New-York tribune., 1874-01-15
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
THE CopWICAnON OF THE LAWS OF THE UNlrEl
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Jan. "A.

WASHINGTON. Wednesday, Jan. "A, 1874.
The Committee ON the Revision Of the Laws reported
20 the House to-day the complete codcation OF all the
laws OF the United States. made by the Commission
which engaged for three years upon the work
All the laws force are condensed INTO single
large volume This volume must be treated bill and
be regularly considered aud passed by both Houses
before the codifcation have the validity Of law
When this hurculeau task is accomplished by Congress
there viii be longer for the II volumes OF the
Revised Statutes except for reference to laws repealed
directly indirectly, by subsequent legislation The
adoption Of the coddcaton Will put the whole body of
ho existing statutes within the reach OF lawyers Gov
crGmcnt officers and Others interested ntem, VINO can
not afford TO purchase the II volumes IN Whch they
must he sought ont. The work of codication was
first begun sx years ago, by Commission OF lawyers
This Commission was succeeded three later by
second one who took up the incomplete work OF their
predecessors and finished last Spring. An able lawyer,
Mr. Thomas j. Duraut, employed to revise their
work. and gave nino months to the task The cOdhc-
ton thus revised reported TO the House at the
beginning OF the session a-d referred 10 the committee
On the Revision Of the Laws who made comparison ."
II with the statutes each member takng apOrtOh VI
the volume 20 30 over. The Commission underook 20
correct errors ana lnadVeIitnles IN thc eN.lns i"s
when consolidating them but the Committee decided 80
make the oodlcatiOn an accurate transcript, caFlhS
@ll IMPROVEMENTS ana corrections 10 IWirc ltgltou
At the suggestion OF M"sSrs. Poland and f. lockwood
lodr tue House determined 10 over the whole vol.
uIne III night sessions 70 be heId on wednesday ana
OF every week In order TO make the Work az
perfect as possible as great care mas neei tahrm III
making the cO1lhcation There are undoubtedly errors
that VIII BE- discovered by the scrutiny OF the House,
member looking closely Ato the chapters that par
tculJry interest HIN.
TIE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.
Ia the House the Naval Appropriation bill ~ dragging
it, slow way through the Committee Of the Whole. OF
all the annual appropriation bills, ii Is the one about
which members generally have the least knowledge. and
upon which they appear to want TO talk the most IL
Is made tho vehicle FOR bringing out speeches on all
v.Tar it., htfitl inn
travagaucc was vchemently discussed on paragraph
relating to the pay OF officers aud sailors and to-day,
While the graph IprOydng for clerks in the navy
yards was under consideration, SIR. Beck banged tho
high tariff doctrine 20 his hearts content and ir. Kelley
replied By vigorous assault upon the frce-tradS
falacv Beside these frequent digrc'sions great deal
OF time was occupied by the leading Democrats, espa-
oally by Messrs. Wood and Reck in trying TO make
party capital by assaulting the extravaganza OF
the Navy Department. There Is undoubtedly fair
field for criticism this direction, but the Democrats
are seldom furnished with facts TO back
up their denunciaons They IRE away AZ Tandonl ana
rarely anything Mr. Hale, who has charge OF the
bIli thoroughly Informed upon AL the subjects M
Soaed ~ IT, ana If = S ncs and g Eres t1 lie l. managus
tie bill with much ability and has coayineed the House
have zone as far in direction OF economy as is con
sstcnt with the maintenance OF respectable naval
almost the navy cost before the w2r, when the
purchasing power OF one dollar vas equi! 10 tha' o
THE wONtAS SUFFRAGE QUESTION.
The subject Of woman suffrage before the House
Committee on Territories to-day. Mr.. Wilcox, dele
gate from the NewYork Womau's Suffrage Society said
that woman suffrage in Utah originated in an address
before the same Committee five years ago. Delegate
Cannon of that Territory admitted that this statement
was substantially correct. Mr.. Wilcox claimed that the
acknowledgment first proposed "a the only prac-
ticabIe mode OF extrpating poIygamy, and that 1t
bav hat off
secured by aboishing the marking OF ballots with
numbers or otherwise that till this secrecy was secured
woman suffrage had not had fair trial, and SAID
further that the suffrage element was unani-
nous on this question. and that In the forthcoming
poltcal combination this element would be powerful
Mr. Heineman of Pittsburgh, agent OF the Pennsylvania
Woman Suffrage Society," said that if suffrage could be
taken 1t should he taken from men Tor tne
same reason Sne objected 10 inc eAensIon I " .n1
Utan. Mr. Carey stated that the Poland bill which he
would accept simply opsratea TO % m te od
legislation In Utah. To this Mr.. Wilcox assented. and
Mr. Mckee Chairman OF the Committee stated that the
Committee desired tins and nothing more. Mr. Gsrey
said that the MOrmons enrdnchsed the women OI Utah
to ouvote the Genties and that they had no. purP1e
allie CATION nphaicaly contradcted by Mr cannon
SENATOR sCHURz'S SPEECH
Senator Schurzs speech on the financial resolutions
this afternoon, though not devoted to subject when
attracts popular attention Washington crowds the
galleries was undoubtedly Of the abest efforts OF
his Senatorial career. The Senator takes the broad
catholic ground advocated by Senator Fenton before the
recess. aud supported though not 80 ably by others
who have spoken that tho thing TO be desired Is
resumption OF specie pay ments ana that ts
cannot be accomplished either by Imitation or Dy MT
Boutwels policy of doing nothing Some LEGISLATION is
necessary and while the senator believes that hat of
certain hDd Will bring specie payments quicker ana
with less disturbance than another he will vote for
those propositions that in his judgment come nearest TO
accomplishing the object
WASHINGTON NOTES.