Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-14
CAB SERVICE BILL
Killed In de House of Representa-
; lives.
CONSIDERATION Of DISTRICT MATTERS
Proposed Constellation Of Belt and
lexington Lines.
A SUBSTITUTE SURE

This being District day in the House,
Chairman Babcock called up House bill
7541, providing that the Police Courts of
the District of Columbia shall have power
to issue executions on all forfeited recog
nizances upon motion of the proper prose-
cutting officer; and hereafter all writs of
neri facias. or other writs of execution on
Judgments, issued by the Police Court of
the District of Columbia shall be directed
to and executed by the marshal of the Dis
trfct of Columbia, and all laws and parts
OF laws inconsistent herewith are repealed.
The necessity for the bill was explained
by the report. in letter from Judge KIM
ball OF the Police Court, as follows:
Under section 1865 of the Revised Stat
utes, relating to the District of Columbia,
1t is provided: In cases arising out of vio-
iations of any of the ordinances or laws
of the District in force therein, process
shall be directed to the major of police
who shall execute the same and make ~e-
turns thereof In like manner as in other
cases.
1T would appear from this section that
Where the information is filed in the name
OF the District of Columbia it Is the duty of
tne major OF police to execute any writ or
process arising therefrom. In The case of
heri facias and similar processes the major
OF ponce mas refused to execute the writ
because he mas no machinery with which
10 40 II. and the United States marshal has
refused to execute them in District ca ses
Tor lack OF authority SO to do.
ihere Is quite large class Of cases
arising under the laws, as, for instance,
warrants prostitutes. suspicious characters
ana many others, where, upon conviction,
the only penalty that can be imposed Is
requiring the defendant to give bond for
good behavior, and in default sending him
10 the workhouse for time not 10 exceed
six months
The giving of these bonds has become a
farce, for there is no way to enforce them
except by the lcng and expensive process of
a Dill In equity AS result it is very easy
Tor any one to get bondsman, and imme-
diately upon release the old life is resumed !;
and arrest of such defendants does not
mean the suppression of the wrongful life.
but the payment of s. or $40 to some one
to go on the bond. To remedy this defect,
l am anxious that law shall be enacted
requiring the marshal to execute all pro-
cesses and writs of every kind which may
be directed to him by the Police Court
The bill was passed without debate.
Ii. and p. Company Cab Privilege.
Chairman Babcock then called up House
bill 1887, providing that the Baltimore and
Potomac Company be granted the exclusive
RICH: to stand ca BIS, carriages and other We
hicles for the conveyance of passengers to
and from the Railway station at the corner
OF 6tn ana IS streets northwest, IN the city
of Washington,i in front Of the station on
B street and for a distance of 100 feet west
thereof on that street, and in front of the
station on 9th street, under such regula-
lions as the Commissioners of the District
of Columbia may prescribe as to the occu-
patton, cleaning and repair of such portions
of said streets, and the charge for service;
Provided, That nothing herein contained
shall exclude the coaches of established no.
tells from having stand assigned them by
the OmniSSiOneIS. private carriages or
vehicles used for the conveyance of passen-
gers from delivering or receiving passen-
gers at the regular entrances of the sta
ton, or any vehicle from receiving or de-
livering baggage at the station.
Mr.. Bailey of Texas said that as he I'M
derstood the bill it was merely to grant a
monopoly of the cab business to the rail-
road company.
Mr.. Babcock said the people of this city
had demanded this cab service for the past
ten years. The railroad company had not
asked it. 1t simply proposed to give a
cheap clean cab service at a low rate.
Now If a stranger lands at the station and
engages cab the person is likely to be
| overcharged. Under the new bill person
can go anywhere within one mile for %
cents. Mr.. Bailey said that to do this it was
proposed to exclude every other cab from
the neighborhood.
"Oh, mo- replied Mr.. Babcock 'only from
in front of the companys own depot. The
cabs can stand across the street. The bill
liable people,
Mr.. Williams of Mississippi said the Com
missioners have the authority to fix cab
rates and they should now enforce reason
able rates upon all the. cabmen.
Mr.. Bailey said the bill would not insure
a better or a cheaper service but even if it
did, he would not grant the monopoly.
Furthermore, he said. the bill tended in a
measure to recognize the company's owner
ship of the government land upon which
the depot stands.
Mr.. Gaines of Tennessee opposed the bill
on the ground that it gave the company a
monopoly.
Mr. Slayden Of Tennessee opposed also
the bill.
Mr.. Norton of Ohio asked why the bill
did not include the B. and o. railroad sta
ton.
Mr.. Babcock said the B. and O. had de-
clined to establish the service on the
ground that 1t would not pay them The
committee would be glad to include the B.
and o. whenever that company will agree
to establish the service.
The Bill Defeated.
Mr.. Babcock said he was surprised to
see how the bill was misconstrued by those
who had opposed it. He said there was
a general demand for the service, and the
railroad company, in return for establish
ing clean, cheap and good service, ask
ed only the privilege Of standing the We
hicles in front of the depot.
Mr.. Bailey then moved to lay the cab
service bill on the table.
This was agreed to, and Mr. Bailey
clinched the vote with the usual parlia-
mentary motion to reconsider and Law
on the table. The bill is now dead, unless
two-thirds of the House should agree to
take 1t UP again.
To Quiet Land Titles.
Mr.. Babcock then called I'D House bill
$3.50, to quiet land titles in the District
This bill provides: go
THAT in alisicases when the title or
claim of any person out of possession of
any real estate in the District of Column
bia shall be barred, by adverse posses
sion, and the title Thereto has vested in
| the party in possession or the party under
whom he claims, the party holding the
title which has vestsd by adverse possess
sion may file bilirin equity, in the SUI
preme Court Of this District of CoIum-
bia to have hts record title thereto per
fected; and it fahahsbe sufficient for him
to state in hiss petition that he holds the
title to such real estate and that the same
has vested in him, 0fs those under whom he
claims, by adverse 3 possession. And in
such action ito shah not be necessary
to make any person a party dafendanf