Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04
Tho Conference Report on the Bill
Withdrawn in the House.
POINT OF ORDER MADE AGAINST IT
Act in Regard to the Rights Of
Married Women.
T II E H q II w AY ACT

port upon tne capital railway DILL the bill
to give rapid transit to Anacostia, and the
matter ended by the conference committee
withdrawing the report in order to omit
from 1t a feature Objectionable to a point
of order.
Inc conference report recommended that
the Senate recede from it's disasreements
to thu House amendments to the bill, and
agree to the same. A proviso was added
however, that in the future no railway
company shall operate it's cars upon the
tracks Of any underground electric or ca
bic company unless its charter originally
provided for such coincidence or route or
Unless Congress shall hereafter authorize
1t. This amendment would, of course, pre-
vent the JOINT occupancy of tracks by
number of companies now operating upon
this plan
Mr. Hepburn of Iowa vigorously attacked
this amendment. He said the House in the
last Congress had strenuously contested for
the joint occupancy of tracks where routes
conceded, in order to prevent duplication
OF traC ks. He expressed great surprise that
the conference committee had taken occa:
S:Cn TO repeal this important legislation by
means of a conference report. lie said that
members seldom scan these conference re-
ports, and that it was only by accident he
had become aware of the fact that this irl-
rortant provision, altogether extraneous TO
the subject matter of the bill and not ger
name to any of the amendments, was con-
tanned in the conference report.
At this stage Mr.. Dingley of Maine made
the point of order that the conference COM
mittee had exceeded its jurisdiction in add
ing that amendment to the conference re-
port. He said 1T was clearly outside of the
subject matter of the bill, this being bill
relating to one railroad only and the pro-
posed amendment affecting every railroad
in the District.
Mr.. Richardson contended that the
amendment was not out of order and that
tn ha ha h
dealt with the question of coincidence of
tracks. A long discussion ensued upon the
technicalities of the case, as to whether it,
the amendment was subject to the point of
order or not. Finally, Mr.. Richardson sug-
gested that if the Speaker thought the
amendment was foreign to the subject mat
ter the committee would ask to withdraw
the conference report.
The gentleman from Tennessee requests
permission to withdraw the conference re-
port" said the Speaker. and there being
no objection this was done. The conference
committee will assemble and will omit the
Objectionable amendment.
Marriage Law Passed.
Senator Faulkner today presented to the
Senate the conference report on Senate
bill 1904, to regulate marriages in the
District of Columbia, which was recently
passed by the House with certain amend
ments, which were quite acceptable to the
otIcle committee "A conference "dS uelu,
however, and. the Senate conferees agreed
to recede from all disagrements and to
accept the amendments. The report of the
conference committee was adopted by the
Senate today without division and the
bill will soon be laid before the President
for approval.
Disabilities Removed.
The Senate today, on motion of Mr.
Daniel, passed the bill removing the
political disabilities of John Taylor Wood
of the District of Columbia.
Rights of Married Women.
Senator Faulkner today reported from the
District committee the bill approved at last
Fridays meeting of the committee amend
ing the local laws regarding the rights of
married women, and making the parents
the natural guardians of their children. AS
heretofore stated in The Star, the commit
tee made several amendments. The BILL as
it now stands, provides by section, as fol-
lows:
owned by any woman in the District at the
time Of her marriage, and the rents, issues
profits or proceeds thereof, and the real
personal or mixed property which shall come
to her by descent devise, purchase or be-
quest or the gift of any person, shall be and
remain her sole and separate property not
withstanding her marriage and shall not be
subject to the disposal of her husband or
liable for his debts, except such property
as shall come to her by gift of her husband
which shall be subject to his debts existing
at the time of the gift The provision that
this liability shall not be enforced till all
the property of the husband has first been
exhausted was stricken out by the commit
tee.
Second. A married woman, while the
marriage relation subsists may bargain
sell and convey her real and personal prop
erty and enter into contract in reference to
IL IN the same manner, to the same ex-
tent, and with like effect as a married
man may in relation to his property and
she may, by promise in writing, express
ly make her separate estate liable for
necessaries purchased by her or furnished
at her request for the family.
Third. Any married woman may carry
on any trade or business, occupation or
PROFESSION by herself, or Jointly with
others. and perform any labor or services
On her sole and separate account, and the
earnings of any married woman from her
trade, &C., shall he her sole and separate
property, and may be used and invested
by her in her Cwn name.
Fourth. Nothing in the act Is to be con-
strued as invalida ting any marriage set
tlement or contract.
Fifth. The husband shall not he liable
for the payment Of the wife's ante-nupti.I
debts. but she shall be liable to all reno
dies for the recovery of such debts. to he
enforced against her and her separate
property as if she were unmarried
sixth. The father and mother shall be
tie natural SGarulanS or the persons of
their minor children. If either dies or is
incapable of acting, the natural guardian
ship of the person shall devolve upon the
other, provided that in case Of the death
of either parent fIom whom the children
may inherit or take by bequest the said
parent may by deed or last will appoint a
guardian of the property of the children,
subject to the approval of the proper Dis
trict court.
Seventh. The surviving parent NAV. nv
last will, appoint guardian of the person
and property of the children, whether born
at the time of making the will, or af-
terward, to continue during the minority
of the child, or for less time, subject at
all times to removal for cause and an
pcintment of another by the court
Eighth. Dover shall be assigned to a
widow entitled to the same in the eouita-
BILE as well the legal estate of her de-
ceased husband.
The committee struck out four sections.
That allowing married woman to sue and
be sued as though unmarrfed;. that grant
ing to a woman maIried out of the District
and whose husband afterward becomes a
resident of the District the right to enjoy
all the rights as to property. which she
may have acquired by the laws Of any 9TH
er state, territory or country; that which
provided that one-half of all property in
which either husband or wife had a legal