212 DAVIS 



within less than a decade, fruit not looked for at the planting. 

 For by act of February 21, 1871 (16 Stats. 419), Congress 

 created the whole of the District " into a government by the 

 name of the District of Columbia." The Corporations of 

 Washington and Georgetown and the Levy Court, and all the 

 offices appertaining thereto, were abolished at the date of June 

 I, 187 1, although all the ordinances and laws of the two cor- 

 porations cfnd the Levy Court, not inconsistent with the act, 

 were continued in force in their respective territories, until mod- 

 fied and repealed by Congress or the Legislative Assembly 

 created by the act ; and the powers of the Levy Court were 

 continued for certain purposes. The new corporation, the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, was made successor to the municipal bodies 

 which were abolished, and vested with all the property of those 

 bodies. The Government of the District was vested in a Gov- 

 ernor, a Secretary and a Council of eleven, two from George- 

 town, two from the county and the rest from Washington, all to 

 be appointed by the President by and with the advice and con- 

 sent of the Senate ; and a House of Delegates, twenty-two in 

 number, to be elected by the people. The Governor and the 

 Secretary were to hold office four years, the members of the 

 Council two years and the Delegates one year. The first Coun- 

 cil was to be divided into a one year class of five and a two 

 year class of six, and afterwards all were to be appointed for 

 two years. It is interesting to note, as in the case of the latest 

 legislation respecting the constitution of the Levy Court, the 

 persistence of this principle, first applied in the case of the 

 United States Senate. 



Besides these general municipal officials, the act provided a 

 Board of Health and a Board of Public Works and gave the 

 District the only direct representation which it has ever had in 

 Congress, in the person of a delegate to the House of Repre- 

 sentatives to have the same rights and privileges as delegates 

 from the Territories, and, besides, to be a member of the com- 

 mittee on the District of Columbia. The Board of Public 

 Works was provided to consist of the Governor and four citizens 

 and residents of the District to be appointed by the President 

 and Senate for four years, of whom one was to be from 



