1382 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
enterprise to three or five commissioners of the District of Columbia. 
It is not a proper subject of their jurisdiction. I would not add to 
their duties even to the extent of keeping one pet bear in this zoo- 
logical park, which belongs to the whole country. This is our enter- 
prise and not the enterprise of the District of Columbia, and the 
fact that the people of the District of Columbia may gain some 
advantage from this park because it is located here is not a good reason 
why they should be required to bear the expense of the park, any 
more than itis an argument why the people of any other district should 
pay the cost or a portion of the cost of any national enterprise which 
may be located among them. Iam aware that the government of the 
District of Columbia is pretty severely criticised, I believe justly. I 
would modify the District government if I could, and give the people 
something to say in regard to its management. The gentleman from 
Kentucky [Mr. Breckinridge] has very well said that the existing 
District government is somewhat rickety, and it can not be long until 
the people will insist upon having some voice in their government 
beyond that which finds expression through the National Congress. 
Mr. J. A. Anprrson, of Kansas. Will the gentleman permit a 
question ? 
Mr. Burrerwortu. It always gives me pleasure to yield to my 
friend from Kansas. 
Mr. Anperson, of Kansas. Returning to your contention that this is 
a national enterprise as distinguished from a local one, suppose it were 
intended to establish a national park and the question was at what 
point it should be located, would not the city of Cincinnati, or the city 
* of Chicago, or any of the considerable cities of this country contribute 
very liberally to the enterprise for the sake of securing its location 
there ? 
Mr. Burrerwortn. It is quite possible that they might; but whether 
they would has nothing to do with the question whether they ought to 
contribute to the establishment or maintenance of such a national 
enterprise. We have already established a national park away up in 
the Northwest. It is supposed to be a great advantage to that section. 
I do not know whether it is or not, nor am I concerned to know. We 
do not balance here with such scrupulous nicety as to ask whether 
the location of a public enterprise in one place or another will be of 
special advantage to the people in that immediate locality, and there- 
fore surrender its management to the locality. Neither should we, 
in dealing with a national enterprise like this, be willing, upon such 
grounds, to surrender the management of the enterprise into the hands 
of three commissioners representing, or supposed to represent, 200,000 
people. And for a stronger reason we should not tax those people to 
pay half the expense of this national institution. 
Mr. E. S. Wixurams, of Ohio. That is a special plea. 
