2l6 



DAVIS 



police buildings, and rights of way for sewers (26 Stats. 302) ; 

 to constitute or appoint to various boards and institutions : as, to 

 fill vacancies in the board of trustees of Columbia Hospital (27 

 Stats. 55 1)' to appoint Dental Examiners (27 Stats. 42), and a 

 Board of Medical Supervisors and boards of Medical Examiners 

 (29 Stats. 198), to appoint trustees of the Free Public Library 

 and Reading Room (29 Stats. 244), and trustees for the Indus- 

 trial Home School (29 Stats. 410), and to appoint a board for 

 the licensing of plumbers and gas-fitters (27 Stats. 21 ; 30 Stats. 

 477)' It also has the power to grant pardons for offenses 

 against the laws of Washington, Georgetown, the Levy Court 

 and the Legislative Assembly and against the Police and Build- 

 ing Regulations (27 Stats. 22). That a body of three American 

 citizens, mixed civil and military, vested with so numerous, 

 varied and large powers exercises them with so little irritation 

 and so little just cause of complaint is surely a high tribute to 

 the American character, just now so much in evidence through- 

 out the world, and just now taking on so many new respon- 

 sibilities, to which, it goes without saying, it will prove fully 

 adequate. 



One of the most interesting features of our local government 

 needs yet to be noticed, the feature of its cost. The Commis- 

 sioners annually submit to the Secretary of the Treasury esti- 

 mates of the expenses of the government of the District for the 

 fiscal year beginning the first day of July following. The Sec- 

 retary of the Treasury passes upon these estimates and sends to 

 the Commissioners a statement of the amount approved by him, 

 and this statement and their own original estimates the Com- 

 missioners transmit to Congress ; and to the extent to which 

 Congress approves of the estimates it appropriates one-half, and 

 the remaining half is levied upon the taxable property and 

 privileges in the District other than the property of the United 

 States and the District of Columbia ; but the rate of taxation in 

 any one year cannot exceed one dollar and fifty cents on every 

 hundred dollars of real property and personal property not tax- 

 able elsewhere, or one dollar on the hundred for agricultural 

 property. 



