Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-10
A HALF HOLIDAY
EFFECT OF AN AMENDMENT TO
THE DISTRICT CODE.
Semi-OHcial Opinion as to the Mean
ing of the Words ''for All
Purposes"


official declined to permit the use of his
name, but said that the words amending
section 1889 of the code, for all purposes"
struck him undoubtedly of wide enough
scope to make the last half of each Sat
urday a holiday.
The official said that section 13S9 as it
stands, applies wholly to negotiable instru-
ments, and would not in itself grant half
holiday, but when the phrase within the
meaning of this act" was changed to "for
all purposes that gave the section a scope
that would take in employees of the govern
ment in the District.
Interest, in the Departments.
At the Treasury Department and in other
departments there is deep interest in the
Information given in The Star of Tuesday
that attorneys hold that Saturday after IL
o clock is a legal holiday. 1t Is believed
that if the matter could be presented to the
proper officials and an Interpretation of the
laws obtained it would result III a half
holiday on Saturday. 1t is regarded as
probable that an effort will be made in some
direction to bring the question either before
the Department of Justice or the controller
OF the treasury, whichever would have
jurisdiction in passing upon it. OF course,
nothing is likely to be done unless the mat
ter can be placed before one or the other
of these officials. 1t is probable that the
W
the question, with the controller to pass
upon dlfterent.phases at later time.
Commissioners Take Action.
The District Commissioners have decided
to ask Mr. A. B. Duvall, the corporation
counsel for ruling on the provision in the
code which says that Saturdays after 12
o'clock noon shall be holidays "for all pur-
poses in the District of Columbia. Since
the first publication of the matter in The
Star the District clerks have talked of al
most nothing else and have, with the other
department officials, longed for some legal
ruling IN the matter.
Commissioner Macfarlands attention was
called to the provision and he at once made
the following motion, which was approved
by his associates:
Il move that the corporation counsel he
requested to advise the Commissioners fer
their guidance with respect to the District
offices, whether the act to amend an act r
Titled. An act to establish code of laws
for the District Of Columbia approved
June 30. 1902, adds to the list of holidays in
the District of Columbia for all purposes
every Saturday after l. o'clock noon -
An Attorneys Views
Many members Of the bar have expressed
the opinion that under the law recently
enacted Saturdays after - o'clock noon
are legal holidays in the District of Column
bia. One prominent attorney made the fol-
lowing statement:
The question as to whether or not the
amendments to the code which after NAM
ing certain days in the year to be known
as legal holidays, makes them such for all
purposes instead Of, as formerly in the Sec
tion on negotiable instruments applying as
such holidays only to negotiable instru-
nlehts, would seem to make the days men,
toned, including the afternoon of Saturday
OF each week, full legal HOLIDAYS during
which time no business improper to be
conducted on regular legal holiday could
be carried on.
The question has of course sneciaI s;p
nlhcance in connection with it's proba Bile
effect upon the closing of government de-
partments and the courts, although as to
the latter, 1t is only important as to wheth-
er 1t prevents any Judicial action being
taken at such times, because by general
custom Of the court. a holiday is taken on
the afternoon of each Saturday, and the
cicrk office is closed after II ocock noon
on that day.
IF it be determined that Saturday after
noon is a full-fedged legal holiday as the
words IN the amendment to the code are
broad enough to indicate, then it is TO he
expected that the government departments
would observe the same as they do on well
established holidays of this character AS
10 Whether the court has power to trans
act any business on a legal holiday there
is considerable difference of oninion &c
SHOWN by the decisions one of the
most interesting of which was that
rendered in the case of Lampe against
Manning reported in 80 Wisconsin, in which
the court broadly states that the term hoii-
day as used in the statute imports a dies
non 3uriGicus, and that case tried and
judgment rendered by the court on such a
day was without effect even though the
statute contained no express prohibition in
this regard, as it was held that under such
circumstances there was an absolute want
of authority for the court to hear the case
ana render Judgment, and that the case
was not one in which the opposing party
could waive the question and attempt to
confer jurisdiction upon the court the lat
ter having upon such occasion it was con-
tended by the Wisconsin court, neither
power OF the person of the defendant nor
the subject matter of the action, ali the
justice having done being DESIGNATED as
coram non iudice."
The custom of closing offices and places
OF business for a half day each Saturday is
so general in this city it is the opinion of
business men that even if the law makes