The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-29

..rv yvl a Up.--wh~s Does u Mean
The two houses Of the Maryland LegsAture have beer
at Iosgsrhssds to the proper Of the term 'tt
wind up and the following report presents lucid Ant
somewhat amusing exposition Of the subject.
Mr.. Williams, from the committee to which was re
erred the bill entitled act to authorize the Ameri
can Mutual Insurance Company of Baltimore wind up
the business Of said company submitted the following
REPORT:
The Select Committee to which was referred the Dill
entitled act authorize the Mutual Insurance CON-
pany Of Baltmsre to wind up the business OF said com
pany received from the House Of Delegates with certain
amendments of the Senate dssented FROM has had the
same under consideration w.n he 10.
That although Difference to the wishes OF the House
induces the committee in conclusion to recommend to
the Senate to receds from its amendments yet it avails
itself Of the occasion precede that Recommendation
with few remarks in vndcation Of the Senate from
the employ of the word 'cose with its variations,
instead of wind, y winding and wound" Besides,
not at least too colloquia for the gravity Of
q legislative style, this body doubted such use being
SUPPORTED BY good authorities.
The House, however, insists that the words " 10 wlnd
up" &C. the only words which can completely ex-
press the idea intended that it is now not only the ap
proprate term to express the idea but that no other
word is a. well adapted TO that end-thus conveying
for the first time the startling intelligence that the IAN
Uuage heretofore employed BY the Legislature such
subjects has always been either ambiguous made
And the House defends the use OF these potent ex,
pressons BY authority OF late bri1sn law wrers ana
has never remarkable either for elegance or even
for correctness its style OF writing with few excep
tons The Monksh Latin and barbarous Norman French
with which their studies deeply imbued, make their
works unsafe guides for the cultivation Of language
They not thought TO resort habualy TO the pure
Mountains Of English undehled.
Further the commit zee appeals from these modern
British innovators law and language to those ripper
scholars found in the ranks Of the profession such
Lord Bacon, Lord Mansfield, Lord Campbell and Black
stone Nor win this of these expressions, it
uHss as Kent Marshall ana story
The House further seeks to forty its employment OF
''to vino up, as synonymous with close, or 'cose
up reference to those great photographers, Richard
son and Webster.
Richardson has three meanings ito wind up
First To close conclude the convolution;
Second To bring to PERIOD to state of ten
sion or tightness, fit for revolution action
Do these definitions furnish any authority to the House
for its use Of the terms ito wind upS The committee
thinks the insurance company would feel puzzled told
that the act of Assembly had empowered them to con
cude the convoluton Of their charter that the act
had placed them in "a state of tension or tghness, fit for
In Wsbsters Quarto Dictionary of 1925 being the first
edition, under the words 'to wind up are found SIX
from the sense poy by and corresponding
with its accustomed and each OF those five dedni
tons supported by references to distinguished authors
The remaining definition s"To bring to a conclusion
settlement"
For this meaning Dr. Webster gives authority; and
why notS Because forsooth, he could find none. Had
he lived until these days he would have found modern
American authority in the House of Delegates of Mary
land.
But as if to Iebuke this novel Interpolation of
ing into expression foreign its long received def
nitions the learned editor Of Webster's Dictionary of
1852 carefully omits that definition Of the phrase to
wind up inserted in the edition Of 1928, placed there
without authority So that the later Webster so far
from sustaining the meaning relied by the House is
authority against it. nasmuch it knocks away the
pillar which the House e,ted for that definition
The meaning contended for is not found in johnson,
Masons supplement, Walker, the American Dictionary,
any other Lexicon which the committee has had
opportunity of consulting The committee is, therefore
justified in its vndication Of the Senate which body
assumed that there respectable American autho
rty for giving perverse meaning to expression
all of whose legitimate and analogies directly
the contrary.
However the House of Delegates has adopted this
velty, and the committee recommends acquescence
in this adoption by recedng from its amendments in
order that the meitorous object of the bill may be
complished Herceforth, when in the laws Of Mary,
land individuals companies authorized to wind
mp their business they are not to suppose that they
wound up for fresh start but they understand
that when they wound up they actually
Hwound down" NATH. WILLIAMS,
JOHN a. SOTHORON,
JOHN 4. HONEYWELL.