Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 20.djvu/128

 FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 180. 1878. 103 Statutes relating to said District, and the Commissioners herein provided for shall be deemed and taken as officers of such corporation; and all laws now in force relating to the District of Columbia not inconsistent with the provisions of this act shall remain in full force and effect. Sec. 2. That within twenty days after the approval of this act the Commissioners. President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of APP°i“““°“*· the Senate, is hereby authorized to appoint two persons, who, with an officer of the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army, whose lineal rank shall be above that of captain, shall be Commissioners of the District of Columbia, and who, from and after July first, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, shall exercise all the powers and authority now Powers. vested in the Commissioners ot said District, except as are hereinafter limited or provided, and shall be subject to all restrictions and limitations and duties which are now imposed upon said Commissioners. The Engineer Com Commissioner who shall be an officer detailed, from time to time, from “““'°“"'· the Corps of Engineers, by the President, for this duty, shall not be required to perform any other, nor shall he receive any other compensation than his regular pay and allowances as an officer of the Army. The two persons appointed from civil life shall, at the time of their ap- Civi1Commision~ pointment, be citizens of the United States, and shall have been actual B"- residents of the liistrict of Columbia for three years next before their appointment, and have, during that period, claimed residence nowhere else, and one of said three Commissioners shall be chosen president of President. the Board of Commissioners at theiriirst meeting, and annually and whenever a vacancy shall occur, thereafter; and said Commissioners shall each of them, before entering upon the discharge of his duties, take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution of the United States, and Oath. to faithfully discharge the duties imposed upon him by law; and said Commissioners appointed from civil lite, shall each receive for his services a compensation at the rate of five thousand dollars per annum, and shall, Salary. before entering upon the duties of the office, each give bond in the sum Bond. of fifty thousand dollars, with surety as is required by existing law. The official term of said Commissioners appointed frou1 civil life shall Term. be three years, and until their successors are appointed and qualified, but the first appointment shall be one Commissioner for one year and one for two years. and at the expiration of their respective terms their successors shall be appointed for three years. Neither of said Commis- S¤¤>ti<>¤ °¤ sioners, nor any officer whatsoever of the District of Columbia-, shall be b°“‘]S‘ accepted as surety upon any bond required to be given to the District of Columbia; nor shall any contractor be accepted as surety for any _ officer or other contractor in said District Sec. 3. That as soon as the Commissioners appointed and detailed as Pewvrnnnd PfQP· aforesaid shall have taken and subscribed the oath or affirmation here- gglmlsifotnzgs m inbefore required, all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges lawfully ' exercised by, and all property, estate, and effects now vested by law in the Commissioners appointed under the provisions of the act of Congress approved June twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, 1874, cli. 387, shall be transferred to and vested in and imposed upon said Commis- 18 S°"*·»1“’· sioners, and the functions of the Commissioners so appointed under the act of Juno twentieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, shall cease and determine. And the Commissioners of the District of Colum- Application of bia. shall have power, subject to the limitations and provisions herein t“’*°“· contained, to apply the taxes or other revenues of said District to the payment of the current expenses thereof', to the support of the public schools, the fire department, and the police, and for that purpose shall take possession and supervision of all the offices, books. papers, records, moneys, credits, securities, assets, and accounts belonging or appertaining to the business or interests of the government of the District of Columbia, and exercise the duties, powers, and authority aforesaid: but said Commissioners, in the exerrise of such duties, powers, and anthority, shall make no contract, nor incur any obligation other than sneh contracts and obligations as are hereinafter provided for and shall bc