Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-10-10
The question A gitating lae Town

The question Agitating tne Town.
Pursuant to previous announcement meet
ing of the Town Council of Rockville was
held on Tuesday evening last for the pur-
pose of giving citizens an opportunity to
discuss the ordinance recently proposed pro-
hibting future interments within the cor
porate limits. Public sentiment is divided
upon the question, and great interest was
taken in the discussion. The meeting was
largely attended, and all who wished to be
heard were accorded ample time in which
to present their views.
The discussion was opened by Hon. VIM.
Veirs Bouic, who presented a strong argu-
ment in opposition to the adoption of the
proposed ordinance He maintained that
| the general health of the town did not sus-
tain the assertion that the burial places with
In its limits were sources of disease. He
stated that but small minority of the citi-
zens of the town had petitioned for the pas.
sage of the ordinance, and that some of them
| were unaw' f its actual purport when
| they placed their names upon the petition.
the petition could not have believed its con-
tents, because they had shown by their ac-
| tions that they did not consider the grave
yards dangerous to health. A number of
them, he said, had purchased lots and built
fine houses contiguous to the burial places,
and some had actually established summer
boarding houses, and invited visitors to come
and enjoy the health giving atmosphere and
excellent water to be had within their es-
tablishments. The Judge severely criticized
the opinions DR.. Chancellor and other ex-
perts who favored the theory of the petit
tioners, and laid special stress upon the alb
sence of any specific evidence tending to
prove that either of the grave yards in Rock.
vile are detrimental to health He closed
with an appeal to the Council, in the name
of the loved and honored dead, to allow
them to rest in peace and to permit their
surviving friends to be buried by their side
| Mr.. Cooke ID. Luckett declared himself in
| favor of the ordinance. He said that he was
the author of the petition and had solicited
the signers; that he believed the movement
to be in the interest of the public health and
the progress of the town.
Mr.. H. NJ Talbot was the next speaker.
He also favored the ordinance. He was, he
said, in constant dread of disease and death,
and, while he held the memory of the dead
in great veneration, he was willing to do
anything in his power to protect the health
and lives of his family.
Hon. George Peter spoke briefly to the
question, taking neither side, but expressing
willingness to abide the decision of a ma
jority of the people Of the town.
Mr. Robert b. Higgins said Judge Bouic's
argument had been controverted by his ad-
vice to citizen to drain his cellar by means
of dry well, and by the further fact that
well-known graye-digger had told him
that he had discovered water in graves.
Mr. A. II. Fletcher testified that the water
in his we'll had been very bad, and that he
had found it necessary to give it thorough
cleaning out.
After an announcement by the Mayor that
the question should be determined to night,
(Friday,) the meeting adjourned.