Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-16

reported back from the claims COMMITTEES nv
Mr.. Bayly, and was passed
Also, bill for the relief of Joseph LaFon-
tains.
A lower Boards bill to pay the assessors
$7s escn Tor extra services, was referred to
tho Committee on Finance.
The Board then adjourned,
Common Coancil. The President in the
chair.
Mr.. Smith presented the petitions of VIM.
Z; Riley and Patrick Mcguire; which were
Mr.. Barr, from the committee on ways and
means, reported bill making an appropriar
ton for paying the assessors; passed.
Mr.. Busey asked to withdraw certain papers;
granted.
Mr.. J. W. Davis, from the committee on i'm
provements. asked to be discharged from the
petition off. F. G. Ofutt and others; granted
Mr.. Kelly, from the same committee, re-
ported bill to reimburse the market master
Of West Market for moneys paid; passed.
Mr. Duncanson, from the committee on
claims, asked to be discharged from the petit
ton of Peter Ritter; granted
Mr.. Dom, from the committee on unfinished
business, reported the petition of VIM. Shor-
ter; which was referred.
Mr.. Busey, from the committee on police,
reported the bill, from the Board of Alder
men, without amendment, to define the duties
Of the Sealer Of Weights and Measures.
Mr.: j. W. Davis moved that the " patent or
other" be stricken out; agreed TO-
Mr.. Walker moved to amend by inserting
" fifty cents" instead of "twenty i've cents, .
as the fee of the Ssaler rejected.
The bill was then ordered to third read.
n q I'D
A communication was received from the
Mayor announcing the death of the Hon. Mo-
ses Norris, Senator from New Hampshire, and
chairman of the Committee on the District of
Columbia in the Senate, which eommunica
ton was referred to Messrs. Busey and Smoot
on the part of this Board
Mr.. Kelly, from the committee on fire de-
partment, reported a bill for the relief of the
Columbia Fire Company
Mr.. Duncanson moved to strike out 10 much
of IL as related to interest, but withdrew it,
and the bill was passed
The resolution changing the hour Of tho
meeting, having been amended in tho Board
OF Aldermen, by inserting 8 o'clock instead of
81 o'clock. which was non-concurred in by
yeas 2, nays Is.
A joint resolution in relation to the Exhi.
bition Of the Metropolitan Mechanics Insti-
tute was received from tho Board of Aldermen.
and adopted.
Mr.. Dom moved that the bill in relation to
the weighing Of hay be taken up
But before any action on it was taken. the
Board adjourned.
LECTURE ON ANATOMY AND GRoxrH or
PLANTS, By PROF. ASA RAY.-The leaf when
1t first appears is small, and the Joint of the
stem which supports 1t soon acquire fs length
by increasing in size throughout its whole
diameter.
The green pulp of the leaves is comp posed of
numerous cells-in some places loosely, in
others closely packed, enclosing the green
matter, the juices, and products of the leaf.
The epederm's, or skin, consists of one. and
sometimes several layers of these cells, az ne.
oessity may require.
Vegetation is built up of these coils: in diff
ferent plants they are Of different sizes vary.
Ing from 1-30th TO 1-500th of an inch in di.
ameter. Cells are sometimes drawn into tnbes
OF one and two inches in length, as in water
plants. Hairs, or bristles, composed OF rows
OF these cells, sometimes grow on them also
Inc longest known, grow on che surface Of the
SEED OF the cotton plant; and the simple cir
eumstapoe that, as the ball opens, these even
tire ads become fattened and twisted 40 as to
adhere TO each other as they are drawn ont
The walls Of the cells are colorIess. thin and
delicate; but when the cells make part of a
permanent structure, the walls are thiokened
by internal deposits over most of the surfaoe
out leaving some spots of the original walls
bare, which look like pores Sometime, thew
nli up so as to almost obliterate the cavities
and convert the soft tissues in the hardness Of
wood or stone. Though there is no open cir.
cuIation of fluids In unbroken channels. still,
mid do e. -
to them
The cell wall sneloses the living oroan
Just beneath the solid wall is a LAYER of Terv
sois tonder substance, which existed before.
ana created the walls by its secretiops. The
walls soon cease to live, but the hort tanoe
within Is endowed with a life similar to hat of
animals OF the lowest and simplest classes.
ana shows its vitality both by growth and cir.
Plants grow by the increase in size and nv
the multiplication Of these cells. They grow
larger oy Incorporating more of the juices into
their substance, and increase in numher nv
dividing the interior of the cells Arst into two
and then into four more perts-each making =
oeii,wall OF Its Own, the old vail growing way
as the new one is formed; or they multiply by
PaItitlonlng the cell the UPPER part elonealine
ana oeing separated again, and its upper part
undergoing he same in process of time.
The mpst simple plant consists of but one
cell, Of which the rcd snow plant Of the Arctic
regions is an instance. The next form con.
sists OF two cells in contact Nature molds
plants OF one cell ieto almost every imogin-
able form; one commences in an oval form.
then elongates at both ends, thus imita ing
the root and stem Of plant
The next step toward the perfect plant Ia in
the characlum, an oval One-celled plant, from
one end of which protrudes a point which
affixes itself to whatever it can grow on in the
water. Here Is seen direction. Then the
body enlarges, and the plant natures.
Plants OF rows Of cells, placed end to end,
either with single rows or with branches. is
the next form in the scale Following that ia
the form where, by multi plication of cells in
two directions, leaf is produced and then
GENES the form in which row of cells in
another direction is added, and the sell d stem
constructed then appear, the perfect type of
the plant, IN the moss, where the leaf. stem
and root are put together, and the work is
accomplished.
The EMPIRE CLUBS BALL, which came off
last night, at Temperance Hall, was at least
az agfeea BILE az any other that has marked IN.
progress Of the present season of eaie,y among
the young people Of Washington. There were
large number of beautiful and modest yonnv
girls there, whose presence added n oh ~, 70