Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-09-30

10 the end OF the session OF 1901; since
which period, variety of public acts OF
great importance have been passed. These
form in the present collection, one hun
dred and thirty-two chapters, which are
dispersed through the different sessions
acts. When it is considered, that upwards
OF one thousand magistrates in Virginia,
appointed within the last four years, have
been but partially furnished with those ses-
sions acts, and that none Of them have the
aid of a complete and general index, the
utility and even necessity os This com.
|pilation must be obvious.
But the continuation of the Revised
Code, so far as it respects a collection of
the acts ola public and permanent nature,
is Far from being the most valuable part
of the publication. The appendices at
the end of the volume, il is believed, will
be found to contain matter of equal impor.
lance with that in the body of the work !;
which additional matter, is the more vau-
able, as it has hitherto been Of more diff
cult access.
Laws relating to subjects, ia which Ell
Their the state or great proportion OF its
citizens have en- interest, should form a
part of every revisal. This fule was so
strictly observed in all the editions of our
laws prior TO that of 1894, that even the
acts concerning particular rivsrs. with ma
ny others, on subjects merely local, were
inserted. The laws, in this collection,
which corne within ;he general principle
Just laid down, are those for me establish.
mept of the James River, Pctowmac. APP.
pemattox, and Disma! Swamp Canal Com.
panies, in all of which, the state holds a
number of shares; those concerning the
Northern Neck, "a considerable portion OF
the stale, and part of the laws relating to
which were regularly inserted in the edi-
tons OF 1852, 1869, 1885, and 1894, but
all those passed since 1895 were omitted j
hose authofising the establishment oil
Turnpike Roads, and the erection of Foil
Bridges; concerning the Mutual Assur-
ance Society against FIRE on buildings re-
la,ing to waste and unappropriated lands
~ the eastern and western waters esta-
biishing ferries; and concerning the Pub.
lie Guard; all of which, are here diges'ed
and arranged under their respective heads.
To these are added, liar of titles of pri-
yasS and local acts, passed aSos The DC
tober session Of 1888; a table offines, for
FIXTURES, penalties and amercements, de.
signaling to whose use respectively ap.
propriated and collection of acts OF a
J general nature omitted IN former editions,
! 1t may at frs view excite some degree
of surprize, that so many acts and feso-
lutions of public and permanent nature
should have been omitted in the editions
of 1894, and 1902 but the history Of those
revisaIs viii readily account for it. In.the
session of 1889, (aJ the Legislature passet
an act, providing for new edition of the
laws OF this commonwealth, which wa:
amended at the mex, session, 90 A diff
ference of opinion having arisen among
he reVisors as TO the objects OF the legs
lature with respect to one branch of theiI
duty, resolution was adopted at the SEES
sion of 1871, declaring tnat it was the in.
'enIion of the legislature, in assigning tina
particular duty to the revisors, " that the
several laws existing on the same sub
Z" ject should be consolidated into single
"bills, but that no new matter should be
:" introduced into the system" &c II
CONFORMITY with this construction, the re
visors dgested code OF laws, introducing
under one title the several acts relating
to the same subject. These were pre-
pared in the form of bills, and repor
ted TO the legislature, in. two volumes, a
their session of 1892. The subject of TIT
revissl was taken up during the same ses
sion and several of the bills, (sor0s viii
amendments, and some without,) wer,
re~cDacted into laws. But the Legislature
not having time to go through the Who'll
of the bills as reported by the revisors
directed that certain laws formerly enact
cd shodld be published in tn. Revise
Code, by their specific title. (d) Tn
consequences of which was, that nothing
could be inserted in those aets, when re
Il published IN the Revised Code, but wbs
before. existed in them, under the title
> by which they were particularly diroCte
TO be published, though some parts ha
been repealed by subsequent acts, unde
different titles; and thus eli The matte
collected by the revisors, from yarlou
other acts on the same subjects, was o
, nitted. For example: the act "con
corning election of members Of Gene
; raj Assembly" was one Of those direet
ed to be published by its title. II is &C
cordingly inserted in the Revised Code
as it passed in the year l78S, (eJ B
the 22nd seel. Of that act, it is declared
IL Il II 4 =