Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-25
CITY ORDINANCES.

AN ACT providing for the establishment of a Board
Of Health, the appointment of Commissioner of
Health, and prescribing his duties and for the
abatement and removal of nuisances
BE IL enacted 6y Ms Board of aldermen and Board
OF Common C0uncI of the CITY Of Washington That
from and after the passage IF this act, and annually
ON or about the fourth Monday of June and also
when vacancy shall happen by resignation, death,
or otherwise, the Mayor shall appoint by and with
the consent of the Board of Aldermen, Board of
Health, to be composed of physician and citi-
zen from each ward and a competent person to be
designated the @ mmissioner of Health, and who
shall be ex oficio the Secretary Of said Board and
who shall execute all the provisions Of this act apper
tanning 70 the health OF this CITY, the prohibition and
removal of nusances the cleanliness of the city gen.
orally and perform such other duties as may be re-
CURED OF him by law; and said Commissioner of
Health shall receive compensation of fifteen hun
dred dollars per annam payable quarterly, shall en-
gage IN no other business calling except the duties
Of his office prescribed by law and shall before en-
tering upon his duties give bond to the Corporation,
to be approved by the Mayor in the sum of two thou
sand dollars, conditioned for the faithful execution
thereof.
Sec 9. Aad be ii enacted, That full power is here
by vested in the Board of Health to meet annually on
the first Monday in May, Ito elect its own President
and at such other times as may be required by the
Mayor, or the Commissioner of Health, or majority
OF the Board 10 determine what constitutes nuisances
OF causes of disease affecting the health of the CITY, or
| any part of it, And the Commissioner of Health is
hereby empowered to cause the removal of any and
all substances and accumuations which may have
been declared to be nusances and sources of disease
ut the cost and expense OF the person persons who
may allow any such to be deposited otherwise TO
accumulate on, in front of in the rear of their
premises pass from their enclosures into any
street or alley; and the said Commissioner snail
publish at least once in each year. what constitutes
nuisances.
Sec 0. Ind be ii enacted That all complaints or
petitions for the removal of nusances affecting the
health OF the inhabitants shall be presented 10 the
Commissioner of Health, in writing, who shall, being
satisfied OF the existence of such nuisance the
removal OF the same speedily as practicable by the
owner or owners of the lot lots or premises, or by
their agents in of minor heirs or non-resdents;
and In cases where the lot or lots or parts thereof
shall belong to non-residents who have agents.
whose agents are unknown, to person persons
of unsound mind the title to which shall be in dis
pute so that the true owner owners cannot be
titled, then it shall be his duty to have the same re-
moved and the expense thereof shall be paid out Of
the funds of the ward and assessed and collected as
tax on the property in the way and manner point
ed out in the sixth section Of this act.
| Sec Ind Be IL enacted That the Commissioner
OF Health is hereby authorized in ascertaning the
facts relative to such complaints to visit the prem
ses complained Of; and any person refusing to per-
init or obstructing such examination fer the purpose
aforesaid, or who shall refuse or neglect TO remove
such nuisance shall in the first case be subject to
fine of not less than FIVE than ten dollars
and in the latter 10 penalty of not less than nor
more than i've dollars for every day such nuisance is
| allowed to exist
Sec. 5. Ind 5s IL enacted, That the Board of Health
IS hereby authorized to prescribe such regulations as
will secure complete registry of the births, marri
ages and deaths, and in the latter case the names
ages, sex, color, place of nativity, occupation dura
ton OF disease, duration of residence in this city,
place where death occurred whether married or sim
gle widow or wdower, free slave, and the disease
or any other cause thereof that the Intendant of the
Asylum and all undertakers within the limits of this
Corporation, are required to conform to such regula
/ tons relative thereto may be adopted by said
Board, under penalty for failure thereof of not less
than two than ten dollars in each case and
| the Commissioners of Health is hereby required to
transmit to the Mayor annually detailed statement
OF births, marriages, and deaths and the said Com
missioner is hereby required to publish monthly in
the newspaper publishing the laws of the Corpora
| ton, bill Of mortality in this city.
| SEC. g. -And be 1t enacted, That when any lot or
part of lot within this Corporation shall be be-
low the graduation of the street. avenue, or alley on
which the same may front bind it shall be the du
| ty of the Commissioner of Health, upon his own OBJ
servaton or upon the representation in writing Of
citizen, TO call Immediately and acertain wheth-
er the condition OF such lot part of lot is cacula
ted to affect inuriousy the health of the inhabitants
or to njure or endanger the property in the neigh
borhood; and if in his opinion the condition of said
lot or lots or part of lot will be injurious aforesaid
it shall be the duty of the Board of Health to request
the Surveyor to examine said lot or lots part of lot
without delay, and report in writing whether the
same shall be abated by drainage by filing due
DelDR HiWayS ndu the interest OF the owners
or proprietors Of the property and if by filing he
(the Surveyor shall estimate the quantity of earth
necessary to fill up said lot lots part of lot (de-
signaling as far as practicable the quantity for each
lot part of lot to height not exceeding the most
depressed graduation of the street. avenue or alley
| on which the same may front or bind and il by
drainage the mode and probable cost of the same for
each lot or part of lot; and upon the return Of said
report ii shall be the duty of the Commissioner of
Health to serve a written notice, accompanied by a
copy of the report of the Surveyor upon the owner
owners if residents of the CITY, occuper of said
lot or los or part of lot either by personal service
or by leaving the same at the residence usual place
of business of the owner, owners, or occupier re-
quring him, her. or them 10 abate said nuisance and
complete the TO his satisfaction with as little de-
lay as possible; and if said owner owners, or occu.
pier shall fail, after notice aforesaid to abate said
nuisance to the satisfaction of the Commissioner il
shall be his duty to cause the same TO be removed
and abated in the manner prescribed in the report OF
the Surveyor, by private contract or by public adyer
tsement for proposals. in the opinion of the May
or may be deemed best; and If by filling, to ele-
walton not greater than the most depressed gradua-
ton of the street avenue or alley which the same
| may front or bind. H'
And il shall be the duty Of said Commissioner to
make return to the Register of the cost incurred in
filing up draining the said lots or lot or part Of
lot; the amount thereof shall be assessed as tax
thereon and shall be placed in the hands of the Coec.
tor of Taxes who shall collect the same with interest
thereon from the date Of the return Of the Commits.
sioner at the rate Of ten per cent. per annum and
In cases IN which the amount assessed TO any lot
part of lot by the return Of the Commissioner is less
than fifty dollars, the shall be paid out of the
funds of the ward in which said lot or part of lot NAV
lie, to be collected as aforesaid and repaid to the
ward and in all in which the amount assessed
as aforesaid exceeds the of fifty dollars for each
lot or part of lot certificate Of stock for the said
amount assessed aforesaid each lot or part Of lot
shall be issued to the party parties entitled thero
with interest thereon at the rate Of six per cent per
annum from the date Of the return Of said assess
4 ment 10 be signed by the Mayor and countersivned
by the Register which said certificate shall set forth
the date of said assessment the lot part of lot upon
which the same has been made, and the purpose
thereof the said certificate of stock to be redeemed