Evening star., 1901-12-11
District Commissioners Pass Upon
Senate Bill 493.
ACTION BEFORE RECESS URGED
Some of the Changes Requiring
Immediate Consideration.
OLICE COURT JUDO E s

The District Commissioners returned to-
day to Senator James Mcmillan. chairman
Of the Senate District committee. Senate bill
No. 493, ITO amend an act entitled An act
to establish a code OF law for the District Of
Columbia submitted to them for their
consideration and report. and earnestly rec
ommend that, IL practicable. the same be
enacted into law prior to the approaching
holiday recess. inasmuch as the act which
it is proposed to amend by its terms be-
comes operative on the 1st day OF January.
1902.
Reporting upon the measure, the Commits
sioners say:
"The Commissioners have conferred with
the representatives Of the justices OF the
Supreme Court. District of Columbia: the
Bar Association and the Washington Board
of Trade under whose immediate super
vision the said bill was prepared. and are
satisfied that It's immediate enactment into
law is imperatively demanded, except as to
the proposed reduction in the number OF jus
tices of the peace from ten to eight, which
the Commissioners do not recommend.
Substitute Sections.
'They submit also with their approval the
following proposed substitutes for sections
AZ and 81 OF the Act to establish code OF
law for the District of Columbia
!" Section 42-Constitution-There shall
continue to be Police Court in the District
as at present constituted. consisting of two
judges learned in the law, appointed by
the President, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, for the term of six
years or until their successors are appoint
ed, who shall each receive salary Of $4,000
per annum. The said judges shall hold sep
arate sessions and may carry on the busi-
ness of said court separately and Simultane
ously. and are empowered to make rules for
the apportionment of the business between
them, and the act of each of said judges re-
specting the business of said court shall be
deemed and taken to be the acts of said
court. Each judge. when appointed. shall
take the oath prescribed for judges Of courts
of the United States.
Section 51-Disabihty Of judge-In
cases of sickness, absence disability, ex-
piration of the term Of service Of or death
of either of the judges Of said court any one
of the justices of the Supreme Court OF the
District of Columbia may designate one of
the justices of the peace to discharge the
duties of said police judge until such dis
ability be removed or vacancy filled. The
justice SO designated shall take the same
oath prescribed for the judge of the Police
Court and shall receive the sum of So for
each day of service in addition to the salary
now provided for by law, to be paid in the
same manner as the salary Oh the judge of
the Police Court
while these last named amendments
were not submitted to the Commissioners by
the committees representing the bench and
Ddr WHICH waited IHeUl, yet lHty NeTe
Informally considered by all of those present
in their individual capacities, and were by
them deemed pertinent and appropriate"
Amendments Proposed.
The Commissioners also recommend the
enactment of the following proposed amend
ments: Section 100, substitute for said Sec
ton the following:
Section 100: There shall continue to be
a coroner of said District. who shall be
appointed by the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia and shall receive q salary
of one thousand eight hundred dollars per
annGm.
The code as originally drafted provided
|. that the coroner should be appointed by
the President. The Commissioners believe
the office should remain under their con-
troll.
In their letter to Senator Mcmillan the
Commissioners recommend that the section
authorizing the creation or department
of insurance and the appointment Of a
superintendent be amended so as to provide
a salary of s., 500 a year instead Of $500.
In the code as 1t stands at present there
is a provision that the attorney for the
District shall hereafter be known as the
"city solicitor" The Commissioners recon-
mend that the title be changed to corpora
ton counsel"
Referring to Subdivisions.
The Commissioners recommend that in
section 1852. referring to subdivisions, Con-
&reSS SQdu StTlkc out Oil dltcI tHe WOio
expressed" and Insert substitute pro-
vision which is transmitted, making the
section read:
"At the request Of the proprietor the
surveyor shall examine whether the lots or
parcels into which any square or lot may
be subdivided as provided in the preced-
ing section agree in dimensions with the
whole OF the square or lot so intended to
be subdivided and whether the dimensions
expressed on the plat OF subdivision be the
true dimensions Of the parts so expressed;
and whether said lots or parcels conform
to the general orders Of the Commissioners
of the District of Columbia made under ex-
listing law or under authority of section
16O1 of this code: and II upon such exami-
nation he shall find the plat correct he shall
certify the same under his hand and seal
to the said Commissioners with such re-
marks as appear to him necessary; but no
such plat or subdivision shall be admitted
to record in the office Of the surveyor with
out an order to that effect indorsed thereon
by said Commissioners"