New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-27

fess that alter an xious coasderAtton Of all soe
d,sreut besriDss of the question, We are thorough
y convinced that ssch c,diacstlon. BY relieving
Law Of complication, and rendering 1t popular
and simple, would be not only msasu'e Of great
utility. bat should be an imperative accompsni.
ment Of democratic institutions. We know fall
well that il il impossible fox any human lag, and
consequently any human code, to foresee every
legal svenruslity, and provide for every PMticu-
lar Gaze. Ii 10 doubly impossible in our country.
where property being 90 much the resuls OF lndi-
yidua labor, AID not of Inheritance, II constantly
changing hands. Here, more than in any osaer
country In the world, the manufacturing, com.
mereisl and agricultural interests sre ia their
infancy, and consequently subject in their growth
to various modifca.io and Developments. They
are liable naturally in this process to become Ia
volved in multifold entsnglements. But IL does
not follow that because rules cannot be framed
to meet every particular emergency, general
wit should Dot find . remedy. We shall not
enumerate the many injuries which result from
the absence of well digested code. Among
the most glsripg is the practice which obtains
at present of ruling BY precedent, and
Giving to il the authority Of law. The mo
msnt the political, civil and criminal Law is
cleared Of the complication Of past individual
decisions, often obsolete and conflicting AMI con-
soldated with clearness, certainly aud precision
ito one compact code, Law will cease to be
mystery, accessible only to the select few, aad
become clear and luminous truth 10 the great
many. A cedifcaton of law 10 q measure en-
ineptly democratic and civilizing. Such code
gathers ali complicated laws into lie simple aud
comp, extensive grasp, and holds them up for the
direction of every man endowed with common
sense in all his varied business relat ons and in
all bis rights and duties. There is no need to
hunt for old precedenss, or to reconcile conflict
ing acts. All who run may read. One single
line of such code will often teach great truth,
correct great error, and prevent. fatal plunge
into useless and expensive litigation.
In all matters of criminal law the proposed
code will place with simplicity before every
member of society the crimes, ohenses and tres-
passes by which he may be affected himself
or affect others. Common sense brings homo at
once to the understanding the influence which
such knowledge must have on the peace aud we'll
beirg of community.
The labors of the previous commission, Of
which Mr.. Field was member, having framed
system Of practice AMI procedure, the present
bill naturally makes no provision in that respect.
STILL practice and procedure must to great eI'
tent depend on the main code, and 1t s possible
that some changes may be required In our system
before the subject is finally disposed Of Indeed,
the partial reforms which this system has intro
duced have, in some cases, only had the effect of
rendering complication more complicated. The
same result has been produced in England, where
the same compromise with obsolete principles
was attempted.
By not embracing the whole field of jurispru.
dence In one comprehensive measure, We create
new conflicts between the old abuses partially
abolished, and the new reforms partially intro
daced. For measure to work efficiently, there
mus! reign q harmony between all its parts. Such
q harmony can alone be produced BY thorough
recast of all our laws, and sthorough reform be-
ginning with tho fountain, and uov win It's az
ten6ant streams. Such reform, if honestly en-.
acted and carried out, will ut once correct the
faults of the partial measures already attempted.
Believing the bill now introduced to be of sush
Q character, we trust there may be no insupera.
bic obstacle to its passage.