Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-09-12

RAscALLY AcT.-An who have heretofore
had occasion TO pass through the Smithsonian
GROUNDS, either on pleasure or from necessity,
must have experienced, until very recently, { e
great Inconvenience resulting from the absence of
any accommodation In the way OF seats The eff
ncient Commissioner Of Public Buildings had
long sought to have this Inconvenience remedied,
bet was unsuccessful In procuring an appropria.
pon for the purpose, until last year w hen one was
made, but 90 limited in amount as to neceni ate
him to reltnquish the judicious and excellent
plan he had at first conceived with regard to the
quality and arrangement Of these seats and adopt
another, which, while II affords great accommo-
danon, OF course Is nothing like 90 extensive or
elegant arrangement as would otherwise have
been provided The present seats, which are
arranged under different trees In couples, separa-
Red from each other, (Which fact renders them
made Of a post Of red cedar with turned top of
BLACK walnut, combining utility with neatness
and elegance Of style They are so situated on the
ground that some Of them shall always afford
resting place protected from the rays Of the sun,
no matter AZ what period Of The day it may be-
ne Public Gardener, who had charge Of the dis
Posiuon OF them, certainly deserves great deal
OF credit for this wise arrangement Notwith-
Standing the great utility to the public of these
seas, and the trouble and care which had been
exercised In their preparation, IL was not long
after they had been hxed on the ground before one
or two OF them suffered mutilation ct the hands of
Some malicious persons, and one actually taken
out OF the ground and carried off
This wss mOst rascally piece of business and
We nope III the Offenders are caught, they will be
dealt with to the full extent of the law As there
may be those who are ignorant Of the law on this
subject las IL Is OF recent date), and the severe
pe1alty attached, we publish the same az follows:
-fThfs law provides; That every person who
shall wilfully and maliciously, OF wantonly and
without cause, in the District of Columbia, cut
dewn, destroy, or by girdling, looping. or other
wise iDjure any fruit or other tree not his own
sanding or growing for shade ornament, or other
,,s PufP9se, or SHAH maiiciously destroy, mu
ment, or other work Of art, standing or being ON
land not his own, shall nialicIously break down
OF ibluIe any fence, tnciosng or belonging to an
others land; or shall maiiciously sever from the
freehold Of another any product thereof or any.
thing attached thereto, shall be punished by i'm
lfsosment In jail not M ore than three months, or
by fine not exceeding 800.
Ana, further, that every person who I'M said
district, without color of right shall wilfuIlv
commit any rssPass by cutting down OF destroy
on such land, or by digging up or CARRYING away
any stone: ore, gravel, clay, sand, and such like
from such land, or any roots fruit or plant or by
ou.i ig down OF eSfrying away any grass, hay,
gfain or corn standing or being on such land
shall be punished by Imprisonment in Jail moi
more than sixty days or by fine not exceeding.
SOL. .Fr~ 20 = -. .-- e
BY the Sd section of this act, full iurisd,c,ior
Is given to the magistrates of the city over the
casts Of all viola tors of this law.
CuLPAsLs NEGLECT ON THE PART OF OUR CRY
OFFIcIALs-lt is a most astonishing thin, tb.t
with the one hundred policemen and ten noIiroo
magistrates who compose the constabulary den,,t-
ment OF oar municipality, the requirements ef our
most necessary ordinances cannot be ,nfo.coJ
There is law Of this Corporation which bss
never been repealed TO our knowledge ,eo,,i,ir",
persons who make excavations in O. \, street. -
suspend sigma ghts at the termini of such exca
vatOns during the night. In or de, 20 I.exs,
accidentsi and yet so seldom is q enforced bv The
officers that Il is "A dead lett a and ths doc{{in
would seem TO be inculcated fiat cort,.cto,s O..
laying water gas, and 9th pipes are esneci,II,
empowered 10 leave m N traps In all our rnost
traVeled streets on parP osc to decrease the cen,n.
returns One would suppose that the suroson.
anu uhoefakers d, I'D conspired with these con-
Gc.Ss W I1ey Ut on our population for the benefit
"a sosce, anu n with view 10 a rise in the price
y, So1 ~ aese excavations are being made in
a III, a.u ne signal lights required by law to be
pa 70 warn passengers Of the dangerous local.
80 &c not put up in more than one case in every
t."' ana every day complaints reach ID. from per.
= us who have suffered lin MANY insla:.. Is seri-
ousiy) by reason Of the gross neglect above indi-
Gated The mis- ut before last gentleman attempted
10 cross New Jersey avenue at Legitimate cross NO
pace, when suddenly he was dumped head first
Into pit at least six feet deep which hid been
left by some enterprising contractor without the
necessary signal Ii is outrageous that out of the
one hundred policemen, whose salaries and uni-
forms cur Taxpayers furnish, at least one man in
each district cannot be found with sufficient
energy 20 bring to. summary pun ishment these
vosto's OF an ordinance important to the safety
Of citizens.
OPPOSITION MEETING IN THE SECOND w.Rn
TO NOMINATE A CANDIDATE FOR COMMON CouS.
ciL.-AccordiDg to announcement a larpe ana
ehthusldstic meeting Of the opposition voters Of
tne second Ward was held AZ Union Hall last