National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-05-11
THE DISTRICT W4fTER BTLL.
An Interesting Debate IN the senatc-opl
sition to tho Measure.

The bill to regulate the use ana prevent the
waste of Potomac water in the District OF Columbia
came up in the senate yesterday. As amended by
the committee and reported to the senate the bill
reads as follows:
THAT the metropolitan police of the District o
Columbia are hereby declared to be, and made
water inspectors, and IL shall be their duty, and
they are hereby required, from time to time under
direction of the commissioners, to examine and I'm
spect withOut previous notice to the occupants
all premises where Potomac water is taken or used
and f at any time they shall find water running
to waste OH any premises, they shall forthwith re
port the number ana locality of the premises the
name OF the owner or occupant and the charucte
of the waste, TO the commissioners OF thO Disric
"sRC. . That upon receipt of such report or o.
any other satisfactory evidence that water is run
ming to vast. en- any promises, 1t shall be the duty
OF the commissioners to cause the water registrar
forthwith to notify the owner or occupant Of said
premises ana II sueh waste IS not stopped within
fOrtycight hours after such notice. the water sup.
ply shall be cut of,
''SEC 3. That whenever the water supply shall
be cut Off under the provisions of the foregoing
section, It shall not be turned on again until til {
owner or occupant of such premises has paid to
the water registrar the sum Of g."
Mr.. Rollins, who has charge of the bill, made an
earnest speech in It's support, charging that there
was an Unprecedented waste on the part of citi-
zens, and maintaining that with proper care the
supply was ample Tor all purposes in every part OF
the District The supply, he said, was greater in
proportion to the population Than in any city of
the world, being lodi4 gallons per day TO every
man. woman and child after making liberal
allowance for the water used by the departments
Mr., lugRlis denounced the bill as au act OF un-
warranted yrruny, giving to the police the right to
enter any house vt any hour of the day or night,
anl to break down doors il necessary to do so,
Mr., Dawes thought it the government supplied
the water II had the right to prescribe the terms on
which 1t would do so.
Mr. ingalls, read the statute defining when the
police had right TO enter private residence,
showing II was confined to felonles. lie had no
sympathy with those who wOuld restrict the use of
water, The people could not use too much water,
unless they drowned themselves.
MeSsrS. Butler and Harris defended the bill, urg-
ing that unless tho waste was stopped there must
be 81 100000 expended % increase the supply and
that then the waste would increase pruportiouglly
Mr kirkwood suggested that motors would COi-
rect the abuse.
Mr. Harris was not willing to measure ont water
to the people. The bill does not seek 10 check the
use of wafer but to prevent It's waste. There were
he said, q thousand spiggots in this city running
day and night. lie said the supply was 10000 900
departments and the public fountains; tho remain.
dor was used and wasted by citizens.
Mr. Voorhees, denounced the bill which gave
po icGmon the right 10 invade his premises at all
hours OF the day or night II opened not only the
front door aud the parlor door, but every door in
the house to them, and gave authority to go from
cellar 10 garrct, whenever they saw fit, under pre-
tense of inspecting the water, lie had some old
fashioned notions OF the constitutional rights OF "a
man in his own house, and would rather DO with,
out the water except ns he brought IL from the
river himself, than submit TO such INVASION II n
senator should find IL policeman invading his bed
IbOlh le NpNlh LhNc OllA Hlmstll 70 bhllG lOf
voting for this bill
MIR, Butler said the senator assumed that the
policemen were rutlans and ckguRrds. lie did
not believe the police would improperly use the
power put in their hands. The power must be
placed somewhere,
Mr., Voorhees, repelled the mputatIon, lie would
not give such power to the purest man in the land.
The way TO prevent an abuse Of power was not 10
bcstow II improperly
Mr.. Conkling said he would vote for no such
martinez regulation. Power now existed under
the law for an invasion Of premises. II n member
of congress or other person came here In December
snd rented q house their premises could be in
yRded aud the water supply cut of, When they
went to ask why IL was they were informed that Il
previous tenant had not paid, and II they would
pay nom the preceding June and then give 81 the
water would BE- turned on with their patent tOngs.
such u state Of affairs did not exist In the city
where he lived. There was, h0 said petty tyranny
In this District, which would require the ciZcus TO
go through regular drill, like the manual OF the
soldier " escape the penalties,
Nj Edmuuds rose 10 speak, but Yielded foE q
motion for an executive session,