The Washington times., 1916-01-06

lief was first sought by the act of June
1879. providing among other things :.
That a joint select committee shall
be appointed. consisting OF two Sena.
| officer Of the Senate, and two members
of the House of Representatives
| to be appointed by the Speaker
Of the House of Representatives, whose
frame Of government for the District
Of Columbia and appropriate drafts OF
statutes to be enacted by Congress FOR
| carrying the same into effect, and re-
| port the same to the two Houses, ro-
spectively, on the first day of the next
| session thereof: and they shall also
prepare and submit to Congress a state
ment OF the proper proportion OF the
branch thereof. including interest on the
! funded debt. which should be borne by
said District and the United States. re-
spectively. together with the reasons
up upon ON which their conclusions may os
On the 2sd of June. 1874, the sundry
civil act Of that date makes reference
to interest on the funded debt as fol-
lows: .r..
"All the above sums, except so much
thereof as may be paid FOR interest, rs
aforesaid, to be considered and ADJUST
ed hereafter rs part o. the proper
proportional sum to be paid by the
the government Of the District OF CO.
lumbia."
The message OF President Grant In
December, 1874. contains the follow :
ing:
The act OF Congress of June 20.
1874, contemplates an apportionment
between the United States Govern :
ment and the District OF Columbia In
respect to the payment of the princi-
pal and interest of the $50 bonds.
Therefore in computing with precision
the bonded debt of the District the
aggregate sums above stated, as re-
spects 3.65 bonds now issued. the out
standing certificates Of the board OF
audit and the unadjusted claims pend
Ing before that board should be re-
duced to the extent of the amount to
be apportioned to the United States
in the act of Congress of June 20.
1874" y
The appropriation act OF February
/. 1875 contains the following pro-
vision:
THAT the sum of sls2,5O0 in cur
rency, or so much thereof as may be
necessary, be, and is hereby. appro-
priated for the payment Of the inter-
est on the, bonds Of the District of
on February 1, 1875, issued under
the act entitled An act for the gov
ernment OF the District OF Columbia,
and for other purposes. approved
June 20. 1874: said interest to be paid
by the Treasurer of the United states.
or the Assistant Treasurer OF the
United States in New York on Sur
render Of the proper coupons: PRO
APPROPRIATED SHALL BE CON
SIDERED AND ADJUSTED AS A
PART OF THE PROPER PROPOR-
TIONAL SUM TO BE PAID BY THE
UNITED STATES TOWARD THE EN-
PENsEs OF THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND
TOWARD THE PAYMENT OF TIL
INTEREST ON THE FUNDED DEBT
OF THE DISTRICT"
, The act Of March 3. 1875, 18th Stat
| ute. 343. is as follows:
ITO pay on behalf of the United
! States, as a portion OF the general ex'
penses of the District of Columbia. tC
| be expended by the Commissioners OF
said District. 81 .06O, 900, only to be drawn
as needed for immediate use: and $500. wv
! of this sum shall be available from the
| passage Of this act. no salaries to DC
| the act of June 20. 1874.
ITO pay the interest on the three
sixty-five bonds issued under the act
entitled An act for the government OF
; the District Of Columbia. and for other
purposes s1So,o00: and the salary of the
commissioner of the sinking fund, acting
as treasurer thereof. shall be 1900 pei
annum."
Tho debates in the Senate and in the
House OF Representatives Of the United
| States during the years 1874, 1879 and
1876 substantiate the theory that the in
! tercst on the funded debt was then un-
derstood by Congress as being paid one
half through District OF Columbia rev
enues and one-half through the General
Government.
On January 3S, 1875 Vol. ?, Cong. Rec.
p 749, the following dialogue took place
in the House prior to the passage OF
II. r. 4fS3, which later became the act
of February /. 1875, from which we have
just quoted:
MIR. Garfield. | am instructed by the
Committee on Appropriations to repor,
back with en- amendment the bill Oh. H
44S3l for the payment of interest on the
| $50 bonds of the District Of Columb bia
| 7 he amendment Of the committee strikes
out the words in coin after the words
'$lS25
Mr.. Randall. Is there any report &C
companyins this bill?"
"Mr. Garfield. | send to the desk &c
| be read communication from the Com
niissioners of the District Of Columbia.
! Mr.. Randall wish TO reserve q
| point of order on this bill
MT SaTTelu-1Jtet tnG report ne Tedu
Mr.. Holman-lt should be understood
| that the point of order on this bill Is
! not waived.
The Speaker-The point Of order will
| be reserved till the communication has
! been read
| The clerk read as follows:
| ''Offce of the Commissioner
of the District of Columbia.
| January II, 1915.
| ITO the Speaker of the House OF Repre-
! sentatives:
The commissioners of the District re
! spectfully request that the attention o
| Congress may be called 10 the necessity
| o. legislative provisions for the paymcn
! of the interest on ;he bonds authorized
| to be issued by the act of Congress ap
| proved June 20, 1874, entitled IAN ac
| for the government of the District o
| Columbia and for other purposes.
| Those bonds are generally known a!
| ''3.e5 bonds" The act of Congress ahov'
| cited pledged the faith of the Cnitet
I States to the payment Iby proper pro
portional appropriation and by taxation
| on property within the DISTRICT of tn
! interest on said bonds well AS 10 tn
| creation of a sinking fund for paymen
of the principal thereof at maturity.
| The same act OF Congress contem
! plates the ascert linmcnt, through fu
| ture legislation. Of the proper proper
! tion Of the expense of the government
! Of the District Of Columbia, inCludini
! interest on it's funded debt, which shoul'
| be borne by the District and by tn