The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-11-09

Revision Of the United states Laws
la looking forward to the subjects which will probably
engage the attention Of Congress. il has occurred TO us
that might ptoktsLy direct attention the necessity
which exists for revision OF the statute laws of
the United States. Our statutes are scattered through
Than sky years Of legislation; and when We a.
clare that they lille better than chaotic mass OF ur
nlelgibe confusion. sure the remark will neat
with no rebuke from the intelligence OF the legal pro
sion. We suppose that il all The statutes were con.
pressed. they would occupy than five thousand
pages Of fine prints and Yet compressed the co.,
fusion and uncertainty growing out OF the doubt a. 10
what laws in force what repealed, what are o.
solee, great that the learned and Iaborious
lawyers often differ to what 10 the law in existence
II must be remembered that every il in theory re-
CURED 10 know what the law Isl aud il he fails know
he take the consequences In the presen, condition
Of statute laws this rule imposes upon the citizen an
inpossbiliy. This subject thoroughly Investigated
in ls4s by Hon r. Gle,. the Solicitor OF the Treas.
ury. who submitted to Congress very able and elaborate
report but the evil still exists BY way Of awakening
attention to the suggestions Of MI Get. aud inducing
Congress TO enter upon the reform much needed We
extract from the report referred 10 lew paragraphs:
sour scattered through sixty years of lsg,s
tion In their compact form they about
tour thousand very large pages Of hne print without any
reliable evidence distinguish those which force
from obsolets repealed The atest a,d
eamed osn differ In opinion whether cor.
tain statutes force Al each session laws arc
passed repeating or changing f,rnsf In 10
increase this difficulty. We often provided thar
specified in il Statutes frequently repealed BY enact
ing all and parts OF which are inconsj,svut
with the provisions Of this act hereby repsaled' What
thus repeated Is often involved In doubt especially when
several have been passed tho same subject. with
similar sepeAng clauses Acts often passsd rsisrrinr
adopting Others. An OF this knd showtr~
the effect Of such legislation will be cited BY the lin
section OF the Of 81 March, lS47 establishing po,,
routes, tho Postmaster General 10 authorized to procure
and issue postagesamps i also provided that any per
who shall falsely and fraudneny TO- u,ss or fosrs
any postage. stamp, with intent defaud the Pos, ORc,
Department. shall be deemed guilty Of elony and on con-
viclion. be subject the .sans punishment provided
The 2st section of the post-olcs law OF March s. lsU
BY examining The ction referred wi be seen hat
provides four fsY.nt pr~0lsssthe s fine not excseA
ing 8sOo, six months imprisonment both tho sec
ond imprisonment less than ten over twenty oua
years; The thd, penalty exceeding $500; and hs
fourth, like penalty Of not exceeding SO Although
forgery Of postagesamps understood have be- dis.
covered the proper said have held the pro.
vision Of the Of 1877 above referred effect void
for uncertainty.
"More than twenty since the land laws wers pub
lished in the same manner and extended 10 over IOOO
pages Numerous have since passed on that sub.
jet; but it is probable that hundred pages
OF the land laws operative II is known that .ome
OF these difficult be understood, thar comm,
soner issued land patents that required special Legislation
to render them valid. sui has been dies,ed under
special Iau which will involve among other thnrs IN.
validity Of Presidents signature to land-p ont sui,
is al pending which involves the boundaries OF land din,
rct Indeed numerous qaestiors raised u.drr II se
land laws, most OF which grow their confusion and
obcuri,y
Out Of hundred and ninety acts IA the 10.
delay, hundred pages tbs whole ara now
In iorce Some Of these have epealrd whs an
occasional provision has been annued by ia ica inter
probation, unauthorized by the But which
in foce and which not easily determined
even by the best juriss Owing this difficulty
derssotd that ocen in tho departments have devoted
years To particular branches of the pubic arc often
in doub to what the law e,iy IT, This difficulty
greatly increased by suttolzed IA rucuons
sued by the departments hs wing the e and ea,c, Of
statute. These ex,-nd to voumes and asd
render Il doubtful which binding. Tue govern.
is often involved in litigation growing out OF tbes
Instructions Suits OF this character no PEI ding
national courts and nmorg them invelvrg the
question whether a particular in uction really Ia
" these laws and instructions embs The officers Of
the COVE nent, aud able be- the judiciary,
be pected that and OF esssls s
salor The soldier, the ordinary czcn ard the stranger
understand them The tang po tibi,. Tens.
tonal laws and b.. dessood BY
who bound know and .bsy he n, the hazard
Life. liberty, and pro, cry They should be and
compressed, they we'll can he. Hssd
ums, and placed wi,hn leach Il .very citizen sim
pie cost II not ~1prn-~."
Bronson,s Free 0sNalarn