $40
Making a total approximately
Of ........................ 74sO
The rctrocession of the trans
Potomac area to Virginia left
in the present District approx
mately, acres NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. A3l6
Water .................... 5S91
Land IS, ,S25