The Washington times., 1902-05-01
Amendments Prospoed by
Witnesses Before House
Subcommittee.
IMPORTANT CHANGES URGED
Care of Victims of Opium and Other
Habits-Marriage and DivoTcs-hp-
peals - Estates Of Deceased Wives.
Georgetown Streets.

The judiciary subcommittee oil the
House District Committee gave further
hearing yesterday on the Senate Dill
making amendments TO the District coue
The meeting was presided over by Repre-
sentative jenkins, chairman OF the SUD-
committee.
The first witness was Or. ID. Percy
Hickling. representing the Medical Society
of the District of Columbia. He urgeo
that the section of the CODE relating 10
the care of drunkards be SO amended as W
include victims of the opium or other
drug habits. bill for the purpose ne
said. had been introduced by Representa-
tive Babcock The bill had been indorseo
by the Medical Society Of the Dis,ric'
Under the existing law provision is maui
FOR looking after the property OF habituai
drunkards and the proposed amendment Is
to make the section apply to habituai
users of opium, cocaine and other drugs
Mr.. James Seldom Cowden desired to be
heard on the amendments relating to mar
riagc and divorce but the committee de-
cided not TO take up the subject at this
time.
Additional Clerk Hire.
Mr.. L. p. Williams. representing the
clerks Office of the District courts, pre-
scented typewriter statement recon-
meuding that sections 11i-ls2 be SO
amended as TO give the clerk OF
the courts authority to employ addi-
,ional clerks when necessary. This pro-
posed amendment was Endorsed by MIR.
Ashley NJ. Gould, the District Attorney.
MIR. Leo Simmons opposed the Senate
amendment 10 section 9S9 relating to out
standing legal titles. The existing law,
he said. was entirely satisfactory. Chair
man Jenkins suggested that Mr.. Simmons
place his views in writing and that they
will be printed and considered by the
committee.
MIR. Simmons next discussed House bill
4a49. TO amend section GO Of the CODE, re-
lating to officials from special terms of
the Supreme Court 10 the Court o. APP
peals. The amendment proposed that the
Appeals should be passed upon by the gem
eral term. AS the law is now. he said ii
was very hard on persons OF small means
to prosecute officials because OF the cost
of printing the record. He mentioned one
case where the cost of printing the rec
ord was 5000, and the amount involved
was only $500.
Mr.. Simmons was requested to have the
Bar Association pass upon the amend
meut and then the committee would con-
slider it.
Estates of Deceased Wives.
Mr. r. E. Donaldson made a brief
argument in favor of an amendment to
section 11ee relating to administration on
a wife's estate. Mr.. Donaldson stated that
If a widow with children by a first hus-
band married and had children by her
second husband and died intestate. all Of
her property would go to the husband
and his children. and the children by the
first husband who had left the property.
would be cut of.
Chairman jenkins said this was an i'm
portant matter and he requested Mr..
Donaldson TO draw an amendment cover
ing the point and to submit it to the
Bar Association. Mr. Chaplin Brown, rep
resenting the Bar Association. stated to
the committee that the matter had been
considered by The association and met
with its hearty approval. The association
favored an amendment to cover the case
as outlined by Mr.. Donaldson.
Mr.. Cranda y Mackey wanted an amend
ment to require contractors on buildings
for the DiStrlct 10 1uTnlSu SeCuTll! lOf
the payment of labor and materials. |
Chairman jenkins told him to draw the
amendment and leave 1t with the COM
mi.tee. |
Georgetown Streets.
Mr. Henry B. LOCKER. Surveyor for the |
District, recommended an amendment to |
section 1885, relating 10 the uniformity of |
streets, so that IL shall not apply TO the |
streets in Georgetown. Mr.. LOCKER ex- /
planned that the method Of laying ont the |
streets in Georgetown had existed for over /
one hundred years, and that to make any /
change would create much confusion. |
Chairman jenkins said that the matter /
would be duly considered.
MIR. Hugh Mitchell asked that an amend
ment be adopted to the section relating |
to the justices of the peace SO that they |
could receive papers from the ex-jdstices
of the peace He explained how when the /
code was adopted number of legal pa
pers were left in the hands OF the JUS
tees of the peace who were legislated out
of Office without stipulating what should
be dore with the leftover judgments and
executions.
The committee then went into eNecu-
tive session TO consider the Amendments
offered.