Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-18
The District i'm Congress-.
BILLS REPORTED FAyoRABLY BY THE HOCs
COMMITTEE.

lumbia have agreed to report favorably the
following bills:
To provide for the taking of testimony for
the courts of the District of Columbia.
TOamend an act entitled an act for the sup
port OF the government of the District of Co
l9mbia for the fiscal year ending June 3oth,
To prevent the sale of policy or lottery tick
cts in the District.
prevent depreciation on property in the
Bill providing for the recording of deeds
mortgages and other conveyances affecting
real estate.
Bill authorizing, the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia to prosecute cases, and
to take appeals without giving bonds
Bill providing for the adjustment of claims
against the District, and for other purposes;
To amend an act of Congress of June 23d,
1874, regulating gas works.
Bill providing for a permanent form of gov
eInment 1or the District OF Columbia.
ADVERSE REPORTS.
The committee will make adverse reports on
the following bills:
To ineSrp9rate the Citizens Gas Light Com
pany of the District of Columbia.
To incorporate the Rand Gas Light Com
pany of the District OF Columbia.
Bill providing for a general law authorizing
any person to establish gas works in the Dis
To Incorporate the District of Columbia Gas
Light Company.
- TO incorporate. the Swiss General Mutual
To incorporate the Sovereign Distribution
Agency of the District of Columbia.
To extend the charter of the Franklin Insur-
ance Company of Washington.
To incorporate the Washington Eye, Ear,
and Throat Hospital
A bill was agreed upon by the committee to-
day, and Will be reported to the House this
afternoon, which provides: That the eleventh
section of an act OF Congress regulating gas
amended so as to read: THAT the Washington
Gas-light Company shall be authorized, on and
fterpaSSage of this act, to charge and receive
for Illuminating gas furnished to and paid for
by the government of the United States, or
District of Columbia, at the rate of two dol
lars per one thousand cubic feet, and when
by the inhabitants of the city of Washington
at the rate of two dollars and twenty-five cents
per one thousand cubic feet; PrOUided, That
# the parties or inhabitants, other than the
United States or District of Columbia. so fur
nished, shall pay any bill within seven days
after the same shall have been presented, said
amount of such bill at the rate of twenty-five
cents per one thousand cubic feet and all
laws authorizing higher rates are hereby re-
That when the RFef of gas
GaSlight Company shall advance above six
dollars per ton, the price OF gas to consumers
may be advanced at the rate of ten cents per
one thousand cubic feet for each additional
dollar per ton that gas-coals may advance in
price and for that purpose the Washington
Gaslight Company shall, in the month of May
i'll tdCn StdI, luEUiSn tne secretary OF The IN
terror with statement of their coal contracts
or purchases for the ensuing year, excepting
the Rltchle mineral and the Richmond coal
the cost of which shall not enter into any cal
culatlOnS IN making an average, which state
ment shall be sworn to before q justice of the
peace by their engineer and Secretary, and
the advance shall take place on the lst of July
ensuing
AMENDMENTS TO THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT
The District committee of the House to-day
adopted the following amendment to the bill
to provide form of government in the Dis.
trict: That the Commissioners of the District
shall appoint nineteen persons. actual resi-
dents of said District of Columbia, five of
constitute the trustees of public schools, who
shall serve without compensation and for such
terms as said Commissioners shall fix. Said
trustees shall have the powers and perform
the duties in relation to the care and manage.
ment OF the public schools which are now eN
erciSed and vested in the board of trustees of
public schools of the District
An amendment was also adopted that two
engineers shall be detailed from the army, one
OF whom shall be one of the commissioners,
and the other to act as his assistant; both to
have rank as captain.
ASSESSMENTS.
The committee also agreed to refer to the
bill with reference to assessors of the District.
After the lst Ofpune, 1878, they are to be under
the direction OF the superintendent of assess
ments and taxes of said District, assess the
value OF all the real and personal property in
l.,
and shall state the same in separate books TO
be kept in systematic manner, and such
value for taxation shall be the, true value in
the lawful money of the United States of the
property SO assessed. The assessed value shall
have reference to the date of the lst day of
June. 1878, except as to stock in trade, which
during the year ending June 30th, 1878.
Said assessors shall, between the 1St day of
May, 1878, and the goth day of May, 1878, hold
Vin
the assessments Heretofore made by them,
and for the purpose of hearing and determin-
ing any and all appeals from the valuations
heretofore made by them. Each assessor
shall, at the meetings of the assessors as afOre-
said. make full and detailed reports of his act
as as such assessor. And during said period
they shall have power to revise assessments
heretofore made by them, or any of them, by
either Justly increasing or justly diminishing
any particular assessment.
In section 5, strike out the word ''dOmiciled''
and insert i'll lieu thereof the WerdS "tempOra-
riy,residing.'
Sec. 2. That said assessors, while engaged in
making the assessment as required in the first
section of this act, shall also take an accurate
census of the inhabitants of said District of
Columbia, and return the same to the Commits
sioners of said District. For this purpose, the
Commissioners of said District shall prepare
the proper books, so arranged as to show. un-
der proper heads, the name, sex. birth place,
race, age and occupation of such inhabitants,
and such other information as they shall pre-
scribe.
PROPOSED NEW JUDICIARY FOR THE DISTRICT.
This afternoon Mr.. Gunther, of Arkansas,
introduced bill i'm the House to provide for
the better administration of justice in the Dis
trict of Columbia, which c0ntemplates the
abolition of the present District judiciary
and establishes new system.
BILLS PASSED BY THE HOUSE.
The first bill reported to the House by the
District committee this safternOOn was the one
to amend the act for the support of the gov
ernment of the District in relation to the
powers and acts of assessors in The District.
The bill was passed.
Mr.. Hunter reported the bill authorizing the
District Commissioners to prosecute cases and
take appeals without giving bonds. Passed.
He also reported the bill providing for taking
testimony in the District OF Columbia. 1t pro-
vides that nOtarieS public in the District shall
take dispositions and do all other acts in rela.
tion to taking testimony to be used in the
courts OF the District, the same as examiners
in chancery of said District may now lawfully
take or do. Passed.
DROPPED DEAD AT PRAYER MEETING.-Wm
DlckersOn, a young man about eighteen years
OF age, fell dead in prayer meeting that was
in progress in private house near Providence
paper mill, in Cecil county, Md, last Saturday
evening. -.-..-..,.- -.
GOING TO DESERT THE BROTHERHOOD-It
Is announced that the locomotive engineers in
the employ of the New Jersey Central Rail
~ I,ox, x,NI,, =