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4 
FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS, 1889-1891. 1477 
the whole expense of that institution is assumed by the General Gov- 
ernment ? 
Mr. Crements. I do not know the reason. This system was adopted 
at the time of the establishment of the institution, soon after the war, 
when a good many people of the class designated in the title of the 
institution were thrown upon the Government for their support. The 
District at that time was poor and in debt, was notas rich and populous 
as it is to-day. The Government in its wisdom and discretion estab- 
lished this as a national institution, and it has been maintained from 
that day to this at tae expense of the United States, although the 
beneficiaries of the institution are mainly from the District of Colum- 
bia, and in any other city similarly situated would be a charge upon 
the local authorities. 
Again, there is carried in the sundry civil bill year after year an 
appropriation of $19,000 for keeping up a number of beds in the 
Providence Hospital. Not one cent of this expense is borne by the 
District of Columbia; yet the people receiving the benefit of that pro- 
vision are mainly people of this District. The Garfield Hospital 
receives an appropriation of $15,000 a year, every dollar of which is 
paid by the Government of the United States, not a dollar by the 
District, from which the beneficiaries of the institution largely come. 
And yet the United States Government pays one-half of all other 
charity appropriations in addition. 
Then there are the salaries of the judges of the supreme court of 
the District of Columbia, amounting to $24,500, every cent of which 
is paid out of the Treasury of the United States. Yet I will venture 
to say that for one case tried in which the Government of the United 
States is interested as a party, ninety-nine others are tried in which 
the parties are citizens of the District, neither the Government of the 
United States nor the citizens of any State being concerned on either 
side. 
Mr. Hearp. Does not that necessarily result from the condition of 
things of which the gentleman just spoke—the necessity for the Goy- 
ernment having control here without any conflict ? 
Mr. Ciements. Not at all. 
Mr. Hearp. Then why do you not provide some other system? 
Why not have the people of the District pay their fair proportion of 
this expense ? 
Mr. Ciements. I do not care to charge the people of this District 
with one-half of the expense of any of these items. I am naming 
them here for the purpose of answering the argument which is.contin- 
ually made in the press and on this floor, and elsewhere, that Congress 
is treating this District unfairly and unjustly. 
We pay the whole amount of the salaries of these judges, although 
99 per cent of the business transacted is between citizens of the Dis- 
