1198 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
while claiming a desire now to have this proposition discussed on its 
merits and fully, has always, to the extent of his power, obstructed 
the consideration of the same when the effort was made to bring it 
before the House in a separate bill; that when the chairman of the 
District Committee asked for the fixing of a day for District business 
the gentleman from Georgia resisted the granting of any time to that 
committee unless the consideration of this bill should be excluded. 
I say that the Committee on the District of Columbia, which reported 
this measure or a measure of this character, has been always anxious 
to have the matter discussed upon its merits and to have the House act 
intelligently upon it. But I am not willing to let the gentleman from 
Georgia intimate, without showing the reason for the intimation, that 
the ‘‘schemes” of which he talks may influence some gentleman other 
than himself to the conclusions at which they may arrive. If the gen- 
tleman knows of any improper scheme connected with this whole mat- 
ter, I repeat, let him now give the information to the House and the 
country in order that we may be duly warned. ‘This House will then 
act as intelligently and I believe as patriotically as will the gentleman 
from Georgia. 
I insist, Mr. Chairman, that the position taken by my friend from 
South Carolina is right. If the people of the United States pay more 
of the expenses of conducting the District government than they ought, 
it rests with Congress to change that rule. And let not this House 
forget that it is the duty of Congress to so change that rule as to secure 
justice alike to the whole country outside the District and to the Dis- 
trict of Columbia. This House should not forget, and I ask that in 
our instructions to the committee we should consider it, that it is com- 
petent for Congress to fix and determine the proportion of such 
expense as the District should bear. These conferees have come like 
honest men asking us for an expression of our opinion as to the merits 
of the proposition for a national park which they have been discussing 
in conference, and for our instructions as to what they shall do. 
Now, Mr. Chairman, let us discuss this matter like honest men deal- 
ing fairly with each other. If the sense of the House is against the 
measure on its merits, let us so instruct these gentlemen on the con- 
ference committee. But bear in mind, as the gentleman from South 
Carolina [Mr. Hemphill] has truly stated the proposition, if the peo- 
ple of this citv are to have the park privileges which they desire, they 
have got to be obtained through authority of this Congress. Nothing 
can be done by them without our permission. Even if they are willing 
to pay the entire expense of carrying out the plan, they can not do so 
on their own motion. 
It must be done, if done at all, under the authority of the Govern- 
ment of the United States. Congress can expend millions of dollars 
of the money belonging to the people of this District and waste it in 
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