Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-28

| behalf Of her association that the time allotted
for the completion Of work on 7th street road
be extended, that the laborers may observe the
Sabbath and not be compelled to work seven days
! in the week. As heretofore stated the matter was
| referred to the attorney for the district for
| his opinion as to the Commissioners rights in
| the premises, and also an opinion as to the
| Sunday law in the District. The opinion was
submitted today and is as follows:
THE OPINION.
am in receipt from you of the memorial OF
Mrs. Catlin on behalf Of the womans Temper
ance union requesting an extension at your
hands of the time in which the change OF
motive power shall be accomplished by the
Washington and Georgetown railroad company
on it's tracks on 7th street west, so that no ex-
cuse may remain for violation of the Sabbath
For the information Of the ladies devoted to
the noble charity Of their order / beg, in
answering your question of your power in the
premises, to invite their attention to the pres
ent state Of the sunday laws" SO called Of the
District. The Commissioners have no power
in the premises to limit or extend the time for
the execution of this work. By law the time is
now limitless, and these ladies have no means
| nor have the Commissioners of securing an OBJ
| servance Of the day except by
AREsoRT TO THE POLICE COURT
Of the District How would such a case fare
there as against the Washington and George
town railroad company BY the act creating
The Metropolitan police and defining their
duties the 9th clause of section 335 of the Re-
vised Statutes of the District of Columbia
specially enjoins upon the police board (now
the Commissioners of the DistricO ''to see that
all laws relating to the observance OF Sunday
are promptly enforced" The Commissioners
in this instance, as do the chief executive
ofhcers OF states, fully discharge their duties
when they see that their subordinates promptly
execute the process of the courts. 1t still re-
mains the duty of the citizens of the District
VINO would see given penal statute enforced. to
appear at least before the prosecuting officer or
major Of police and Make complaint. Section
$50 above seems to imply that abundant law
enforcing observance Of the day thus set apart
exists. One examines in vain the 1886 sections
OF the Revised Statutes of the District Of
Columbia, for another word upon the subject,
and hese embody all the laws of Congress
especially referring to the District down to June
%, 1874.
THE GENERAL STATUTES
may still apply to this favored or neglected
region. On turning to that huge volume, the
Revised Statutes of the United States, of 5,6O1
sections, also enacted June ~, 1874, we find
that the students Of the military and naval
academies are not to study on Sunday, so also
by section 1888, all distilleries, mailing, &c,
resumed until / am. of MONDAYS Beyond
these We find no provision against labor of any
kind on the Christian Sabbath, nor am l ad-
vised of any subsequent enactment on this
grave matter.
LOCAL LEGISLATION.
/ am aware of no act of the late District
legislature which aids us. Its license laws con-
tain some wise inhibitions.
We turn to the legislation of the old corpora
tlon Of Washington and find on this subject it
spends itself IN the prohibition of certain spe-
cific things by alcohol vendors. newsboys. cigar
dealers. &C., and this remark extends to the
police regulations of the District Commission
ers, who certainly used all the power vested in
them on this matter by Congress
THE OLD MARYLAND LAW.
We turn again to the laws of Congress and
find that by the act of February y. 1901 q
statutes, 103), that the laws of Maryland as they
existed at that day were continued in force in
the District. This RENTS US to kiltv's huge IN
PACED quartos OF colonial and state enactments
and to Alexander's English statutes in force in
Maryland OF a thousand pages. On ruuagine
hhty chapter l6, acts of l723, section Is, we
lind 1t declared that No person whatsoever
shall work or do any bodily labor on the Lords
day, commonly called Sunday. DC. :" "(works
Of necessity and charity always excepted):"
such person, on conviction thereof "shall for
felt two hundred pounds of tobacco to be levied
and applied as aforesaid" By an act OF Octo-
Der. 1857, fines in tobacco were commuted for
money at the rate OF II shilllngs pence per
hundred. This was temporary statute, re-
enacted from time 10 time, until it is a matter
or grave doubt whether it was in force at the
date of the act of February q. 1901.
Ny assistant, Mr. Davis, had occasion, and
with his usual accurate and exhaustive learn
ing. traced this matter through, and 1 agree
with him that this is a matter of such grave
doubt that should not advise prosecution to
enforce the Maryland statute. Standing with
out communication law, there is no method of
iudicially ascertaIning the value of tobacco,
the act is now obsolete.
NO ENFORCEABLE LAW HERE.
The result OF this inquiry is that there is now
no enforcible law in the District against ordin-
airy labor on Sunday. 1 beg to suggest that
this grave subject so worthy of the care of the
Womans Christian Temperance union, might
be specially brought to the notice of Congress.
1 am sure the chief magistrate, on being adj
ylsed by the Attorney General of the condition
of tho Sunday laws OF the District would feel il
his duty to call the attention OF Congress to it.
/ trust the ladies will not rely upon the idea
that the subject matter will be provided for in
any code for the District Three codes. pre-
pared with great labor and expense, have al
ready failed to receive the legislative grace of
Congress, the last of which was prepared under
my official direction by special act of that
"
ernment part of this work. The Senate passed
the whole to the limbo OF its two predecessors.
Miss Caldwell's Marriage.
Paris Special to New York World
The wedding Of Gen. Prince Murat and Miss
Caldwell was changed, at the request Of the
bride, from St. Pierre de Chaillot to the private
chapel of the Papal Nunciatore in the Rue de
Varennes. 1t will take place on Thursday.
The ceremony will be very simple and private.
There are to be no opera singers to chant the
offices, as is customary here. The younger
sister of Miss Caldwell will act as bridesmaid.
The prince will be attended to the altar by two
brother officers.
All arrangements for the marriage have been
completed in spite of the fact that the pro-
spective bride recently announced in CORES
pondence to friend that she proposed always
to be her own fnancier. The pope has sent to
Miss Caldwell q valuable present and an auto
graph letter congratulating her upon her COM
ing marriage to Prince Murat.
RUDE BURROWS STRATAGEM.
He Kills Two Officers and Retreats
With q Woman In Front of Him.
Rube Burrows, the noted train-robber, was
located in Biount county, Ala, Friday morn
ing. Deputies came upon the house he was in
and Burrows and one of his gang seized q
woman who was in q delicate condition and