The Clerk read the report. The bill was laid aside to be reported to the House. REIMBURSEMENT TO WASHINGTON, CITY. An act (H.R.No. 710) to pay and dischargo certain debts and esponditures to the corporation of the city of Washington. The bill was read. It authorizes the SecyTreasury to pay to the proper authorities of the city of Washington, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $31, 971 34, in full for all claims which the city of Washington now has against the U.S. on account of moneys expended in improving the streets, avenues, alleys, and public grounds in the city of Washington, or for repairing any of the bridges crossing the Potomac river prior to May 5, 1864. Before paying this sum, the mayor of the city of Washington is to present to the ComrPubBldg an account embracing each item of charge which the city has against the U.S. for expenditures herein referred to, which account the Commissioner is to certify to be correct and just. The report was read. The committee state that when the city of Washington was laid out the proprietors gave to the U.S. 10,000 136 building lots, with the understanding that “whatever was realized from the sale of these lots was to be spent for the joint benefit of the then joint owners, the General Government and the proprietors of the soil.” Of these lots, 6,000 411 were sold prior to the year 1802, and yielded $642, 682 62. Of this sum, $330, 508 66 was applied toward building the Capitol, and $240, 632.87 toward the erection of a Mansion for the Chief Magis trate of the U.S. Further receipts from the sale of these lots were expended as follows: $25,000 were given to each the Columbia and Georgetown colleges; $10,000 each to the StVincent and Washington Orphan Asylums in the DistCol, and from time to time various sums were expended in improving the property of the General Government and in paying the salaries and expenses of the Commissioner and Super intendent of Public Buildings and other officers and employees. After the General Government had realized a large sum from these lots, said to amount to nearly one million dollars, Congress, recognizing the !.of appropriating some portion of the proceeds of these lots for improvement of the city, did, by the 15th section of an act passed May 15, 1820, provide “That the ComrPubBldg, or other person appointed to superintend, the U.S. disbursements in the city of Washington, shall reimburse to the corporation a just proportion of any expense which may hereafter be incurred in laying open, paving, or otherwise improving any of the streets and avenues in front of or adjoining to or which may pass through or between any of the public squares or reservations, which proportion shall be determined by the comparison of the length of the fronts of said squares or reservations (property) of the U.S., on any such street or avenue. with the whole extent of the 2 sides thereof (individual property,) where the like improvements shall be ordered by the corporation in front of such lots adjoining or squares adjacent thereto; and he shall defray the expensesdirected by this act out of any moneys arising from the sale of city lots, and from no other fund.” Statutes at Large, vol. iii. p. 591. Under this act the ComrPubBldg, according to the testimony of the gentleman now filling that office, (Hon. B. B. French,) did pay the proportion of the general Government for all improvements in front of the property of the U.S. until all the city lots were sold and their proceeds exhausted. This fund was exhausted in 1854. Since and including the year 1854 the corporation of Washington has advanced and paid (as is claimed) for the U.S., on account of the improvement embraced in the act of Congress before referred to, the sum of $37, 410 61, which remains unpaid because the fund arising from the sale of city lots, origin ; ally relied upon for payment, has been exhausted. In considering the propriety of paying this claim 2 questions presented themselves to the minds of the committee: 1. The accuracy and fairness of the account on which the claim is founded. 2. The duty of the U.S. to pay it in case its accuracy and fairness shall be established. The 1st question rests principally on the testimony of Hon. B. B. French, ComrPubBldg, who states in a letter to Hon. E. C.ingERsoli, chairman of the ComDistCol, that ch“arIgehamveadgeobnye twhiethmgaryeoart ocfarWeaosvheinrgtthoen iteamgasine sft the U.S., &c. I have done this with dia grams of the city of Washington and the mayor's vouchers before me. I find that every improvement specified as fronting on a public square or reservation is so situated; the distances are correct where stated, and where not stated I have measured them, and give them to the committee, with the prices charged, which in my opinion are very reasonable, indeed in many instances exceedingly low.” This letter is accompanied by a detailed report, giving each item of the account with the !ommissioner's examination thereof and the voucher for the same furnished by the mayor, all of which have been before the committee and are on file with the memorial. The committee examined the mayor and ComrPubBldg orally. In this examination the documentary evidence was confirmed, excepting as to the item for the sum of $2, 500, dated September 14, 1860, for in closing Judiciary square, under act of Congress approved March 3, 1857. committee ascertained that the iron fence inclosing Judiciary square on 3 sides was furnished by the U.S. It was an old fence removed from the Capitol grounds, and its value, in the opinion of the columittee, is equal to the equitable proportion chargeable to the U.S. for inclosing Judiciary square. The committee state that they were not familiar with the history of congressional legislation in regard to the DistCol; but so far as they were able to inform themselves the account on which the memorialist rests her claim, except as before specified, is accurate. 3. Is it the duty of the U.S. to pay the claim? By an act of Congress approved May 5, A. D. 1864, provision is made for paying the just proportion of the U.S. for all improvements to the streets, avenues, &c., in the city of Washington. This act seems to recognize the equitable liability of the U.S. to pay such proportion of these improvements for the i.convenience, and comfort of the inhabitants of the city as the property of the U.S shall bear to the property of individual owners. Under this law no similar difficulty will hereafter be likely to arise. The act of May 15, 1820, recognized the same principle; but having provided a specific fund to meet the liability of the U.S., and this fund having been exhausted, it becomes necessary for the city to have assistance by legislation before she can be repaid what she has expended for the benefit of the property of the U.S. The committee also remark that Hon. James Harlan, SecyInterior, in his last annual report, admits the validity of this claim and recommends its payment. The committee further remark that it must be remembered that the account on which this claim rests was made under the act of 1820, after the fund arising from the sale of city lots had been exhausted, and prior to May 15, 1864, when the present law was approved, which provides for all similar claims arisin after its passage. The act of 1864 is entitle “An act to amend the act of May 15, 1820.” Under these circumstances, and in view of the general liberality of the U.S. in aiding improvements in the city of Washington, the committee concluded to recommend the payment of the claim of the memorialist, without interest, after deducting the item of $5, 439 27 for improving Judiciary square, and for inclosing public reservations.