Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-03

IDe Dill 10 dUOLSil lue NdUef IeSlStrdF VI tiIc
District has been reported back from the Senate
District committee adversely and Indefinitely
postponed.
THE HEALTH LAWS.
The Joint resolution to legalize and put into
effect the health ordinances Of the District was
called I'D for passage in the Senate to-day, but,
on motion of Mr.. Conkling, was ordered printed
He said he wanted to understand the resolution,
especially the portions imposing pe4alties 1Or
violation of the ordinances. Senator Harris Will
call the resolution up again tomorrow, as it will
be printed by that time.
THE RIVER IMPROVEMENT QUESTION.
The subcommittee of the House committee OF
the District of Columbia having in charge the
subject Of the improvement of the river chan
mel, held a meeting this morning. Mr. Joseph
Williams said he had no special opposition to
Major Twtning's plan, but he thought it would
increase the 6ushings on the low lands Of WASH
1ngton. II five hundred or six hundred acres OF
ground is reclaimed and it is not flooded, then
you flood the city, for the vast displacement of
water must find some place to flood, and have
an outlet somewhere. He advocated the one
channel plan on the Washington side, and
thought by building bulkhead from AnalOstan
Island 1000 feet, would defect the channel to
the Washington side. He favored the citizens
plan. with the exception that he thought the
channel should be wider.
Mr.. Easily, who owns what is known as
Easby's Point, said that Major Twining's plan Is
the board of survey Of 1872, with the nodtfica-
ti0n that he keeps open what Is known as the
City Channel While the board OF survey recon-
mended closing it up. He said that Major
Twining's plan contemplated contracting the
river to half its width. and hence it must rise
in its perpendicular, the result OF which would
be that it would flood the Tiber valley. He
thought If the river was to be contracted in
width something must be done to keep the
water out of the low lands of the city. It was
one OF two thingS-either to let the river alone
in It's present width; or if 1t Is to be contracted
I'LL up the valley Of the Tiber He advocated
the plan contemplated by Capt. RiveS, of having
one channel, 25 feet in the center and feet at
the edges, and dredging from Windmill Point to
the Arsenal. This, he thought, would rest on
the channel which nature had provided.
Major Twlnfng said the highest flood OF the
river above mean tiGe had been 10 feet at nth
street, feet at the Long bridge, and So feet at
the arsenal. He did not think the Tber valley
would be overfowed by either the citizens plan
or his (the Majors plan.
Mr.. Joseph Williams inStanced the raising of
the Tiher arch In the Botanical garden. which
he said was caused by the high flood in the
Eastern branch, in support OF his protest againSt
the contraction of the river.
Major Twining said the breaking OF the arch
was due mainly to severe rain storm, when
the rain fell at the rate OF three feet an hour.
Mr.. Williams said the more you disDlace the
volume Of water in the river by reclaiming the
land, the greater you expose the low lands OF
the city to Hood waters
At half-paSt twelve o'clock the committee ad-
journed until Friday, which viii be its last pub
lie meeting held on the river Improvement s1o-
Ject.
THE WASHINGTON MARKET QUESTION.
The House District committee held a special
session last evening, for the purpose of hearing
arguments in the matter Of the repeal of the
charter OF the Washington Market company.
An argument in favor OF the repeal, begun at
the meeting last saturday, was resumed by r.
X. Elliott, who pointed out alleged violations
OF the charter by the evasion Of taxation, ac-
complished by dividing up the land into four
plots, thus setting free from taxes land amount
ing to more than 81, 900 square feet. The COM
pany was chartered with capital stock OF
$4,000 and of this only $4,000 has been sub
scribed Gen. b. F. Butler, who announced
that he appeared as the administrator OF the
estate OF a minor holding some of the market
stock, then addressed the committee in opposi-
ton to the repeal, and after hearing him the
committee adjourned until next Monday.