The times., 1898-12-14
NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDING
Bill Providing for the Struc.
ture Passes the Senate.
NEED FOR IT SET FORTH
To he Located on. Site of Present
City HaIl-PIans for Its Construc-
tiOn-Changes I'm Method of Com
mittinG Persons to Insane Asylum
ments.

Senator Faulkner, from the Committee
on the District of Columbia, presented the
committees report on the bill to provide
for municipal building and court house
In the District of Columbia, yesterday
The bill was passed without debate.
The report states that there can be no
of the District of Columbia today is the
erection of a suitable building for the
District offices and courts. By universal
consent, it says. the new building should
be erected on that portion of Judiciary
Square which is now occupied by the
municipal court buildings
letter from the District Commission
ers. reporting upon a similar bill prevl-
ously introduced, setting forth The urgent
needs OF the city in the matter. and the
recommendations as to the construction
of the building, submitted by Bernard r.
Green, superintendent of the public
library buildings and grounds, are in
cluded in the report
The bill provides:
THAT there shall be constructed a fire.
proof building. of two distinct parts. for
the accommodation of the municipal
oHlces ana the courts of the District of
Columbia, respectively, to be erected bn
or near the part of public reservation
numbered nine, commonly known as
Juulciary Square, upon which the city
hall Is now situated, in the city of WASH
ington. and such additional portion of
said reservation adjacent thereto as may
be necessary for such purpose The total
ff lN,.tIg
S2.50o.O00. one-half of which shall be
ohargeable to the revenues of the District
OF Columbia and the other half PAYABLE
out of any money in the Treasury of the
United States not otherwise appro-
priated''
The building is to be erected under the
direction of commission consisting of
the Engineer Commissioner of the Dis
trict, the Supervising Architect of the
Treasury and the officer in charge of pub
lie buildings and grounds. Ten architect,
are TO be invited to submit competitive
designs for the structure. The competi-
| ton is to be judged by the commission
and two other persons TO be. selected by
the competing architects
The sum of $4,000, or so much thereof
as may be necessary for carrying out the
provisions of the act in the work of prep
| aration, is appropriated.
Senator Faulkner also presented the re-
port of the committee on the bill to
change the proceedings for admission TO
the Government Hospital for the Insane,
and called up the bill which was passed
The report contains the following state
| ment from the report of the board OF
visitors:
''Of all classes provided for the one for
which the law evidently intended the pro-
vision SlOtfli he. merely m
| likely to be the most permanent, viz the
tramp insane found within the limits of
| the District of Columbia. OF the 90i from
the District of Columbia remaining June
80 1856, 10G, or about one-ninth OF the
whole, were of this class. The seat OF
government attracts presidential aspir-
ants, crank inventors, persons with n
grievance, the great army OF the unem-
ployed, wid-eyed- fanatics and dusty
tramps, and it IS only 10 be expected that
quite a number of these will each year
find rest under the shadows of st. Eliza
beth; but why should it become their per-
| manent home? .-...
Only twenty of the nonresident remain
| ing at the close of the last fiscal year had
been received within the year: twenty
three had been in the hospital more than
! ten years. and the remainder for varying
! terms of less than thirteen months to over
nine years. Any view of their case that
| implies a return to their friends or the
place of their residence is still a distant
| one. These would plainly seem to be
| cases where the District authorities
/ should actively interfere, and thus. in the
| language of the statute. relieve the Dis
| trict of the expense and charge of such
| INDECENT insane nonresident y
| The bill provides: THAT hereafter pro-
|
| Hospital for the Insane of INDECENT in
sane persons residing in the District OF
| Columbia, and of independent pay pa
| tients admitted to the said hospital under
| section 1854 of the Revised Statutes of the
| United States. and for admission tempor-
| arily TO said hospital of nonresident in
sane persons found in the said District,
shall be commenced by petition presented
in open court to the justice of the Su-
preme Court of the District of Columbia
| holding Il special term for orphans court
business, stating the facts necessary to
admission to said hospital as heretofore
| provided by law
| Section provides: "That such petition
| shall be signed and sworn to by some re-
spousible resident of the District of CO.
lumbia. but shall not be filed until the
court Shall be satisfied as to the respon-
slbility and residence of the person sign
! ing and swearing to the same.
The bill further provides for examining
physicians. and makes il incumbent upon
| the District of Columbia Commissioners
to return to their places of residence or
| friends as soon as practicable all in
digent insane persons not residents of the
District at the time they were commit
| ted to the asylum.
| The bill reported May 2. 1885, relating
| to negotiable instruments in the District
! of Columbia, was also passed. The bill
conforms to legislation in New York,
New Jersey. Colorado, Virginia, Mary
| land Wyoming. and Florida and has
| been recommended to the legislatures of
other States. Its purpose is to make legal
practice in Connection with negotiable in
| struments uniform throughout the coun-
| try.
The Senate passed bill authorizing the
| Commissioners to abandon the alley in
| square 465, and providing that the land
released revert to Charles Schafer. owner
of the lot adjoining. This bill had been
| previously passed by the House.
| EXEMPT CHURCH PROPERTY.