Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-10-07

| 20 the end of the sessi of 1901; since
which period, a variety of public acts OF
great importance have been passed. These
form in the presen, collection, one hun
dred and thirty-two chapters, which are
dispersed through the different sessions
acts. When II is consideied, that upwards
| of one thousand mag s,raies in Virginia,
| appointed within the las; four years, have
been but partially furnished with those ses-
Sims acs and that none of hem have the
aid ct a complete and general index, the
ut'iity and even necessity of this COM
pia'ion must be obvious.
| But the continuation of the Revised
Code, so far as it respects a collection Of
tn asis ola public and permanent nature
IS ia from beng the e,nst VALUABLE par
7t the publication. The appendices
ne end OF the volume, il is believed, will
b- 'ound TO contain m alter of equal impor.
| tance wi'h that N tina body OF The work ;
which additional mater, is the more van
lie, as IL has hilhetto been of more diff
c II access.
Laws relating to subjects, io which Ell.
thsr The stare or great proportion of IT'S
CITIZENS have an inie Cesi, should form a
part of every revisal. This rule was So
tricliy observed ia all he editions of our
laws prior To hstof l7o4, that even the
acs concerning farGcatar r1vers. with ma
! " Others, on subj cts merely local, were
| inserted. The laws, in this collection,
which come Within the general principle
iu,' lad down, are those for the establish
ms I Il he James River, Patnwmac APP
pomat OK, aid Dismal swamp Canal Com.
Sanies, ~ al OF winch the state holds =
oum6sr of shares; those concerning ia
Northern Neck "a Considerable portion o
ne. state, and par, Of the laws rsla,ing TO
which wee Fegnia'ly ins ented in the ed
lons Of 1852, i76S, 1895, and 1894 bu
la.l those passed sipce 1885 were m ted J
{tAose anthousiag the establishment 81
, iurnpk Ike Roads, AID he teta,oa e FOL
| bndees; concerning Nie Mutual Assur
ACC. Soc.ey against fire y. buildings , re
atfog to waste and uaappropriated Iarda
% The eastern and ives era walers esia
blisbfny ferfics; and c s5cesa.s. /; ti,e Pub
nc Ssrard; as'rt.uhsch are here d,gested
and arranged Under ifeir respec i've heads.
10 these are added. a llst Of titles Of pr
vats and local ac,'. passed since the Oc-
tober session 81 1885 "a table o., fines, for
le'tires, penalties and anne zee aneufs, de-
signaling 10 whose use respectively ape
lpfopriated and collection Of acts of a
general nature omtted IN former editions.
1t may al frs, view excite some degree
I 'u'pfze, hat so fnsny acls aud Teso-
inlens OF public AID permanent nature,
should have been omi,t.d in the editions
! iof i794, and 1908; hut the history Of those
rtvIsals will readily account for IL. IL the
session Of 1899 (a) the legislature passed
an act providing for new edition OF ,he
: avs ct this comm onwealth, VIII CHI was
amended at the next session, o. 4 diff.
= terence Of opinion having arisen among
; he revIsors as to the oblecIs Of he legis
azure with respect to one branch of their
duty, resolution was adopted at The ses
son OF 1871, declaring that II was the in-
ten ION of The legislature, N assigning that
particular duy TO me revisors, SHAT the
: several laws existing on the same sub
= Ject should be consolidated into slpgie
bills, but that no new matter should be
introduced into the system" &c } II
: conformity with his construction, the re-
= ysors dige5ted 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
heir session OF 1873. The subiec of the
rev'sal was taken up during he same ses
: sion; and several of The bills, (some will
amendments, and some wiihout,) wer,
re.enacled into laws. But the legislature
not having time TO go through the Who'll,
5 of the oils as reported by the revisors
Q directed that certain laws formerly enact
ed should be published ~ the Revset
Code, by their specific tile. ID Th'
Z consequences of which was, that nothing
: could be inserted in those acts, when re
! published in the Revised Code, but wha
j before existed in them, under The title
3 by which they were particularly direclet
= to be published, though some parts hat
0 been repealed by subsequent acts, Onde
different titles; and thus all the matte
collected by the Tevi4ofs, from variou
I other acts on the sane subjects, was O
: miued. For example: the act "con
y corning election of members Of Gene
. raI Assembly," was one OF those direct
ed TO be published by its tile. Ii is &C
J. cordngly inserted la the Revised Cod.
D as 1t passed 10 the year l7e5. (eJ 'B
II .he C1uI oscA cf thu oct - a.. I.1..... d..