The evening times., 1896-02-11
DISTRICT HAD ITS DAY
Several Important Bills Consid.
cred and Passed By House.
LICENSING OF PO0LROOMS
Amendment Adopted Forbidding Pool
or billiard Tables to Be Placed In
the Same Room or One Adjoining
That In Which Liquor Is Sodium
isliment for False Swearing

Immediately after the transaction OF
| routine business in the HOUSE Chairman
Babcock of the District OF Columbia CON-
| mittee was recognized ard called up the
| bill to Incorporate the National University.
| The bin was read at length. aud Mr..
Richardson briefly explained its proyis-
ions. He said the institution had been do
| ing business for twenty years under spe-
| cial law OF Congress. and it is now desired
| to give them a specific charter, SO as to
obviate the possible necessity OF future
| registration for license from the District
| Commissioners.
Inrepiy 10 "a question from Mr. Cannon Mr..
| Richardson said that no new powers were
given not granted 10y their present charter.
| The committee amendments, purely OF Il
| clerical character, were agreed to and the
| bill passed.
| The bill TO extend the time allowed for
| completing the Washington and Maryland
| railway, by adding one year TO the desig-
mated period. was taken up and explained by
| Mr.. Rusk. He said unavoidable delays had
prevented compliance with the law. The
| chief cause OF delay was the difficulty OF
| securing rights OF way ON Rhode Island ave-
nue.. The bill was passed without dis
cussion.
LICENSING OF POOL TABLES.
The bill to license billiard and pool tables
was explained by Mr.. Curtis, who had the
report read. The report says:
The present law on this subject only i'm
poses penalty for the keeping OF billiard
tables. pool tables, etc, for public use
profit or gain. Under the decision of the
courts, The present law is Essentially
revenue law. a tender of the tax il a con
structive payment. and persons paying the
tax or rendering the same are permitted TO
carry on the business without a license.
~,
prevent the conduct OF such business by
improper persons or at Unsuitable places.
This bill is designed to impose penalty on
persons doing said business withouta license,
and 10 provide necessary authority to eX-
clude unworthy applicants, BY refusing TO
license them.
This bill differs from the original bill
as recommended by the Commissioners OF
the District of Columbia only in the fol-
lowing particulars:
"First. The committee add to section
2 the following provision:
That IN all cases OF refusal of said as
SCISSOR TO grant said license, or upon wrir,en
protest or ma joTity or more OF the prop
erty owners or residents OF the block in
which IL is proposed TO grant such license.
an appeal may he taken to the Commits
siOncrs of the District of Columbia. whose
decision shall be final.
Second. The committee change section
i tne Dill Dy uutlnS, aIier Inc WORD
alleys the words where spiriluous, vim
Gus, or malt liquors are sold, thus pro-
viding that II shall not be unlawful for
the said proprietors OF said tables, etc,
TO permit persons under twcnt y-one years
of age to play at said games or visit such
places where spiriiuous, vinous, or malt
liquors are not sold.'
Mr.. Ray urged that the bill I've SO amended
as TO prohibit the location or billiard tables
in the same room where liquors are sold.
EXCISE QUESTION NOT CONSIDERED.
Mr.. Babcock said the excise question had
not been considered. as 1T was not desired
to change the existing law. but simply to
provide for the granting-Of licenses.
Mr.. Ray offered an amendment making IL
unla wful for liquor to be sold ON premises
where billiards, pool, aud similar games
are played.
MIR. Richardson thought thistoo broad ,and
said IL might exclude liquor selling fron an
entire building or lot
Mr.. Ray modified the amendment so as 10
prohibit the sale OF liquor in the same room
or room opening into that where the tables
are placed.
The Ray amendment was finally adopted
with but little debate and the bill passed.
The bill to punish false swearing before
police and fire department trial boards
was taken up and passed.
The bill to provide for the reassessment |
OF water main taxes was also passed.
Mr.. Odell explained the bill to incorpo- |
rate and regulate medical and dental col |
leges in the District. The bill provides for |
registration with the Commissioners for all |
such institutions as are not chartered by |
special act Of Congress.
The prospects for a memorial bridge |
across the Potomac River to Arlington are |
probably better now than at any time in |
recent years.
The House Commerce Comittee at its
meeting toda y considered the matter at great |
length. and the expression OF sentiment was
almost without exception favorable.
Chairman Hepburn gave an Interesting |
account of a visit Of inspection to the |
proposed site of the bridge on both sides
Of the river, and expressed 1t as his
opinion that the bridge should he con-
structed at the earliest possible date.
Other members of the committee had |
also Investigated for themselves, and were
convinced that the project was not only
practicable and feasible, but one of ne
cessity.
No action was taken. but the bill will
be taken up for further consideration
whenever the committee has spare time.
In the Senate Mr.. voorhees, presented
the petition of the eX-soidiers, who are
watchnen ip the government departments,
praying the passage of the bill to advance
Mr.. Sewell presented the petitions of the |
Woman's Christian Temperance Union of
Ocean Grove. Camden. n. j., and of the
State officers of the W. C. T. u of that
State, fayoring the passage OF a Sunday rest
law.
Mr.. Hoar presented a resolution. which
was agreed to by the Senate, that immedi-
ately after the reading of the journal on the
22d. the President pro tempore read Wash
ington's farewell address.
Mr. Wetmore reported a bill to license
billiard tables. The Senate bill is amend
ed by the substitution OF the House bill.
Mr.. Mcmillan introduced the Commission
ers' bill authorizing the laying OF subways in
the streets. etc, and to provide for the
placing Of overhead wires therein and
the charters of the Washington
and Georgetown gas companies