Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-02
AMENDING THE CODE
Senate Bill Considered by
House Subcommittee.
SOME CHANGES DESIRED
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BAR
ASSOCIATION HEARD.
Recommendations by Recorder Dancy
and Register Dent-Tax on the
Insurance Business.
SOME CHANGES DESIRED

1uSuIduC6 ouSlueSS.
The Senate bill carrying a large number
of amendments to the District code was
the subject of hearing this morning be-
fore the judiciary subcommittee of the
House District committee. Chairman Jen-
kins of the subcommittee presided, and
number of attorneys and others interested
in certain amendments to the bill were
heard
The Bar Association was represented by
Mr.. VIM. F. Mattingly, Mr.. Chaplin Brown
and Mr.. COrcoran Thorn. Mr.. Mattingly
spoke first. He explained that the amend
ments We're drawn by the Bar Association;
that it had been believed these amend
ments would he adopted before the code
went into effect, but as that had not been
the case a number of formal amendments
should now be made. He went through
the bill. which contains over sixty pages.
and struck out in several places the words
the date this code goes into effect"
The Divorce Law.
Attention was called to the divorce law
by Mr. Mattingly. He explained there was
nothing in the pending bill on the subject,
although the Bar Association had drafted an
amendment. which the Senate had struck
out. The Bar Association, he declared, was
In favor of the divorce law as originally
drawn but 1t did not want to endanger the
passage of the amendments contained in
the Senate bill by loading it down with the
divorce amendment.
Mr.. Chaplin Brown, as member Of the
Bar Association committee explained that
the Senate committee had eliminated the
divorce question from the bill for the same
reason He was of opinion, however, that
1t would be just well to make the fight
on the divorce law on the pending bill as
anywhere.
Mr.. COrcoran Thorn. also representing the
Bar Association committee stated that he
agreed with Mr.. Mattingly that the pend
ing bill should not be handicapped by the
divorce law The amendments the bill con-
tanned, he said, were important to practi-
TONERS.
Signature of the Wife.
c. C. Lee of Alexandria spoke in advo-
cacy of House bill 1OG97 being an amend
ment to the code to do away with the sig
nature of the wife to deeds to real estate in
the District Of Columbia. Mr.. Lee main
tanned that the dover right of the wife be-
longed to former age, when the wealth
Of the country was represented by real es-
tate. Now, he said, nine-tenths of this
wealth was represented by personal prop
erty. IN which there was no provision for
dover. Such a law as he advocated, Mr..
Lee said, had been passed by fourteen
states.
Chairman Jenkins called attention to the
fact that this was important change,
and he requested the Bar Association COM
mlttee to take the matter up and report to
the committee. This the committee agreed
to do.
Recorder Dancy's Requests.
Recorder Of Deeds John C. Dancy asked
the committee to favorably consider the
amendment granting his office janitor
and charwoman, a matter which, he said,
had been overlooked In the code. He also
requested another technical amendment
striking out the provision regarding daily
reports from his office, These reports, he
said, were discontinued some time ego.
Judge kimball urged his amendment to
the provision in the code regarding accu-
mularive. sentences. excepting the Police
Court frem its provision. He also said he
had drawn another amendment on which
he had obtained the approval of City Sofc-
itor Duvall and the United States district
attorney, and which would be submitted
by the Commissioners today. giving Judges
discretionary power to make restitution of
goods in larceny cases.
Judge Coles Amendment.
Former Justice Cole presented an amend
ment 10 amendment in the Senate bill
giving parties in the District who have
dealings with agents of corporations incor-
porated outside the District the right TO
take legal action in the local courts. The
Senate amendment, Judge Cole said, seemed
to limit this action to contracts. His
amendment inserted the word 'torts'
Register of Wills Dent presented a num-
ber of. amendments relating to his offic-.
These included: An amendment giving the
Probate Court power to enforce the rendi-
tion OF inventories and accounts by ca
ecutors, administrators, &c.
Increased Salary of Register
Regarding amendment raising the
salary of the register of wills from So 500
70 Z
In the first place. l think l earn the
money, and in the second place. as COM
pared with the salary Of the recorder Of
deeds and the clerk of the court | think |
am entitled to it. The recorder of deeds
gets $1,000. and the code raised the salary
OF the clerk of the Supreme Court from So
600 to 5000
Mr.. Dent believed he had as many duties
TO perform as either Of these officials
Considerable discussion was had on the
fee system prevailing in Mr. Dents office
suggestions being made by members OF the
committee that II might be better 10 pro-
vide salary for Mr.. Dent and his clerks
and to do away with the fees system
This suggestion seemed to meet the ap-
proVal of the Bar Association committee
but ii was not acted upon.
Several other administrative amendments
were submitted by Mr.. Dent.
Bills of Undertakes.
Mr.. Robert P. Shealey appeared in be-
half of House bill 1O14S an amend
ment 10 the code regarding the claims of
undertakers against estates of deceased
persons. The amendment requires such
bills TO be settled within sixty days or be
subject to interest at 6 per cent 1t was
explained by Mr.. Shealey that under ex-
listing law an undertaker's bill was a pre-
ferred claim.
Attorney Callahan suggested several ty-
biographical errors in the code and criti-
cised the choice of several words used.
Attorney Fulton Lewis also had several
criticisms to make, which were referred to
the Bar Association by Chairman Jenkins
Mr.. F. Mcpherson approved the amend
ment advocated by Mr. Lee regarding the
signature of the wife to deeds in the Dis
trict.
Taxing the Insurance Business
Mr.. Robert Cook, representing the Metro