Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-06

Interests Of this community.
~ The question was raised whether the act Of
Congress of 1917 was in force, which prohib-
tied banking and the issue of notes Of five
dollars and upwards, by unincorporated ins,i-
buttons. The defendant in the case asked the
Court to give the jury certain instructions,
which the Court refused, holding THAT the act
Of 1917 was not in force that it expired with
the occasion that called it forth, in 1874
L The principle points are as follows:
!. LIST. That the Goth, 3oth, 3lst and 32d sec
tons Of the act Of 1917, which forbid the
making and issuing Of bills by unchartered
partnerships and associations in this District,
and declaring that contracts founded thereon,
or securities taken therefor, were void, were
repealed by the act Of 1921, and that said sec
tons are not now in force. a n
Sd. That under the act of July Z, 1888, it is
unlawful to issue or pass, or offer to pass, in
this District, any note, check, or bank bill Of
q less denomination than five dollars. a
Sd. That contract made in this District,
where such paper formed the whole or any
portion Of the consideration, was void, and no
recovery could be had upon it
4th. That where a contract was made in, or
made here, to be executed in New York, the
consideration of which was to circulate bills as
money, whether d. large or Of small denomi-
nations, issued by an uncha,tere association,
partnership, or company, such contract is pro-
hibited by the statute Of that State, and no
recovery could be had thereon a5
9th. That il the jury should find the whole
evidence presented in the case to be true, it did
not present case emitting the plaintiff to
recover. 5i. " s5,s SaaI agaa
C1rY CouNcILs co. BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
Bills We're passed for the relief Of Cameron &
Money,1to supply deficiency for building walls
Of a bridge across the. 1iber, and for grading
Ohio avenue as5f rABs as.ss .ya r.e
A resolution was adopted instructing the
City Surveyor to examine and survey Massa-
Ghusetts avenue between Thirteenth and Fif.
teenth streets west. vs. z .5sg7a
In the lower Board the resignation of Robert
I. Knight as member from the Seventh
Ward, was presented and accepted. g5
An act for the correction Of tax.baoks, &C.,
was passed zsa tssrs &. III a- .l,ga
"a joint resolution was passed directing an
application to Congress for the passage Of "a
bill for the benefit of public schools .sseg
OUTRAeE,-As the members of the Union
Fire Company were taking their suction home
from the fire on Sunday morning last, they
were, fired upon by a person named Rock.
Happily, no one wasinjured- but this was no
fault of his. He was shortly after arrested,
and we hope he will be properly dealt with.
THosE ARNs.-We have been requested to ask
why certain gas filters wagon always carries
several dumps" or "cut offs when it goes
through the northern part of the city its wayto
the Soldiers Home ~ Also how many pistols
each man carries? ra fsss +
: SHOP THnvIse.--on Friday night last about
cigh, o'clock, the Grocery Store of Mr. Harris, on
Seventh Street. near F, was entered by some ras-
cally thief (most probably boy in go steathy
manner that the family, seated in the back room
adjoining, did not hear his entrance.
One ofthe family had left the store only minute,
when she thought she heard the bell family sound.
On going back she discovered that the money
drawer and its contents, some eight dollars, was
nissiag Hope they viii catch the rascal.
NIcETrEs OF THE LAw.-Some few weeks since
a man named Jones was convicted in the criminal
court for stealing a deprecated bank bill of the
Of FIVE dollars. The point was presented
at tho time rs TO whether this bank bill issued
without authority Of law the subject of larceny
and the decision was, that il was. Another ques-
ton connected with the same subject was, whether
il was grand petit larceny, the bill being nomi
nay FIVE dollars but in fact it was not worth that
amount less the amount of discount We do not
know that this point was presented for the decision
Of the court but at any rate the prisoner was sent
to the penitentiary.
Last week an interesting case was settled in the
Circuit Court, in the case of Sntham, Smitbson
e. Co., u.s. w. W. Mann, being an action TO recover
the amount of several thousand dollars, alledgcd
10 have been given the defendant for circulation
in the State of New York, who was to circulate
them and retain cert tain percent on the amount
and pay the balance TO the plaintiffs. I1
The fact was proven or admitted, but the defen-
dani demurred on the ground that as these notes
we're issued contrary to law, they we're not the
subject Of contract aud consequently the contract
was void and the plaintiffs were not entitled to
recover This defence was sustained and the YER
dict was for the defendant. m
Now both of these cases may have been decided
in accordance with law, but neither in equity, &C.
cording TO common sense.
This reminds us Of the law student out west,
when asked to define the distinction between law
anil equity, said "wcll III tell you, Judge, law is
law, but as for equity no man knoweth what il is
PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON.
The following letter Of the Washington cor
of the N. Y. Times and the re-
marks of the National Tntelligcnccr which were
published in the last named paper afew months
since was at tho time overlooked by us. We
give it place now that our readers may know
of the existence Of so valuable relic of the
Pater Patria. Congress having decided TO
have The portraits of all Of the Presidents, this
one oughtno TO be overlooked. Being the only
profile portrait in existence Of Washington, it
should occupy distinguished position at the
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