Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-11-14
EVENING STAR
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

, ment TO the Dill making appropriations fol
lamps, &c.
Petitions from John Hall and Robert Mills
were presented and referred.
Mr.. Evans introduced q bill regulating the
weight and quality of bread; referred to the
committee on police. eos
Mr. Pepper reported back from the commit
tee on improvements bill to relay tho gutter
on west side Of FL street from Eleventh street
without amendment passed.
The petition Of C. Stultz presented and re-
= ferred.
Mr.. Bayly reported back adversely from
the committee on claims on bill for the re-
lief Of George Stuart, oolOred After debate
between Messrs. Houston and Pepper for it.
and Mr.. Bayly against it, it was rejected.
Mr. Bsyly reported back the bill from the
committee on claims) for the relief of Charles
Edmonton; which was passed.
Mr.. Pepper, from tho committee on i'm
provements, reported back tho bill to grade
and gravel Vermont avenue, between n and
n street north; passed.
~ Mr.. johnson introduced a bill for LAYING q
= flag footway at the intersection Of Maryland
avenue and 81 street, across Maryland avenue;
passed.
Mr.. Clark introduced bill to authorize the
expenditure of the revenue Of the Washington
canal for three years for cleaning and i'm
proving the said canal; referred to the COM
mittee on canals.
Mr.. Pepper reported back from the commit.
tee on improvements Council bill for the
improvement Of A street north commencing
at First street east, without amendment !;
passed.
The special order-the bill to regulate the
business Of Huckstering- then taken up
and the amendments reported by Mr.. Fitz-
patrick, from the committee on police, were
explained by that gentleman, who remarked
that the committee had struck out the clause
making it obligatory on Hucksters to place
the word 'Huckster" on their stalls after tn cir
name. The bill had been amended also BY
striking out the prohibition of tradesmen from
having stalls in the market Also, that, as
changed, the bill provided that the country
people could have accommodations for selling
near the wagons. And, further, 30 as to pre-
vent Hucksters from buying from the country
people before market hours. As amended,
Mr.. f. earnestly advocated the passage of the
bill, as being greatly required to check the
fore-stalling practices of some of tho Huck-
sters. He also explained the justice of the
amendment allowing Huckster to have two
stalls in the market. He preferred ST. for The
price of license to the original S25 proposed
in the bill, but vas willing to compromise on
$40, as the bill then provided.
Mr.. Evans opposed any effort to regulate the
business of Huckstering, as likely to create
confusion, without doing the least good.
Mr.. Houston was for perfecting this bill, see.
ing its final passage certain. Thus he was for a
daily market at the proper season of the year
Lie was also for selling potatoes, onions, &C.,
by weight.
Mr.. Bayly proposed to make the huckster's
license SIS, as at present. He had no idea
of increasing their license payment before the
present shocking condition of the Centre Mar
ket be remedied.
Mr. Pepper explained that the Councils had
for years very improperly refused to spend
money for the improvement of the Centre Mar
ket.house, under the plea of "wait for the new
Market-house,' the prompt construction of
which he advocated. He conceived that the
Washington community were most anxious for
this improvement. and also for the passage of
some proper regulations for the business of
huckstering here.
Mr.. Dove conceived the original bill to
have been too stringent, and explained the
reasons which had governed the committee in
their various recommendations for its amend
ment; oontending that they had stricken out
every feature of the lower Boards bill to
which the hucksters could reasonably object
Mr.. Magruder was opposed to the bill in any
shape. He did not believe the hucksters to
be the nuisances they are represented to be
and thought that they had already 30 over
legislated On the subject, as to make the Cor
pOration's huckster code a tumble, understood
by no one. Some of the hucksters were very
large dealers, and brought their supplies in
good part from very long distance. Without
their aid in the past dry season the city would
well nigh have famished. They deserved
great credit for their enterprise. The hue
and cry against the hucksters he held 10 be all
wrong; and that legislation to decrease the
number of hucksters here will be legislation to
render forestalling the market more easy
Until . proper effort to enforce the existing
law for the regulation of hucksters had been
tined and found inefficient, he should oppose
further legislation on the subject. Having
failed to prevent tipping, to keep the negroes
in after 10 p. m, &c, by legislation, he wa:
against legislation in this way on this subject
They were merely multiplying words on the
statute books, to be practically disregarded.
Dir. Fitzpatrick replied at some length tc
the last speaker, conIending that the friends
Of the bill had not characterised the hucksters
rs nuisances. They only insisted ON the pro
priety Of regulating them as all other business
Is regulated by law Their aim was but to
prevent the hucksters from buying from the
country people on the night before market
this law. They were but seeking the interest
of the community at large, as he explained.
Mr.. Pepper urged the en- actment of the bill
he was for taxing resident hucksters less than
foreign hueksters.
The Chairman remarked that the courts had
decided that the Corporation has no right to
make any such Discrimination.
Mr.. P. thought this unfortunate.
Mr.. Clark expressed himself in favor of tn,
bill
Mr.. Houston replied to the remarks of Mr.
Pepper in favor of tho prompt construction Of
. new Centre Market house, to tho construc
ton of which he was opposed, as we'll As 4
the bill before them; which, if enacted, woulc
operate to make all the producers arounC
Washington, hucksters-why, and how, he OK
planned.
Mr.. Pepper protested that there was no at
tack on the hucksters in the bill
The question on the indefinite postponemen
of the bill, moved by Mr.. Evans, was then put
and it was not agreed to by the following vote
yeas, 8; nays, 6:
Ysas-Messrs. Magruder, Bayly, Evans
Houston, Marks, and johnson.
Nays-Messrs. Dove, Reed, Pepper, Clark
and Pearson.
The said bill was then rejected on the ques
ton on its third reading by similar vote
yeas, 6; nays, 6; as above.
AZ fo1 s.