Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-12-27
EVENINGSTAR
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Tn, iguTnal was read and approved.
Mr. Ball presented the petition of William
! Tabler in relation to the paving Of an alley
in square No. 529 and part of lot No. Is; re-
ferred.
Mr. Peters presented the petition of W c.
T,wlc and others, asking for flag footway
across Indiana avenue, at the intersection of
Fourth street west; referred.
Mr. Alice. from the committee Of claims,
-prorted = bill for the relief of George T. Will
son. which was amended by making the amount
pavsble ont cf the funds of Seventh Ward,
AMI the bill passed.
Nv. Ruff, from the committee on police, to
which the memorial of j. s. HOllingshead had
been referred, made written report, accom-
ranied by the following bill
Az ACT supplementary and amendatory Of an
act entitled ''An act to organize police system
fer the city Of Washington
lie rs Enacted, nc, That the Captain OF the
Auxiliary Guard, lie being justice of the
peace, be and he is hereby authorized and
empowered to try and dispose Of all cases in
which the corporation may be party brought
10 the guard-hOuse between the time of setting
the guard at night and the hour of nine
O'Clock in the morning.
Ind be IL enacted, That the Captain of the
Auxiliary Guard is hereby required to keep a
docket and make a return to the proper officer
Of such cases disposed of by him PrOUided,
kOucrrT, That he shall not charge or receive
So t!y or dispose W.
The said bill being considered, was read
three times and passed.
The President laid before the Board COM
munication from James Robertson, asking the
appointment of special committee to deter
mine his sanity or insanity laid on the table.
The following bills from the Board Of Al
dermen were considered and disposed Of:
Bill providing for the esta blishment Of
Board f Health, the appointment Of a Com
missioner Of Health. and prescribing his duties,
and for the abatement and removal Of nuisan-
ccs, aud The bill from the same Board for the
removal Of o1al, slOps, &c, were taken up
and referred.
Bill authOrisipg Jas. Barnes to remove the
hay scales from the corner of Second street
east and Maryland avenue to the intersection
of Maryland and Massachusetts, avenues
passed.
Bill amendatOry of the act for the relief of
Ii Plat; referred.
Bill for the relief of w. w. Domaine
passed.
BIZ 70 grade G street south, between 4th
AID 9th streets east; referred.
Bill for the relief of Mrs. Ann Laporte :;
referred
Joint Resolution authorizing an adjournment
to Monday, 9TH January, 1886, laid on the
table.
On motion of Mr.. Clements the bill for the
relief Of VIM. Guinanl was taken from the
table, and passed.
Mr.. Walker moved to take from the table
the memorial # James Robertson, which had
been laid there at a previous stage of the pro-
ceedings.
Mr. Lloyd moved that the Board adjourn;
decided in the negative by yeas Z; nays9.
The motion To take up the memorial being
agreed t.: and it being under consideration
Mr. Alice moved that the memorial be re-
turned To the memorialist, and that he be in
formed that this Board had no jurisdiction in
the premises which was agreed to.
The Board then adjourned.
PROFESSOR MITCHELL AT THE SMITHSONIAN
Observation-Disclosures the severity of
the weather the large lecture room Of the In
stitute was filed last night, the attraction
being the second lecture OF Prof Mitchell upon
astronomy. We would particularly call the
attention of readers TO this admirable series
o. lectures.
Previous to the commencement Of the lecture
there was general buzz, and turning Of heads
in the direction Of the door upon the appear
anec in full dress of 9 the Bloomer," the in
terest, no doubt, being considerably height
ened by her late piquant controversy with
6 Sally SunfOwer.'
Prot. NJ. commenced with rapid recapitu-
iation of the mighty discoveries of Kepler and
Newton, and spoke at some length of the great
revolution in astronomical researches made by
the discovery Ofthe law of gravitatiOn-hither-
IL astronomers had been cropping in the dark
with no clue to guide them through the mighty
labyrinth. He touched e!Oquently upon the
TACT that IS one great astronomer dies and is
relieved from duty, another rises to take his
place upon the watch tower, and thus onward
and onward, is the career Of the human MUD.
In his remarks upon the law of gravitation
as applied to our solar system, he mentioned
some interesting facts in relation to the re-
markable accelerated motion Of the moon in
it, orbit, which has been gradually increasing
for ages, as was established by comparing the
Doors eclipses in ancient and modern times
This fact, which had ut one time created alarm
wa now by the Investigations Of genius dis
covered 10 be in strict accordance with natures
laws. The moons accelerated motion was ow-
IL, 10 another interesting fact. that the earths
orbit was gradually changing from age to age,
from being elongated, and hattened, and was
'peniDs out, and becoming circular. What was
l. the result Of these startling changes going
oIfEom century 10 century, The great problem
had been grdPpled, and the discovery made,
that the earth OPENS out its orbit for series
%; ages and then follows ages of contraction.
As 1t opened out, and widened its distance
rom the sun, the suns attraction upon the
moon Was lessened, and her motion more IN
DER the influence Of the earth and gradually
accelerated IA her orbit around the earth. In
9oo,O90 years The astronomer Of that day will
ma the earth again assuming On elliptical
orbit, and the moon having a retarded mo-
non Aside from this change OF orbit Of the
Planets they exhibited perpetual rocking to
and fro upon their planes Of motion bat all
these apparent ec"entricities had fixed limits,
beyond which they could not extend
Prof. Mitchell announced that in his mort
lecture on Friday evening he should take his
hearers - into the observatory" and explain |
lt5 instruments and their uses.
The LAEES.-The fancy good store opened |
not long since By Mr. Lake on Pennsylvania |
avenue, between Second and Third streets
Is really one Of the tights ~! w bington worth
seeing. This lady's stock consists wholly |
o. elegant goods of the very latest styles-of |
birmingham Papier III ache, ivory goods from |
Pans Pa.i'H marble, ornaments, crucifixes
aud stat1ettes from Italy, beautifully stained |
Ornamental glassware from Bohemia, per-
!umery aat fancy articles from the most cele- |