1476 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
that the Government of the United States in paying its half is paying 
quite enough for the scientific features. 
Mr. Minurkxen. And the people of this city will enjoy the park, 
while the great body of the people of the United States will never 
see it. 
Mr. Ciements. That is true. The people of the city will enjoy 
this park day after day and week after week throughout the year, 
while the great majority of the people of the United States will never 
see it. 
Now, it is not true that the people of this District, or at least some 
of them, did not ask for this park. I remember quite well that when 
the amendment on the subject was pending upon the sundry civil bill 
and upon the District appropriation bill we heard a great deal said on 
this floor and elsewhere about the necessity for a breathing place for 
the people, a place for their recreation and entertainment, a place to 
which the poor people who work all the week could go on the Sabbath. 
Various arguments of that kind were used. Those arguments were 
met by the statement that within the city limits the Government of 
the United States was maintaining at its own exclusive expense numer- 
ous reservations embracing many acres, which were absolutely free 
to the people of this District and to all the people who come here as 
visitors. 
But that was not regarded as a sufficient reason. Influences in favor 
of the establishment of this park were brought to bear largeiy from 
citizens within the District, as well as from scientific authorities. I 
admit that these were one of the forces behind the bill. The measure 
went through on this idea of the District bearing one-half the expense; 
it would have failed to go through, would have been rejected, on any 
other basis. Therefore in this matter there is now no injustice toward 
the District, no afterthought, no disposition to take ‘‘snap judgment” 
upon the people of this District. 
Again, there are a great many expenditures in this District borne 
entirely by the Federal Government of which the people get almost 
the entire benefit. Among these I refer to the institution called the 
Freedman’s Hospital, maintained at an annual cost of $51,000 paid 
absolutely, every cent of it, out of the Treasury of the United States. 
The inmates of that institution, I have no doubt, are largely—more 
than half—almost entirely from the District of Columbia. Some of 
them, it is true, are people who come here from other parts of the 
country, just as in New York, Philadelphia, and other cities provision 
has been made for taking care of people not residents, who become 
sick or disabled while there. But, I repeat, the Government of the 
United States pays every dollar of this expense. 
Mr. Harp. Why does not the Government make the people of the 
District pay half of that expense? What is the theory upon which 
— 
