The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-18

of Columbia. and to other places under
the jurisdiction of the United States, or
of any municipal ordinance or regulation.
except in so far as the same may be IN
consistent with, or Is replaced by, some
provision of this code
"A marked change in the law Is that
relating to justices of the peace. The
new law reduces the number from fifteen
to ten, and provides for Il salary of %2J1
in lieu OF fees, and that the District shall
be divided into ten sections and the JUS
tice shall hold court at a place therein
designated by the Supreme Court of the
District. 1t also provides that defend
ant shall be sued only in the section or
district where he resides. and that the
justice shall render moEthly accounts OF
the fees he receives and turn the same
over with the account to the Tax Collec-
tor.
Jury trials are abolished before
Justices Of peace. and in all cases liEoiH-
ing over $50 the defendant may reno ms
case into the Supreme Court OF tht DIS
trict. The law as to furcihle entry as
civil matter is plain and practicable hut
no provision is made about the same as Il
criminal matter, and we are left with Ine
English statute of King Richard. OF lSoi'
ON this subject. still in force. Ihe oIlicc
Of Consta hles is abolished and all wrltS
of justices of the peace viii be served
by United States marshals. The. police
court procedure is changed by denying
jury trial to any defendant, unless the
prisonment. or more.
"A special term of probate court IS pro-
vided. and in that connection. the Regis
ter of Wills is made the clerk or Salu
court. and Is authorized to do such things
as the clerks of other courts do, as a mat
ter of course.
divorces cannot be granted for any
cause save adultery, and in all cases the
United States Attorney for the District
of Columbia will become attorney of rec
ORD. stated in the law, in order TO
mr. ont coll md 10 aPf
morals; the law also provides that the
person with whom the adultery is said to
have been committed shall be made de-
PENDANT and brought into court by per-
sonal service or publication. Any decree
of divorce granting alimony and provid-
ing for the care and custody of children
leaves the case always thereafter pending
and opened for future orders in these re-
spects.
The Clerk of Court, United States
Marshal. and Collector of Taxes are made
a jury commission to select jurors and
put their names in the box. The term OF
jury service in the Supreme Court of the
District is extended from one month to
two months.
Absence from the domicile for seven
years without being heard from shall be
presumption that persons so absent are
dead, though the language of the law con-
! tains nothing that would confine its pro-
visions to the District of Columbia. The
law provides that II any person so pre-
sumed to be dead and found thereafter to
be living. and the presumption of death
has injured any other person he or she
shall be restored to the rights of which
he shall he deprived by reason. of such
presumption.
The chapter of the new law on insol-
yency will repeal the general bankruptcy
law in so far as that law relates to the
District of Columbia.
TRANSFER OF REAL ESTATE.
~ deed of real estate can be made in
few lines. and the law provides that
these few lines shall mean all the things
that are usually written or printed in
long deeds \ new office. called Depart
ment of Insurance. and a new officer,
called Insurance Commissioner, are cre-
ated hy this act, the officer to be APP
pointed by the District Commissioners
and to have $2.5c9 annual salary.
Murder is divided into first degree and
second degree; punishment for murder of
the first degree is hanging and for the
second degree not less than twenty years
Imprisonment. The maximum penalty for
grand larceny is raised from three years
to ten years. and the maximum penalty
for petty larceny is raised from six
months to one year. If the jury convicts
defendant of rape the death penalty
may be added to the verdict of guilty.
The chapter on offences against moral
ty practically Supersedes the Edmunds
law in the District and changes the place
penitentiary TO the jail. 1t also makes Sc
duction a misdemeanor. The law also
provides for punishment for attempts to
commit crime. and for a second conyic-
tion of criminal offences. II also provides
that during amy trial of two or more de-
PENDANTS Jointly Indicted any one may be
discharged 10y the trial judge at any time
during the trial before he has gone into
his defence and become witness for the
United States; that whenever bail is re-
quired money may De deposited in lieu
thereof.
Husband and wife in all cases both
civil and criminal are made competent.
but not cDmpellable witnesses to testify
for or against each other and the hus-
band may deed real estate directly to his
wife. Married women have nearly all the
rights Of women unmarried, but the law
scys that no married woman shall have
power TO make any contract as surety
OF suar7tntor, acceptor, maker. or en-
dorscr
''As TO Usury and interest. the legal rate
OF interest il fixed at per cent and the
law provides shat no person DeiuS party
20 a contract for usury shall be liable to
any penalty or forfeiture or criminal
prosecution iR consequence thereof.
For negligence causing death in cases
in which the deceased woald have been
entitled 10 recover If not Killed his repre-
seutdtiVes may recover even though the
death shall have been caused under cir
| cumstances which constitute a felony, but
! the recovery is limited TO Sl5.giO
The Office Of the City Sursvyor is made
a ruur-ycar term unless sooner removed
for cause.