The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-05-12
THE CODE AGAIN.

Our neghbor across the way seems ANXIOUS
to show his lively appreciation ot the Code, by
pa,aJing what he is pleased to call the deiences
of the Express THIS is all very well, there is
nothing ike little humor amongst the craft,
when INDUCED in with the proper spirit. Oar
detcnces certainly somewhat elaborate, but
not so much so as to preclude The possibility OF
q few more observations.
The Codc is by means perfect compi'a-
ton OF laws. II contains many wise aud whole
some provisions, which, 70 our mode Of think
ing, il would be very unwise to abolish But
whist this is strictly true, the fact ,aunot be
with held that, many OF its regulations, II is
drcid, dy defective. In these, il needs, Ger
rections and during the session OF the ap-
preaching Legislature, such corrections will
and must be made. AS we have already said,
the Code is, by no means, perfect compilation
of laws Ii it were so, ii would be more than
a human production. 1t has lis imperioctlons,
and as these disclose themselves from time to
Time IN the operation of It's provisions, the cor
reciion will be Suggested and no sooner sug
res,ed than made. The result will be, that, in
the end, we shall have a system of laws which
will be the effect of practical experience Our
laws will then be such as the practical workings
cf society have suggested, and, consequently,
Will approach nearer to perfection than any
o.her possibly can. To undertake to blot out
the Code from existence, the good with 'he
bad, would be the extreme of folly and would
involv: the State in new and enormous debt
which We uId fall as an additional and heavy tax
upon the properly holders, because il you abol-
ish the Code altogether, if you blot it entirely
out of existence, your Senators and Repres en-
| tatives will have to 60 to work and get up new
Statute Book, at cost of ten or twenty thous-
and dollars TO the State and what evidence
have we, that the new, will not be subject TO
the same or like objections that the present
Code is' The course of wisdom and policy
is to preserve the admitted by unobjectionable
features of the present Code, and correct in il
all those i,nperfections, which experience shows
really to exist. And by continuing these cor
reutions at each sitting of the Legislature, as
experience and observation prove the inadap-
,ation of this or that law, we will, in the end
secure to ourselves system of the most per-
feet laws, and without that additional and enor'
nous expenditure, which must attend the total
extinction of our present system and the substi-
tuition of something new, and perhaps, and in
the end, equally imperfect.
The Wing press of the State have gotten UP
a hue and cry against the Code, rotten i'll al
its parts, which, TO say the least, is as unscru
p US as it is highly improbable, that, out Of a
Whsle compilation of laws, there cannot be
f1und. even one wise enactment. Every i'm
p,r,iaI rs aIer will see at glance, that the dep
rcatons of the Wing press, are the result o.
political management and intrigue, gotten W
will, design TO prejudice the public mint
against the Cod 4, as the cnanat:on Of Demo
cratic Legislature. This il one of the many
modes of attack that are the resort of corrupt
ngr.ncipled and designing adversary. But OF
this point we are willing to meet them, and i
II ccssary, to show that the most ardent, active
and stcad(ast friends of the Code, were prom
ncnt Wing members of the very Legislature
by which it was ratified We are willing also
10 submit to the people the question, whether II
would be wise and polite to totally abolish oul
present system of laws, and place in our hands
! entirely new Statue book (; requiring com
pete change in all the exi sting state Of things, OIL
simply to preserve whatever salutary provision:
the present Code may contain, and make It more
|
perfect, by correcting those things wherein 1t Il
considered imperfect. This latter course, will
10 our mnd, answer all the purposes of wise
LEGISLATION. and avoid the creation Of new ant
unnecessary Stale debt.