Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-03-05
The District I'm Congress.
THE BOARD or HEALTH BEFORE rue sENsT
COMMITTEE

The Senate committee on the District of
gave a hearing today 10 the Board
Of Health OF the District in regard To certain
matters which may come To the attention nf
the committee in perfectiug a bill for the gov
ernment OF the District.
Dr. Verdi explained the annoyance caused
the Board ot Health m It's supervision Of sew
erS, streets and alleys, aS there II no appeal
for the board In those matters beyond the bis
tTict Commissioners. The iuSuttciency of the
sewerage system Of the District was explained.
The high tides, frcShetS in the Ptomoac aud
south Winds force back the sewer water and
gases Go the upper part OF the city. nr. Verdi
believed that the trouble with the sewerage
system OF Washington could never hc over
g me until a large intercepimg sewer
should be built which would carry tlG entire
contents of the city sewers Ia point beyond
the city. thence Ia he hoiSted 10y pumps 70 an
elevated canal which would carry the hlih
and refuse Ia point on the Potomac tar be
Sond the city, where II could be carried away
10y The river without injury 10 health. Dr.
Verdi opposed the appointment of any one
man under the District Commissioners as
health officer 10 Supcr>Nde the Board of Health.
where BOARD oi aldermen or legislative body
existed a single health commissioner might
receive the assistance necessary tor him Ia
properly carr! out the duties appegt tining IN
a board Of health; but in Washington such
plan would be- unsuccessful. The contra~.
between the sanitary condition of Washington
under the old regime ot sanitary puire aDI
the Hoard ol Health was portrayed by Dr.
Nerdl, who made the statement that during
the past year = persons died In the District of
Columbia without medical attendance be
cause no appropriation was made 10y Congress
for providing medical attendance tu the sick
poor.
Dr. Bliss also explained 10 the committee IA
dlihculty attending the removal oil nuisance
from those portions of the city under contro
of the District Commissioners. ou private
premises the Board of Health has 40 difficulty
IN ahatlng nul>ances. In one instance which
Dr. Bliss related thirty four complaints wer..
made 10 the District Commissioners before n
nuisance in one of the public alleys of the
city was removed. DT. Bliss said that tha
Board OF Health does not want Ia he placed
under control ot the District Commi SSionerS
He SAID that il is utterly impossible Ia. an epi-
demic to prevail in Washington. ''If an ep;-
demic should break out in Washington and
continue for any length uf time" said ID.
Bliss, IL would resign from the Board oI
Health and publicly confess myself an incom-
petent medical man.
THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT BILL
Al twenty minutes of = o'clock this after
noon MIR. Hendec called up the special order,
il being the hil la provide for a form of gov
eminent in the District of Columbia. Mr..
Hewitt, of Aiahama. antaguniIed the mo-
tion 10y a motion Ia take up the Mexican yel-
erans' pension bill. The question of consider
alton was submitted Ia the House. aud hy a
vote by telleIS the House decided 10 take nm
the District bill There was some Joking from
The democratic side about the republicans an
taEonlllng the appropriation bills.
d. MT: singleton was asked the question
whether lie would report one If the mo ion 10
take up the District bill was voted down. Ha
made no reply. but the understanding was
that he would not, but would give way Ia allow
the pension hill To be considered. Quite a
misunderstanding then ensued. and numeT-
Gus points of order were made. Finally, Gov.
Hendee made !he proposition that ii the an
preparation committee wanted 10 bring for
ward any general appropriation hill and in
the District bill would not lose its place, after
such appropriation bill was disposed of. he was
willing Ia give way therefor.
Chairman Atkins then brought forward tLa
Treasury deficiency bill Ia continue the en-
ployment oil certain Treasury clerks The
chair decided that the bill brought forward
would not lie against the District bill
Mr. Hale, of Maine then moved that the
House 20 into committee of the whole on the
general appropriation bill. giving notice that
he would call up the f0rtincatiun hill The
House decided Ia go into the committee of the
whole, and ;he District bill was laid aside.
The hill holds IFS place. however, as a special
order. and " i'll be called up when the pandiug
iortiiication hill is disposed Of if not antagon-
lied 10y some other appropriation hill.
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COMMITTEE
of the House to-day heard w. r. BearSley
al Baltimore. agent for the Clarke bell punch.
He had With him a sample of the punch and
explained its workings Ia the committee. DIR.
MOfet, OF Virginia, who was expected tO have
been present with 4 sample of his punch and
IFS successful operations in Virginia, tele-
graphed that he could not be present. The
committee are somewhat inclined 10 tho
opinion that those seeking TO have the punch
adopted, have an eye single to their own good
and pecuniary profit, rather than that OF the
general public. IL is expected though. that
the District committee will recommend q
higher rate of license than Is now imposed on
those who sell SpirituOus and malt liquors.
NEW LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY.
In the House yesterday Mr.. A. =. Williams
introduced bin Incorporating the National
Security Life Insurance company, of Wash
mgtOn, ID. &. Ii names as incOrpOratorS Jas.
+. Starbuck, Lucien J. Barnes EnOch II. Car
son, Jas. w. Husteed, q. A. Hadley, r. =.
al
McCay, p. W. Mackey, Julius =. Clark, A. 4.
kellar, John &. Burch ID. W. e. Wheeler, J.
Nj. Lewis, VIM: Preston, Robert &. Schenck,
G. b. Farwell, J. 4 J. Creswcll, John A. Id
gan, W. w. Wiltshire, Orrin Il. Welsh, AleXan-
der Ramsey JAS. y. Brodhead, Seth l.. Phelps,
Harvey nj. NatterSon Jos. kenSon, Orlando
J. Hodge and others The capital stock is To
be fixed 10y the hoard Of directors, at an
800 each.
LIQUOR LICENSES.
Mr. Williams also introduced a bill amend
ing section ~, chapter IL. of an act approved
June ~ 1874. relating TO the District of Colum-
bia, so as to provide that the Board Of Police
commissioners, or their successors in Office,
shall issue liquor licenses in every case where
the applicant has complied with the law, and
without making any unjust or unfair discrim-
inations between persons applying for such
licenses.
THE sEAToS HOUSE
Mr.. Henkle, of Md, introduced in the House
a bill providing for the purchase, at a price
llOl exceeding Sta'bi, % the StalOn building,
on Louisiana avenue, between 9TH and 9Th
streets the same Ia be used for the Offices sI
the District government.
COMMISSIONER GATCHEL AND THAT PETI-
TION.-EditJr star: Referring TO a statement
in THE STAR of yesterday to the effect that 4
petition was in circulation for signatures ask
ing my removal as police commissioned would
say that have heard of such petition in the
hands uf Mr.. McNahb, a correspondent OF a
Baltimore paper. ! have never seen IL. nor
have ! been able i0 find il. think il would be-
only justice 10 me for YOU TO publish IL. giving
the names of its ~ignerS. / hear there are only
seven names TO ii. As TO that portion of II
alluding 10 a proposition TO Mr.. Tyler. an IN
>urance agent, i am innocent; never made
such proposition ur thought of doing 80.
THEo. r. GATCHEL.
In regard TO The above matter, Mr.. Frank
III. Smith writes Us to the effect that the con
versation had with Capt. Tyler as TO his insur-
ance business was without MIR. Gatchel's iu-
stance or know ledge
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN MAINE.-In the
municipal election at SacO, yesterday, q. e.
Clark, republican, was elected mayor by q
majority. There is a large republican major
ity in both branches of the city government.
AT Ellsworth, Joseph L. Grant, republican,
was elected mayor by five majority. The re
publicans carry four of the five wards Butler,
republican, was elected mayor of Portland,
having oslo votes to z, 3G for Weeks, demo-