790 
ply is produced in neighboring States. There is in law no delimita- 
tion between the present city of Washington and the District of 
Columbia. 
The District of Columbia is not self-governing, but is under the 
control of the Government of the United States. All legislation of 
any considerable importance is enacted by the Federal Congress, and 
all appropriations whatsoever are made by it. For the latter purpose 
all local revenues are paid into the Federal Treasury. As a very 
general rule, any appropriation that is made comes one-half from 
the revenues of the District of Columbia and one-half from the reve- 
nues of the United States, but appropriations have occasionally been 
made wholly from local revenues. 
For purposes of administration, the immediate direction of the 
affairs of the District is intrusted to a Board of Commissioners, two 
of whom are appointed by the President from among the residents 
of the District of Columbia, and confirmed by the Senate, the third 
Commissioner being detailed from the Engineer Corps of the Army. 
The general duties of the Board of Commissioners are executive, but 
the Board now has a considerable legislative power relating to mat- 
ters not deemed of such vital importance as to be reserved for the 
exclusive jurisdiction of Congress. 
Laws and regulations relating to public health are executed and 
enforced by a health officer, appointed by the Commissioners and 
responsible to them. There has been no board of health in the Dis- 
trict of Columbia since 1878, when the present form of government 
was established. Prior to that date, and as far back as 1871, there 
had been a board of health created by act of Congress having juris- 
diction over the entire District of Columbia, and before that the city 
of Washington and the city of Georgetown, each then a separate 
municipal corporation, had their own boards. 
