Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-01-05
LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA.
CRIMINAL CODE.
KooM or CoMMlITgE ron CoURIs or JUsrICl

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your communication 10 me in relation TO the revision
Inc criminal laws of this Stale have requested me L
confer win you informally upon that subject, for tht
purpose OF obtaining from you such information MAY
enable them to act prudently and satisfactorily in The
premises The committee desire To know your pleasu 70
IN reference TO the continuation and completion OF tht
work-the progress you have made in tits presen
condition-und the time within which you, or anothe
agent can, with reasonable certainty finish It-whethe
you have now clerk engaged in your service, and i
so, al what salary or compensation' And ! but ex
press the earnest wish Of the committee when
you they would be pleased receive at your hands
and every suggestion you may deem il proper 10 make
IN reference 10 the important matter committed to your
charge, and about which yon doubtless feel much per
snprl anxiety. | trust, therefore, You will throw
aside oil reserre upon this subject, and communicate
yen virws freely and fuy that the committee, the
General Assembly, and the Sot-, may profit by then
Very respectfully,
Your obsdicnt servant.
ii. L HOPKINS.
CHaFsAs Jonssos, Esq Richmond, Va
RlcnMoSp, December 90 1912
Dear Sir Your letter If The 2lst December was re
ceceyed day two afterwards upon my return from
Petersburg, and would have been answered but
for the dispersion Of the members produced By The ad
journmen mt OF the House Of Delegates.
You were certainly right in surprising that feel
much personal anxiety upon the subject nf the revsal
which has been long delayed by my inability TO com.
p'ete IT. and assure you tina; feel equal anxiety 10
communicate to your committee and the House, any
information in my power, which could AID them IN
shaping the course proper to be adopted for completing
the work. fear, however, that have power com.
municnie very little that will be useful
In answer to the several distinct enquiries propounded
by YOU, have Ia say
F,1.t.l have m, now any clerk engaged in my ser
vice, have had any one so engaged in relation 10
the rerlsal since the legislature in March, ISL passed
an act apprupratng hundred dollars he paid me
for the compensation Of the clerks who had before tha,
time bet n employed by me-. Whatever writing or CO
plying has been since DONE has been performed by my.
self my chiefly by the latter for which charge
is IN be made
Secondly. As 10 the present condition Of the work
the progress have made in it, and the within which
l. or another scent cond with reasonable certainty,
finish lit would be icult 10 give definite answer
will state, however, that had arranged in my own
mind, the general plan o.! the work. and The manner Of
executing most Of its details, that hsd spent
time in looking INTO books criminal law and collect
ing such information az thought would aid me in the
discharge Of my duty; that had with much labor and
examined statute law, and caused the va.
rnus criminal laws contained in revised code and
the subsequent of the Legislature to be noted
and many of them 10 be copied and brought together
as 10 exhibit in one connected view the legislation OF
the State upon the subjects; and that have com.
piled statutes the following subjects:
/. Treason
2. Forgery and CONTRIBUTING.
8. Escapes and rescue.
L. Homicide.
s. Duell'ng.
g. Mayhem.
= Rape.
$. Stealing or selling free persons.
o Arson and other felonous burning.
TO- Burglary, robbery and larceny.
H. Enbczz!emsnt.
ID Riots. r"u,s, unlawful assemblies, arsays, and wear
ing concealed weapons.
oT fndinial
8. - erlury anu
10; Consp;,aey, champery and buying and selling pre-
i6 Buying and selng Offices, ana
IL Elections, and privileges of Members Of Assembly
IL ADVISING the rebellion Of slaves, and incendafy
publications..
10 Offences in relation 10 slaves
% Oi.nceS relation TO free negroes and Eiriatoes
q. Offences by slaves.
% Offences By free negroes and mulattoes.
go Offences by slaves, free negroes and mulat'oes
"a Concerning servants, apprentices and Certain Tree
negroes and mulattoe5.
% Gaming
&c Usnry.
81 Marriages.
2s Toverns and lippling houses,
90. Concerning ta1es on licenses and certain other
taxes.
80 Selling unwholesome provisions.
81 Foreslang, regra,ing aad engrossng.
81 Dvulgers of false
So Suppression OF vice, disturbance OF religious wor
ship and Sabbath breaking.
81. Burning the woods. &c.
a. Surrender of fugtives.
Sc Pardons.
81 Bail in criminal cases.
81 Actions popular.
80 Benefit Of Clergy
49, United States prsoners
A. Importation of convIcts.
u Tributary Indians.
a. C0nservanrs Of the peace
a. Grand jures.
ID. Petit juries.
itj Jurisdiction Of offences
Il. Arrests.
have also compiled several brief general principles
of law and noted several Others, to be compiled and
inserted in the commencement Of the volume, 10 serve
ptncipally as guides in the Interpretation of the statues
and 10 enubIe to simplify our law language, and cur
tail some of its tauology
All the statutes compiled, however have yet to be re-
vised corrected and classified before they will be ready
for insertion IN the code.
In what have done | have endeavored to embody
the various provisions of criminal statute law now
in force into distinct statutes under appropriate heacs
10 make the various provisions OF each statute consis
tent with one another and with all other statutes OF the
code and to make every provision plain rs possble
10 simplify its language and curtu liz redundancy, tax
ing care, however, to retain as much OF the Original
language as seemed Objectionable. have taken inc
liberty also of introducing such amendments as SEEMED
recommended by strong reasons
There remain yet 10 oe comp'ied t:e ""o"'hS "'a'
ters
j. The balance Of the laws regulating criminal pro-
ceedings against free persons part OF that DIVISION
of the work beng embraced in some Of The statutes
compiled above mentinned)
Q. The laws regulating criminal proceedings against
slaves
3 Laws re- gulang the Peni,entary.
A. Laws concerning the Attorney General, attorneys
for the Commonwealth, and other attorneys at law
s. Penalties in relation TO judges, justices, clerks,
sher., sergeants coroners eschea'os, notarles and
cons,abes and provisions relation to oa.hs Of OIL
flee.
s. Uncharr-ed banks, and penalties in relation to
banks and bank officers.
:. Penal provisions of the land law'.
8 Penal provisions Of the ponr laws.
Penal provisions nf the general turnpike Jaw, and
of The laws in relation to mills, roads, landings ano
ferries
10. Penal provisions of the inspection laws.
H. Penalties relating 10 The following suojects
Charts and maps.
Weights aud measures.
Pilots and harbour masters, seamen and wrecks.
Ballast, &c.
Small pox and quarantine.