The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-09-08
LOCAL NEWS.

publication Of tho 9th instant, We seem TO be carried
away with the prevailing notion of "these days that
because thing is o il is forthwith 10 be given up and
adds ''Now, although this maxim may apply in many
cases. think you will admit that IL does not in the
case Of laws if they be good laws No people so
happy they who having received good set of laws
perhaps he means a set Of good laws unable TO tell
s dole whence they received them. While, then, we
would not have you condemn our present laws on ac
count of their ag must not be understood TO object to
any amendment revision which will make them better
but for this must be of the essence of the de-
termination. You say amy change cannot be for the
worse being aware suppose of the fact that the pres
ent code proposes thorough repeal of our Maryland stat
utes.
The misfortune in the of the people of the District
of Columbia is that they have not 'reered SIT Of GOOD
aps When Congress accepted the oession, the people
of this District under the exclusive legislation Of
Congress and one of the first acts in 1901, ht-sx years
ago, to extend the laws of Maryland at that
time In imperfect condition. and they have remained
until statute books without perhaps single
alteration Congress have twice essayed to make reuis
ions, but the two codes framed not adopted
In 17G3 the Legislature of Maryland passed general
law providing that no mans rights should be impaired
in the courts OF justice by any defects in the forms
of proceeding and enoined it upon the courts in every
case to give judgment according to the very right of the
cause. asut strange it may appear we learn from
respectable legal authority this statute, intended TO
strike down forms and make provision for justice,
treated with contempt by the courts and it
speced in Maryland, welded the judges to the
laws of Great Britain In 1855 the legislature passed
other law and that too disregarded and in 1909
they found it necessary to repeal the act ot
force obedience % The courts This shows the obstinate adj
herence in courts to ancient forms.
The CODE nearly completed, docs not propose
to sweep away that which is good but to abolish the
accumulated evils in the present system To the latter
branch of the subject there can be objection. The
laws should be framed to suit the necessities of these
times at the expense OF yeneration for the anti
quated and unsuitable forms which have descended to
from Maryland, which State has, long ago, modified
them, to the purposes of enlightened age We
perfectly willing to hold fast that which is good
1t is the e of which every man. practitioner at the bar
| or not should rid himself
Any argument to show the necessity for general
vision of the laws would be superuou every in
tcgent citizen knows that, by the present usage the
ends of justice not at all times, readily attained
Besides there Is much completely, and many dead
letter laws to mperatiyely demand reform which,
while it will the certainly individual rights,
WILL at the time, be comparatively better under
stood by those upon whom 1t is to operate
THE CRY COUNCIL YEsTERDAY-The Board Of Aldermen.
A communication was received from the mayor an
nouncing that he had signed number of bills, among
which several making appropriations for building
bridges
A communication was received from the Washington
Union Fire Department Asking the passage of ordinances
conrmaory to said department Of certain police and other
powers designated in accompanying copy Of the by
laws of said department referred to special
mttee.
The petition Of the Anacosa Fire Company and other
pf
suction was presented by Mr.. Ruff and referred to the
committee the fire department
The bills from the lower board to divide the Third and
Fourth wards each into three election precincts
farred to the committee police
A bill for the relief of the Metropolitan Hook and
Ladder Company reported from the committee on the
fire department and passed.
The Common Cbpaoa--A communication was also re-
ceved in this branch Of the city council announcing that
he had signed large number of bills, among which
that making appropriation for the contingent and
other expenses of the public schools for the current year
The board of aldermen substitute for the bill to
struct sewer in tho Fourth ward was passed
The bill the upper board for the relief of the
lumbia Fire Company was passed.
bill for providing lamps on It'll and 9th streets near
the Centre Market, introduced by Mr.. orme, and
passed
We have lately given the prices of the Massachusetts,
marble used in the walls and for the columns of the porti
Goes and corridors The varicgacd Tennessee marble
obtained from the quarrics of Eastern Tennessee and
costs delivered from five to dollars per cubic foot
The verd antique from Roxbury, Vermont, and
costs delivered sawed to dimensions dollars per
foot Column shafts of this for arways cost $3.50 each
The Breccia marble is procured from the Potomac quar-
Montgomery county Maryland and costs delivered
four dollars per foot The Lcvant marble from the
quarries the north coast of Africa and costs delivered
five dollars per foot Ordinary Italian for vestbucs and
starways and the Senate retiring room costs So rs per
foot and Italian statnary marble, pure white, 81 95
Choice blocks Of the Lee marble for uary costs So SO
per foot italian MARBLE polished skirtng costs 81 Is
per superficial foot
Tm Smr ISABELLA from Liverpool arrived at Alex
andria Saturday last after passage of seventytwo
days Her cargo consisted Of eight hundred tons of salt
The brig Fidelia from New York, of Dodge's West
India vessels touched at Alexandria Saturday last
She brings, among other things iron castings for the
Capitol and two hundred and seventyfve bundles of
printing paper for the government.
THE NAVAL CoURTs.-The three naval courts were re-
opened yesterday morning, after of months
duration. The members of these courts TO have
been benefited by this brief rest from their abos judy
ing from their improved appearance
PURJJc commenced apain Early