- 1480 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
by the Government of the United States without the expense of a 
dollar to the city or the District. 
I am- not complaining of this, nor saying it is not right, beaatae the 
property belongs to the Gover nment of the United States; but I cite 
these instances to prove that there is no truth in the alana that the 
Government of the United States is oppressive to the people of this 
District in requiring them to pay one-half of these sums for the main- 
tenance of the National Park and the Zoological Park, and also one- 
half of the expense for the extension of the. water-supply system. 
There is no city in the United States where the people have such mag- 
nificent service and improvements and at so little cost to themselves 
as here. They are fortunate to live at the national capital. 
But I cite this to show that the District, instead of being stingily 
treated and unjustly dealt with, has been generously and magnani- 
mously treated by the Congress of the United States in all respects. 
And upon this point, if there are to be complaints year after year, and . 
a constant controversy about the present mode of payment, one-half 
by the District and one-half by the Government of the United States, 
it will become necessary that that system be broken up. And the 
people are not going back to the local Territorial legislature or board 
of council to run the city of the national capital. 
February 25, 1891—House. 
The District of Columbia bill for 1892 (H. 12729) under considera- 
tion. 
Mr. L. E. McComas. Now, the next.item is the ‘‘Zoo” Park. The 
Senate conferees insist that the annual appropriation of some ninety- 
odd thousand dollars, such as made last year for a ‘‘ Zoo” Park, should 
be paid entirely by the United States, and not paid one-half by the Dis- 
trict and the other half by the United States. , It is a contention with 
which the House is familiar. Personally I have always believed in it; 
but as aconferee of the House, knowing the decided vote that had 
been heretofore taken upon it, I of course felt it my duty in the con- 
ference to follow out the intention of the House, and declined to agree 
with the Senate on that subject. They insist strenuously that the 
annual maintenance of the living animals of the ‘* Zoo” Park is akin 
to the expenditure in the Smithsonian Institution for the dead speci- 
mens, under whose charge they are; the living and the dead exhibits 
being in the charge of that Institution. 
The House is quite familiar with that contention. It is being 
pressed now, and gentlemen will remember it is to be pressed again 
in the sundry civil appropriation bill. Before we would agree, the 
conferees on the part of the House deem it their duty to submit that 
to a vote of the House. These are not my own views; but they cer- 
tainly present the views of your own committee. 
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