Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-01
District Affairs in Congress-.

ID
drove yard company Ofthe District OF Column
bia. It names as incoTporators Moses Bren-
nCr, John Dunn. NJ. H Hamilton, William
ii. Hoover. Joseph Prather. p. NJ. Snowden,
Il 8. Elliott Chris. kieny. L. Loane, JOS.
W. Weyrich. VIM. Turner, s. $ Hoover. John
r. Kelly. and Emanuel Ellinger. The com
! pany is authorized to erect. and its own ex
pense. at a convenient point on the line of the
| Baltimore and Ohio railroad. with the appru-
val of the Board of Health, stables. sheds.
ponds and pens, and such other buildings as
| may be necessary for its purposes.
He also introduced a bill to compel the
Washington market company TO pay tn the
District of Columbia the amount due from il
| to the poor fund. 1t directs the Commission
of fhe District. or their successors to cause
suit 10 be Immediately brought against said
company 10 recover the whole amount due
under the provisions of its charter. and in
ease of Judgment being obtained the Commits
sioners are directed to levy and collect a spe-
cial tax upon the property of said company,
under the provisions of existing tax laws.
sufficient to pay the whole amount of the
Judgment and the costs of obtaining the
same.
Also a bill to pay AnnOn J. Cunning late
watchman of the Treasury extension build
ing, S175.20, the amount due him under the
act of Congress granting 20 per cent. aidi-
tlonal compensation to government en-
ployeeS.
Also a bill TO give the Court of Claims ju-
risdictiOn for one additional year from and
after the passage of the act. i'm cases of ofclaim-
ants for additional compensation to certain
employees of the government arising under
the joint resolution of Congress giving addi-
fional compensation to certain employees in
the CIVIL service, approved February 2Sth,
1861.
Also a bill to prevent the indirect defeat of
1ne r,ghts 70 pr1pfTty IN the District OF 60
right, claim, interest, or estate, dover or 9th
erwise, of a wife or husband to ordinary
property, real. personal or mixed, in the Dis
trict of Columbia, shall be indirectly de-
feated under or through any mortgage deed
trust, or other pledge by any subsequent or
Intermediate quit claim or other assignment
of the property so pledged, or of the equities
OF redemption thereof made by husband
without cooperation OF his wife, or by q wife
without cooperation OF her husband.
Also bill providing thatin all cases where
services have been rendered by persons EN-
piOyed by the late Board Of Public Works
where payments has not heretofore been
made, the claims therefor shall be examined
by the Commissioners of the District Of CO.
lumbia, and if such services were rendered in
good faith, said claims shall be allowed and
paid out of any funds of the District not 9th
erwiSe appropriated.
BILL TO AMEND THE DISTRICT GOVERN
MENT ACT.
Gen. Chapman also Introduced q bill to
amend the iiSt section of an act To provide
government for the District of Columbia. IL
provides that the section alluded to shall
read :-''And upon the repeal of the charters
of Washington and Georgetown, the District
OF Columbia shall be declared to be the sue
ceSsOrS Of each of said corporations the Com
missionerS of the District or their successors
TO be declared the successors of the mayor of
each OF the late corporations in all his pow
ers, functions and trusts. And all the
property of said corporations, including
all the property held on deed or lease for
school purposes by the Trustees OF Pub
lie Schools or by any of the late Boards
OF Trustees Of Public Schools, shall
bia. The bill also provides that the
building regulations put in operation
by the late Board of Public Works
shall remain in force. Accompanying the
bill which was ordered to be printed, was a
letter from the District Commissioners eX-
planning the object. They set forth that ex
isting statutes do not explicitly designate
any successor TO the variSsIs trusts devolved
by law upon the mayor of each of the late
corporations OF Washington and Georgetown
This omission may lead To much litigation
They state that two controversies are now
pending-One as to whether the Commission
ers are the legal successors OF the mayor o
Washington under the paving commission
act OF July g. 1870; the other, whether the late
Governor of the District succeeded to the
duties imposed upon the mayor of Washing
ton by the charter of the Washington Marke
Company. They also set forth that there /
no title of importance touching the title TO
real estate occupied for school purposes vested
extension of fthe Jurisdiction of PoliceCour
to the enforcement of the building regula
tons. The Commissioners further state tha
though the act organizing the Police Court
provides in favor of the United States attor-
ney docket fee of $40 for each conviction. it
makes no provision for similar compensa-
lboil 10 Tie VINO pfOseCuteS IN DcDdlI
of the District and that under the present
law they have no power to make proper re
muneration to the officer; also, that the bill
for the transportation of conVicts shall be
paid from the Police Court fund
The amendatOry bill makes provision for
all omissions, and provides legislation for
the purposes suggested in the letter Of the
Commissioners.
THE SENATE DISTRICT COMMITTEE
held a special meeting this morning, all the
members present except Mr.. Jones, and dis
nf a mr. bnr nfh Cr,f
Sequently the following bills were reported
in the Senate from the committee;
By Mr.. Dorsey, without amendment, III. r.
i.f44, to amend an act entitled "An act for
the government of the District of Columbia,
and for other purposes" approved June 20,
1874 This bill enacts that the seventh sec
ton of the act approved June 20, 1874, be
amended by inserting the words ''do sO' after
the fortieth word following the first period in
said section so that ii will read: And the
faith OF the United States is hereby pledged
that the United States will, by proper pro-
pOrtional appropriations as contemplated i'm
this act, and by causing to be levied upon
the property within said District such taxes
as will do so, provide the revenues necessary
TO pay the interest on said bonds as the same
may become due and payable, ana create a
sinking fund for the payment OF the princi-
pal thereof at maturity" Tr0rided, That
registered bonds may be issued in lieu OF
coupon bonds as provided i'll said act. or
changed for coupon bonds already issued;
and the interest of all said bonds shall be
payable at the Treasury OF the United States.
This bill passed the House on the 18th ult.
In connection with this bill the COMMITTEES
submit report saying that the object of the
bin is TO carry out the recommendations OF
the Sinking Fund Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and TO secure the results
aimed at by the act of June 20, 1872. 1t sets
forth the defect i'm that law, and the omission
of the words "dO sO," and refer to the report
9: the Sinking Fund Commissioners TO show
the Importance of said words. The committee
also state that these words were in the
original draft of the bill, but Were left out by
accident. The committee report that all the
claims filed, TO be ultimately converted,
amount to SO 900, ,514.66, and that this sum d.
will be varied somewhat by claims disai-
lowed and by claims for work being done
payable i'm 3.65 bonds.
M. Hitchcock reported adversely Senate
bill 1.10, to aid in the construction of the
Southern Maryland railroad. This bill
authorizes the District Commissioners to
subscribe TO the capital stock of this road the
amount heretofore authorized to be sub
scribed TO the Piedmont and Potomac rail-
road, and provided for an election to ratify
or dfsapprOve the subscription.
The petition of Sam Strong, praying that
the Board OF Audit for the District be re-
quired to settle all claims as provided by the
act OF June 20, 1874, was reported adversely;
also, same report on petition OF citizens Of
the District praying for the enactment of a
law incorporating the StOckbridge agricul-
tural, manufacturing and commercial COM
pany; also, same report on bill and petitions
- 49, g.