Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-11

favorable opportunity, as the general sub
ject OF billiard tables was under considera-
tion- He therefore submitted an amend
ment striking out the provision relating
to minors and providing in lieu that no
spirtuous or vinous liquors should be sold
in billiard rooms or rooms adjacent there
to.
Mr.. Babcock said the amendment would
imperil the bill and possibly prevent the
legislation designed to remedy an existing
evil.
Mr.. Ray desired the amendment because
It would protect young men from tempta-
ton, he said. He did not want them eX-
posed to the alluremeHts of the saloon
while visiting billiard room He did not
think it would hurt young men to visit
billiard rooms if no liquors were sold. He
no virtue in keeping minors out OF
plain billiard rooms, as they could not
harm themselves.
MI. Babcock held that nothing in Mr..
Rays amendment could compensate for
striking out the clause relating to minors.
Mr.. Rays amendment was adopted by
vote of 81 to 80, and the bill as thus amend
ed was passed.
False Swearing Before Trial Boards.
The next measure called up was the bill
recommended by the Commissioners to
make applicable for false swearing before
trial boards of the fire department the
penalties now prescribed for the like Of
Tense before police department trial boards
This bill was passed without debate.
Reasscssment of Water Main Taxes.
Chairman Babcock then called up the
bill to authorize the reassessment of water
main taxes. The bill provides that where
water main taxes or assessments in the
District Of Columbia may hereafter be
quashed. set aside or declared void by the
Supreme Court by reason of an imperfect
or erroneous description of the lot or
parcel of ground against which the same
shall have been levied or by reason of such
tax or assessment not having been au-
thenticated by the proper officer, or by a
defective return Of service OF notice, or
for any technical reason other than the
right of the public authorities to levy the
tax or lay the main in respect of which
the assessment was levied. to reassesS the
lot or parcel of ground mentioned in such
defective assessment, with power to COL
lect the same according to existing law
relating to the collection of assessments
and taxes: Provided, that where such as
sessmentS shall be- so quashed or declared
void by said Supreme Court for the rea-
sons above stated the reassessment herein
provided for shall be made within ninety
days from the judgment or decree of the
court quashing such assessment or declar-
ing the same void.
The Commissioners provision in the
original bill that such reassessments shall
bear interest at the rate of six Per centum
per annum from the date the original as
sessment should have been paid had it
not been quashed or set aside was. by
direction OF the committee, stricken out on
the ground that there is mo equity in
the date of original assessment. If the
officers who are charged with the duty of
levying taxes fail for any reason to make
a legal assessment the fault or failure
should not be charged up against the
property owner 1t is the duty Of the
officers to make legal assessments. 1t is
the right and privilege of the taxpayer
TO resist the payment of an Illegal as
SeSSment-
The bill as thus amended was then
passed.
Medical College Interpretations.
Chairman Babcock called up the DILL to
provide regulations for the incorporation
OF medical colleges in the District This
must not be COMPOUNDED with the bill to
regulate the practice of medicine which is
more general in character. Mr.. Odell OF
New York, in explaining the pending meas
ure, said that the urgent necessity for Ire
early enactment of law providing for the
incorporation and regulation of medica
and dental colleges in the District becomes
apparent upon reference to the general IN.
corporation law of the District There ar.
at present six Institutions in the District OF
Columbia authorized by law to confer tbs
degree of doctor of medicine. Three OF
these do so by virtue of charters conferred
by Congress, viz: University of George
town, Columbian University and Howard
University. The remaining three are in
corporated under the general law above re
ferred to, and are: National University
National Homeopa thic Medical College anC
White Cross University OF Science
Under the general law. ne said, any mum
Der or variety of medical colleges may bt
organized reference to it shows thai
any five persons may incorporate as al in
stitution of learning a medical college
and may lawfully confer the degree of doc
tor of medicine without reference to tbs
character of the teachers or their facilities
for giving instruction in the science anC
art Of medicine, and without legal require
ments of any kind as to the qualification:
of the candidate for such degree, either a.
to age, moral character, preliminary edu
cation or duration or character of hi:
course of instruction in medicine. The OBJ
ject of the present, bill is to prevent thes
abuses of the provisions of the general in
corporation law.
Mr.. Ray of New York criticised the bill
and Mr.. Hulick Of Ohio defended it.
The bill was then passed.
To Regulate the Practice of Medicine
The bill to regulate the practice of medi
cine and lurgery, to license physicians ant
surgeons and to punish persons violatin!
the provisions thereof. was then called VI
by Chairman Babcock.
The first section of this bill creates
board OF medical supervisors, composed o
representatives of these three systems AM
two layuen. Its object is to secure uni
fcrmity in the standard of qualification
necessary to obtain a lcerse, as more full.
set forth in subsequent sections.
Section provides for the organiZa ton o
the board of supervisors. and authorizes 1
to make, subject to the approval of tn
Commissioners of the District, regulation
for its own government and for the super
vision Of examinations, and to issue ii
censes to practice medicine and midwifery.
Section defines the character and sub
jects of the examinations, the qualifica
tons of applicants and by which board o
medical examiners Created by section
each applicant shall be examined.
Section 4 prescribes the manner and re
quires a fee of $40 to be paid before tn
applicant can be examined. The object O
this fee Is to make the law self-supportine
Section creates three boards of medica
examiners, to be appointed by the Com
missioners of the District of Columbia, on
board representing each of the three sys
TENS of medicine already recognized b.
special acts of Congress. These board
select questions for examination in each O
the branches of medicine prescribed in sec
ton B. Each of the three medical societie
chartered by acts of Congress is entitled
by virtue of It's charter, to issue licenses t
practice medicine in the District of Column
bia- The rights of the Washington Homeo
pathic Medical Society and of the Eclecti
Medical Society of the District of Columbi
. n parfai in tart l,-1;