Evening star., 1896-01-20
DlSTRICT IN CONGRESS
Surgeon General Sternberg on the Cruelty
to Animals Bill
He Sees No Necessity for Any Legisla-
ton ON the Subject-Other
Local Measures.

Ills oDJectlohS 10 Dill ldteIy introduced IN
the Senate for the prevention of cruelty to
animals. He thinks that the provision re-
quiring those who experiment on animals
to hold a license from the Commissioners
should be eliminated or modified, so as to
permit medical officers and others properly
detailed for experimental work in any of the
departments of the government service to
prosecute such experiments without Ii
cense. After stating other objections to the
measure, Gen. Sternberg concludes, as fol-
lows:
lar as my observation goes, 1 do not
tis.4k there is any necessity for legislation
upon this subject. In my opinion, it is a
mistake to suppose that those engaged in
scientific investigation or in teaching physi-
oiogy are any less humane than the mem
bers OF the Washington Humane Society,
and the passage of an act placing them un-
der the supervision of inspectors appointed
by this society would be an unmerited re-
Election upon them"
Liens for Storage Charges.
Britton & Gray, attorneys-at-law, have
written to the Senate committee on the
District of Columbia citing references to
state statutes providing for the enforce
ment of liens for storage charges on the
general lines embraced in the bill now
pending before Congress, for the purpose
cf showing that such laws are of general
application throughout the states. Messrs.
Britton & Gray favor the early passage of
the bill.
Favorable Recommendation.
The Commissioners have recommended
favorable action on Senate bill 800, ito
amend section of an act entitled An act
to provide for the appointment of a sealer
and assistant sealer Of weights and meas
Tres in the District of Columbia
They have also favorably reported on
Senate bill 1S9, For the relief of Kate
Winter" The object of this bill is to quiet
Mrs. Winters title to the land referred to
in the bill by repeating the right of the b.
and P. r. r. Co. to take her land by con-
demnation proceedings.
The Appropriation Bill.
The subcommittee of the House appro-
priations committee having charge of the
District appropriation bill held session
this morning to make further progress in
the preparation of the bill Tomorrow
hearings will be given the Engineer Com
missioner. the adjutant general of the Dis
trict militia, DR.. Gallaudet, DIR. Purvis and
representative of the Homeopathic Hos
pital upon items in the bill interesting their
several departments.
Hearings were given Saturday afternoon
to representatives of the Eastern DiSpen-
sary and the Emergency Hospital for the
appropriations for those institutions.
Against the Sabbath Observance Bill.
Petitions against the passage of the bill
for the observance of the Sabbath in the
District of Columbia are beginning to come
into the House. One from Wisconsin and
one from Rhode Island came today, each
upon a printed form, indicating method in
the manner of getting. the petitions. 1t is
said they are being sent by the religious
sect known as the Seventh Day Adven-
lists The objections urged against the
bill are set forth at length.
1t is charged that the bill proposes to de-
termine by statute and court what is
proper and what is not proper to do on a
day of rest and worship, made such by
Divine appointment. 1t is claimed the
bill proposes class legislation on purely
religious grounds. in that certain persons
are exempted, providing they religiously
observe Saturday, and the court must de-
eide in what such observance consists.
The petition claims that "such a law
would do grave injustice to large number
religious sacredness and also to those who
do not deem it a religious duty to observe
either the first or the seventh day Of the
week day of rest or worship"
House Hearings.
Tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock the
House District committee will give a hear
ing on the bond bill, at which the Commits
sicners will present the reasons for the
passage of the bill and such persons or
organizations who are opposed to it will
be heard through their attorneys or ac-
credited representatives
Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock the
committee will give a hearing on the bill
to regulate the practice of medicine and
surgery in the District and to license ply
sicians. An agreement has been reached
upon this bill between the Medical Society
of tine District and the Homeopathic Medi-
cal Society. which, it is claimed, removes
the main feature of opposition to the meas
ure heretofore urged.
Liability of Employers.
Mr.. Gillett of Massachusetts has intro
duced in the House bill offered In the
Senate by Mr.. Lodge fixing the liability of
employers in the District of Columbia for
providing compensation for injured en-
ployes.
Additional Clerks Needed.
The Secretary of the Treasury sent a
communication to the House today recon-
mending an appropriation for the employ
ment of twenty additional clerks at $500
rer year each in the redemption bureau of
the treasCrer's office, and stating that the
services of this force are absolutely neces-
sary for the transaction of the public bus-
ness at this time
Great Falls r.. II. Report.
Falls railway, submitted to the House to-
day, shows the receipts for the year end
ing December 81, 1895, to have been SIT OYO,
of which amount ST. ,237 were from passen-
gers, and the expenditures $76,77O. From
August % to December 81 the road carried
21,045 passengers.
Army Orders.
Lieut. w. o. Clark, twelfth infantry has