National Republican., 1884-05-13
The House Finally Concludes to legiSlate for
Its Involuntary Wards.
Half a Million Dollars Voted to Com
pete the Sewerage System.
A Much Needed Bill Of Police Regulations Goes
Through the House,
And Number OF Other Important Dis
trIct Bill aro Passed.

day, and moro was accomplished than during
tho entire session before. Every member OF
tho district committee was present and each
put in good day % work. They began as soon |
as the house met and introduced bill after |
bill until, at o'clock, one member became |
tired and upon his motion the house ad-
journed.
Gen. Sholloys sewerage bill was reported
to the committee Of the whole and passed
without discussion. 1t provides:
That the sum of 5000 be, and the same Is hereby,
appropriated out ofany money in the treasury not
pietips tho principal main drainage aud the
auxiliary sewers OF Washington and Georgetown
in accordance with the plans on file ~ !he once
SEC q That notice for proposals shall be given and
contracts for the construction of said sewers made
in tho manner now provided by law In cases of
building new sewers IN the District Of Columbia:
for thirty days, aud in addition to the newspapers
in which notice Is now required 10 be given, said
thirty days in each Of the ciiio Of Cnijsso, Gin.
cinnati, St, LOUIS, Louisville, and Richmond.
SRc 8. That the secretary of tho treasury is
hereby authorized and directed to pay out of the
aforesaid appropriation, for the construction OF
Std In thS manner n sGd nSE Provided 0y law
SEC. 4. That SO per centum OF the amounts 50
paid by the secretary of the treasury upon the
warrants of the commissioners OF the districtshall
bo charged to the said district iu the same manner
that the cost of similar work is now charged:
trict of Columbia shall be reimbursed to the
United States, without interest, in annual Install
mepts of $4,000, commencing with the fiscal year
of 1855 and 1886.
An amendment was tackled on to tho bill
providing that the uneXpended money OF the
district remaining in the treasury be applied
to the portion to bo contributed by the
district, and that for tho remainder of the
districts portion, which the government
should advance, the district should pay per
cent. interest.
The bill introduced by Mr.. Townshend for
the protection of fish in the Potomac river
in the District of Columbia, and to provide
spawning ground for shad and herring in the
Potomac, was next taken up. The bill re-
strcts persons from fishing with fyke net,
pound net, stale net, weir, float net, gill net,
haul seine, or any other net for
period Of FIVE years. such ofiense to be pun
ished by fine of not less than SO nor moro
than $780, The agents of the fish commits
sion are allowed to take fish from the river
for scientific purposes. The bill was passed
without discussion.
Mr.. Barbour then moved that the house go
into committee of the whole, and the mo-
tion being carried, he called up the police
bill.
This bill provides for moro perfect regula-
tions of the business of pawnbrokers, and has
been vigorously fought by them, as it places
stringent restrictions upon them. The bill
requires all pawnbrokers. or junk, or second
hand clothing dealers to give bond of
$1,000 fixes hours for pawning goods,
and prohibits the dealers from charging
more than per cent per month for
loans. Each of them must keep book or
registry, giving name and description Of the
person from whom the article is received,
his residence, and description of article;
requires them to prepare and deliver TO the
chief Of police every day before noon copy
of the transactions of the day before, and
prohibits them from selling or removing from
their store any article for twenty-four hours
after il is received. They are also held re-
sponsibe for the care of property as long as
ID is kept in pawn, and shall not receive any
article from u minor or intoxicated person
The major of police and his officers are per.
mitted to examine any pledged or purchased
article. The penalty for violating any of the
preceding sections is fixed at a fine of not
more than 500 nor less than $40.
Section 10 of the bill provides that oil vag-
rants or suspicious persons shall furnish Sc.
curity for their good behavior for tho period
of six months, in default of which they are to
be confined in the workhouse for that space
of time.
The bill.enforces sections 425 and 43O, inclu'
sive, of the revised statutes, requirlng;privatC
detectives to give bond of $4,000.
Tho clause prohibiting the sale of lottery
or policy tickets was stricken out of the bill
by the committee.
Section fourteen was amended so as to
allow milk aud ice wagons to dispense their
wares on Sunday.
A fine of not less than $40 nor more than $5(
is provided to prohibit gamekeepers, includ-
ing pool-room keepers, from permitting
minors to play ON their tables or frequent
their places.
The practice of destroying or defacinl
public or private property is declared unlaw-
full and u fine of $5 is to be imposed upon the
offender.
Fast or reckless driving is to be punished
| by fine of $40 for each otfense.
The hill also DrOVides "a tine of $40 to SlOO
for storing coal oil or burning fluid in quan
| titles Of more than 800 gallons within thu
thickly populated districts Of the city pro
hbits the extinguishing of gas lamps without
| authority; gives the commissioners authority
to locate hacks, newsboys, bOotblacks, and
| licensed venders, and to regulate tho same
| allowing them to appoint as policemen orr
fremen others than those who have served
in the army and navy; giving the supreme
court of tho district power to enforce it,
sentences by fines or imprisonment in al
cases appealed from tho police court; provides
| that all processes, excepting thosI
of commitment, shall be servec
by policeman that any dos
found about the market house shall be i'm
pounded allows the commissioners to cleaI
snow from payem ents and charge the SAINT
i against property at rate of not more thar
2 cents per foot The bill also makes som'
slight amendments to tho district laws.
A general discussion followed the prOduc
Il committee defended it.
Mr.. Brown, OF Indiana, arraigned the com
4 mittee in short speech for striking ou
section "a" amending the lottery law o
1878, and characterized this city as a hot bee
of lottery fraud He referred to the Louis
lana Lottery company as the colossal swindl
of tho age.
Il Mr.. Belford denied the right OF congress Il
prohibit an individual from spending hi
money rs he saw it. Did the gentleman
from Indiana think that congress should pre-
4 vent five or six respectable gentlemen from
i sitting down TO game of poker2 He dit
not want any of this puritanical kind o
legislation, The whole thing was humbug
Il and when the house got through the bill h'
n would move to strike out the enacting clause
and commit the morality of tho nation T.
q tbT care of the state of Indiana, as its politi
CA virtues had been committed to tho stat
of Ohio.
"A Mr. Weller was opposed TO all games o
chance, from pitching pennies to gambling il
breRdstuis, but did not regard tho lotter
company us a swindle.
Tho clause was left in the bill
Il kf. sESnner, OF New York, offered a
Il amendment to the bill, repeating all laws i'm
n posing tax on commercial agents. He sal
In explanation that large number of firm
had protested against the tax.