Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-24

THE DISTRICT LAW OFFICE.
Points From the AnnuaI Report of
Attorney Riddle.
THE ADVERSE DECISIONS IN SPECIAL AssEssHENr
cAsEs-NEED OF UNIFORM CODE OF LAWS
FOR THE DIsTRrcr-A TEMPORARY EXP4pIENr
sUaGEsrEp-coMMIrMENT OF TIE INSANE.
The report of Attorney Riddle for the fiscal
year ending June so, 1889, has been submitted
to the District Commissioners. During that
time 1856 cases were tried in the Police Court,
with an aggregate amount Of fines imposed
amounting to S45, 1888. During the year, At
torney Riddle says, there has been noticeable
increase in the labors Of his Office. The BUSH
ness Of the Office in the courts, however, he
says, were less exacting than during the pre-
ceding year. He speaks of the work before the
Supreme Court and thinks that the last opinion
in favor of the railroad companies puts an end
to all similar cases in the District He then
goes into detailed account of these cases. In
the supreme Court OF the District, the report
says ffty-one cases were finally disposed Of
fourteen Of which were in General Term, ten in
the circuit Court and twenty-seven In the
Criminal Court. VI the cases disposed of in
General Term, the report continues, the great
TAXES AND SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS
ana the decisions thereon, ~ Q rule were
against the validity of the taxes or assessments
complained of. Most Of these cases we're be-
gun BY certiorari and the grounds of attack
upon the action Of the taxing officers were
quite exclusively technical and the assessments
wnen set aside were set aside by the court by
what appeared to the attorneys Office as COM
psratlvely unimportant irregularities. Since
the Brewer case until the present time, the re-
port says, the court has asserted and reasserted
principles respecting the levy Of special assess
ments and the force and effect Of tax sales and
deeds destined to continue embarrassment and
involve no little loss to the District because of
the Careless or inaccurate acts Of past officers.
THE ANOMALOUS DISTRICT LAWS
The report calls attention TO the case in the
General Term Of the District against John
Curtin. This was prosecution begun by the
District in the Police Court against John Cur
TIN for selling liquor in Georgetown on Sunday.
The defense was made that there is no valid
law prohibiting the sale of liquor on Sunday in
Georgetown. This case has not az yet been de-
clded, and the report says it calls attention to
the disordered copdition of the local ordinances.
There are four sets Of such ordinances, one
emanating from the late corporation of WASH
ington, one emanating from the late corpora
ton OF Georgetown, one from the late levy
court governing the county of Washington and
one from the late legislative assembly of the
District.
A TEMPORARY ExPEprENT SUGGESTED.
The report says that it is a reproach to the
national legislature that this condition of things
has been permitted to continue 80 long. The
laws of the late assembly are in force through
out the District, but the ordinances of the
other bodies mentioned are limited in their
application to the respective territories gov
erned by those bodies. Mr.. Riddle suggests as
a simple expedient in advance of an intelligent
code of local laws the extension by Congress of
the valid ordinances Of the corporation of
Washington to all parts OF the District. This,
he says, might be done by a simple act in no.
wise effecting the validity of the laws of the
assembly.
Besides the causes tried before the regularly
constituted tribunal he calls attention to the
case OF Samuel Strong and goes into it in detail.
The report calls attention to the necessity of
a law providing for condemning right of way
for sewers or condemnlng public alleys except
on petition Of private owners, as the absence of
such law is a serious defect which should not
longer exist.
COMMITMENT OF THE INSANE.
The Recommendation relating to the commit
ment Of the insane in his last report is repeated
Under existing conditions embarrassing aues-
tons on this subject often arise, which should
not be permitted to go longer without atten-
ton. In addition, he says, the appropriation
for the trial of the insane is much too small
and should be increased to at least $4,000 In
this connection, the report says, an embarrass-
ment has arisen in the use Of this fund by rea-
son OF the
PECULIAR WORDING OF THE APPROPRIATION ACT,
which reads: ITO defray the expenses attend
ing the execution of writs de lunatico inauir-
endo, and commitments made Hereunder in
all cases of INDECENT insane persons committed
to the government hospital for the insane by
order of the executive authority of the District
of Columbia, de-"
Placing stress upon the word COMMITTED"
the report says the accounting officers of the
Treasury have held that unless the party tried
was actually found insane and committed" no
allowances for the expenses of the trial could
be made out OF this appropriation. Mr.. Riddle
suggests that in order to avoid such questions
the language OF the appropriation act be
changed to cover all cases.
WHY SALARIES OF THE DISTRICT LAW OFFICERS
SHOULD BE INCREASED.
In concluding his report Mr.. Riddle, after
calling attention to the growth Of the attor-
ney's Office, says:
II confidently assert that adequate service
cannot be procured for the attorneys Office if
it is to be located at the District buildings for
less than the sums that have already sug-
gested as proper salaries The attorney and
assistant attorney being located at the District
building must necessarily quite abandon all
hope of practice outside the Office; and in
behalf of our respective successors, as well as
in behalf of those of the Office force who are
10 remain, beg to urge upon you and upon
Congress the eminent justice OF seeing that
officers whose time and attention are so much
engrossed by the public service are not made
quately compensated"
DISTRICT GOVERNMENT.
VITAL srArrsrICs