Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-08
DISTRICT LEGISLATION.
Meetings of the Committees of Both
Houses To-day.
NO ACTION on THE NOMINATION OF MR. WEBB By
THE SENATE coMMITrEE-MATTERs ACTED ON
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAPITOL.

The Senate committee on the District Of
Columbia held its regular weekly meeting to-
day, Senators Ingalls,, Farwel, Harris, Daniel
and Faulkner being present.
The routine business of the committee was at
once taken up, and the Police-Court bill was
first considered. 1t was decided to non-concur
In the House amendments and to ask for a
committee Of conference. The House bill pro-
yiding for
COMPILATION OF THE LAWS OF THE DISTRICT
was then taken up and after some discussion
was amended and ordered to be reported by
Mr.. Faulkner. The amended bill authorizes
the Supreme Court of the District to appoint two
persons linstead of three) learned in the law as
commissioners to compile, arrange, and clas-
sify, with proper index, all statutes and parts
OF statutes in force in the District. The COM
pensation of commissioners remains fixed at
81, 900 each, and the expenses of the COM
mission are to be betrayed from fund of
Sl,0O0 especially appropriated. When the
compilation is complete, upon the order of the
Supreme Court of the District, there
shall be printed 5000 copies at the
government printing Office, said copies
TO be sold at 10 per cent above cost A favor
able report was also ordered on the bill to
amend section SIS of the Revised Statutes of
the District. The bill affects the incorporation
laws, increasing the limit of the number of di-
rectOfs from nine to fifteen.
Senators Chace and Daniel were appointed a
subcommittee to give hearing to interested
parties on the pawnbrokers' bill.
NO ACTION ON THE WEBB NOMINATION.
As has been prophecied in The STAR, the
committee took no action whatever in the case
of William B. Webb, nominated to be Com
missioner of the District. Mr.. Webb, not
being democrat, prevents the democratic
members OF the committee from urging his
confirmation, and the republicans oppose the
confirmation idea because they do not regard
District republican. We're 'pf'i it NOT
for this latter disability it is more than proba-
BILE that an exception would have been made
IN this case and the nominee would have been
lifted off the hook and confirmed. The republic
can Senators are satisfied, and more than one
of them has so expressed himself, that Mr.
Webb lacks the political backbone which
republican anatomy. There is also strong
objection to the manner in which affairs have
been administered at the, District building
with the knowledge and consent of Mr..
Webb. AS these have not, to any
considerable extent been placed officially
before the committee they are regarded, at
the Senate end of the capitol as secondary mat
tiers. If they were investigated by the Senate
they would probably assume more portentous
shapes and more gigantic dimensions, but as
the Senate has barely touched upon this
side of the question the only real
reason advanced by republican Senators in
opposition to Mr.. Webb's confirmation is the
one which states fatty his political weakness
He has been nominated as a republican and
the majority of the committee feels
as though there were good many men in the
District of Columbia who are not marked with
any political stripe, but who would be more
satisfactory republicans than Mr. Webb has
shown himself to be.
1t can be accepted as settled republican sem
atorial policy that no nominations where the
appointment is for a fixed term, will be re-
ported before March t.
THE HOUSE DISTRICT COMMITTEE
decided to-day to report favorably the Senate
bill regulating the drawing of jurors and their
time of service for the Supreme Court of the
District. A SIMILAR bill has passed the House.
An adverse report authorized upon the
bill to incorporate the Suburban street railway
company.
The bill to incorporate the Washington and
Sandy Springs (steam) railroad was amended
SO as not to permit the road to come within
the boundary and then was given favor
able report. The road is to start
at Boundary and New York avenue and run to
Sandy Springs. All features permitting tracks
to be laid within the city limits were stricken
out.
The former favorable action on the bill to
refund certain special assessment lien GER
tifcates was reconsidered and amended
SO as to provide money for the Comm issioners
to hear all the cases and report to Congress,
with estimates. As SO amended favorable
rpnOrt was ordere6