General information and duties.-The District of Columbia was established under the authority and direction of acts of Congress approved July 16, 1790. and March 3, 1791, which were passed to give effect to a clause in the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution of the United States, giving Congress the power

"To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular States and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased, by the consent of the legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings.”

The local government of the District of Columbia is a municipal corporation having jurisdiction over the territory which "was ceded by the State of Maryland to the Congress of the United States for the permanent seat of the Government of the United States."

This government is administered by a board of three commissioners having in general equal powers and duties.

Two of these commissioners, who must have been actual residents of the District for three years next before their appointment and have during that period claimed residence nowhere else, are appointed from civil life by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate of the United States for a term of three years each and until their successors are appointed and qualified.

The other commissioner is detailed from time to time by the President of the United States from the Engineer Corps of the United States Army, and shall not be required to perform any other duty. This commissioner shall be selected from among the captains or officers of higher grade having served at least 15 years in the Corps of Engineers of the Army of the United States.

Three officers of the same corps, junior to said commissioner, may be detailed to assist him by the President of the United States.

The senior officer of the Corps of Engineers of the Army who shall for the time being be detailed to act as assistant (and in case of his absence from the District or disability, the junior officer so detailed) shall, in the event of the absence from the District or disability of the commission who shall for the time being be detailed from the Corps of Engineers, perform all the duties imposed by law upon said commissioner.

One of said commissioners shall be chosen president of the board of commissioners at their first meeting, and annually and whenever a vacancy shall occur thereafter.

The commissioners are in a general way vested with jurisdiction covering all the ordinary features of municipal government and are also ex officio the Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia.

Congress has by sundry statutes empowered the commissioners to make building regulations; plumbing regulations; to make and enforce all such reasonable and usual police regulations as they may deem necessary for the protection of lives, limbs, health, comfort, and quiet of all persons, and the protection of all property within the District, and other regulations of a municipal nature.

PUBLICATIONS.

General publications.-The following general publications have been issued: 1. The Code of Law for the District of Columbia.

2. A compilation of the laws of Congress relating to the incorporation of companies, societies, etc., in the District of Columbia, with references and comments respecting judicial and other rulings and interpretations bearing thereon. 3. Index to the acts of Congress relating to the District of Columbia, and extant laws of former governments of said District, prepared under authority of and paid for out of an appropriation contained in “An act making appropriations to provide for the expenses of the government of the District of Columbia for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, and for other purposes," approved March 2, 1911. (36 Stat., pt. 1, 966.)

Pamphlet editions of the following regulations made by the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, in pursuance of authority imposed upon that board by acts of Congress, which are cited therein. These regulations are analogous to the ordinances of the municipal councils of the typcial American city: Police regulations; Building regulations; Plumbing and gas-fitting regulations; Electric light, heat, and power regulations; Health regulations; General orders regulating the platting and subdividing of lands and grounds in the District of Columbia, April 10, 1899.

Pamphlet editions of the following are issued:

Laws Relating to the Assessment and Taxation of Real Estate in the District of Columbia to September 7, 1916.

37882°-18-12

Laws Relating to the Taxation of Personal Property in the District of Columbia to Termination of 1st Session of the 64th Congress, Edition of 1916. Laws Relating to the Issue of Licenses to Transient Business in the District of Columbia.

Origin and Government of the District of Columbia. This is an outline sketch of the principal legislative and executive proceedings taken in the establishment of the seat of government of the United States, and of the several forms of local government which have obtained there. It contains also the names and terms of office of the leading officials of those governments, and other general information of local interest.

Maps of the District of Columbia, primarily for official use in the engineer department of the District of Columbia.

Annual publications.-(a) The only annual or periodical publication of the government of the District of Columbia consists of annual reports by the Board of Commissioners to Congress, embracing detailed and abstract accounts of the transactions of the several departments of that government, including reports of the Board of Charities, the Board of Education, and the Board of Children's Guardians.

(b) A compilation of laws prepared in the office of the secretary to the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia at the end of each session of Congress and relating to the District of Columbia, passed during such session. (c) The annual estimates of the Board of Commissioners are included in the annual Book of Estimates. The copies not distributed by that department are kept for sale by the Superintendent of Documents of the Public Printing Office. Method of distributing general publications. All application for the free distribution or sale of these publications should be made to the secretary to the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, at room 509, District Building, Washington, D. C.

The Code of Law for the District of Columbia is distributed by the Superintendent of Documents of the Government Printing Office.

The Index to the Acts of Congress relating to the District of Columbia is subject to free distribution to officials of the government of the District of Columbia to the number of 100, the remainder of the edition is subject to sale by the publishers, John Byrne & Co., 715 Fourteenth Street NW., Washington, D. C.

The following publications are subject to free distribution:

(a) The pamphlet containing the laws of Congress providing for the incorporation of societies, companies, and general business concerns in the District of Columbia.

(b) The pamphlet edition of the Origin and Government of the District of Columbia.

(c) The pamphlet editions of the following pamphlets and copies of maps: General orders regulating the platting and subdividing of lands and grounds in the District of Columbia, edition of April 10, 1899; Laws relating to the assessment and taxation of real estate in the District of Columbia to September 7, 1916; Laws relating to the taxation of personal property in the District of Columbia; and Map of the District of Columbia.

The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized hereafter to issue, in their discretion, without charge, to officers and the judiciary of the government of the District of Columbia, and to other officers of the Government, to institutions of learning, and to State and city officials, by way of documentary exchange, copies of building, police, plumbing, and other municipal regulations made and published by them in their official capacity, not exceeding in all 100 copies, and the remainder of such publications shall only be disposed of by sale at not less than the cost price and 10 per cent thereof.

The charges now made per copy for such regulations at present are: Police Regulations, 25 cents; Building Regulations, 60 cents; Electric Lighting Regulations, 30 cents; Plumbing and Gas-fitting Regulations, 20 cents; and Health Regulations, 65 cents.

APPENDIX.

DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES.

The following list of libraries are those at which Government publications are deposited for reference purposes by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office. Where the word "library" is not included in connection with colleges or other institutions it is understood that library of institution is referred to.