The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-04
THE DISTRICT CODE BILL
The N0luminOus Measure Passed
by the Senate Yesterday.
Important Provisions Emhraced-An
Amendment Concerning Divorces
All Laws Not Repealed Remain
in FOrce-Tcrms of Citizenship.

| III Force-Tcrms of Citizenship
The Senate yesterday passed the bill
creating a code of law for the Distric
of Columbia. only few amendment!
We're made and the measure, which ha.
been bette noir for years, was adopted
and sent to conference.
The code covers 315 closely printed pages
and has sixty chapters and 1,6i2 sections
The code provides the following with re-
| lation to existing laws:
| Sec /. The common law, all British
statutes in force in Maryland on the 2itr
day of February. 1901, the principles of
equity and admiralty. all general acts OF
Congress not locally inapplicabe in til.
District of Columbia and all acts of Con-
| gress by their terms applicable to the
| District of Columbia and to other places
! under the Jurisdiction of the United
States. in force at the date of the passage
of this act shall remain in force except
| in so far as the same are inconsistent
with, or are replaced by, some provision
of this code"
1t is provided that there shall be six
justices of the peace in the District of
Columbia at salary of $3.50.
Section 252 provides that if a man leave
the District of Columbia and be absent
for seven years without giving Informal
ton of his whereabouts, he shall be con-
sidered legally dead.
Section 1886 provides that 1t shall be I'M
lawful for any person, not a citizen of the
United States to hereafter acquire or own
real estate in the District of Columbia,
except by inheritance. All property ac-
CURED by an alien shall be forfeited to
the United States.
Sections III end III are as follows:
Sec Ill. Using other companies
lines.-It shall be unlawful for any street
railway company operating its system or
parts of its system over any portion of
the underground electric lines owned and
operated by another street railway COM
pany in the city of Washington to con-
tinue such operation, or to enter into
reciprocal trackage relations with any
other company, as provided for under ex-
lstinS law, unless its motive power for
the propulsion of its cars shall be the
same as that of the company whose
tracks are used or to be used. For every
violation of this subchapter the company
violating IT shall he subject to a fine of
sio Tor every car operated in violation II
the provisions of this subchapter said
hne to be collected and applied in the
same manner as is provided by the pre-
ceding section.
Sec. 12. Free transfers.-Au street
railway companies within the District of
columbia now operating their systems
or parts of their systems, in the city of
washington by use of the tracks of one
or more OF such companies under a reci-
llrocal trackaSe agreement, as provided
lor under existing law, which shall be
compelled to discontinue tie Use of the
tracks of another company, shall issue
free transfers to their patrons from one
system to the other at such functions of
their respective lines as may he provided
Tor by the Commissioners of the District
of Columbia"
Section $50 is as follows:
"Challenging to fight a dueI.-If any |
person shall in the District challenge an
other to fight a duel. or send or deliver
any written or verbal message purport-
ing or intended to be such challenge. or |
shall accept any such challenge or mes
sage, or shall knowingly carry or deliver |
an acceptance of such challenge or mes |
sage to hight duel in or out of the Dis /
Lrict, he shall be punished by imprison-
nent for term not exceeding ten wears
When the Code bill was called un from
The calendar Mr. Mcmillan withdrew ali |
pending amendments to the dill eXcept
1ne putting the bill into effect January /,
Mr.. Gallinger objected to the with
travail of the amendments and these were
passed. The only changes of importance
IRE IN section $50. wherein it is provided
nat all insurance companies in the Dis
rlct OF Columbia must pay l-2 per cent |
'er year, Of all business done from March
], as taxes. In section $40 it is made a
to obtain lodgings with in
ent to avoid payment for the same or to
'emoVe baggage without paying for iodg-
ng The penalty is not exceeding six |
months imprisonment. The bill was then |
passed.
Mr.. Wellington objected to pushing the
,ill through and said that he would move
o reconsider the vote by which it was
passed. This was done
Mr.. Wellington then offered an amend
nent relating TO the divorce laws of the
district of Columbia The amendment
provides that "a decree of divorce can be
granted for drunkenness. cruelty, or de-
ertion. and that divorces may be had in |
asses when eI..ler of the parties is of an
ound mind; when marriage has been had
" fraud. or when either of the parties is
lot of legal age.
The amendment was agreed to, and the
ill passed.