Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-07-15
The Consolidation of the Iau..


The Boston Jawlal, In Speaking Of the re-
cent revision and consolidation Of the United
State. Statutes, ay-
" We desire 20 call attention 90 the compile.
ton Of this important work, the most inn
porhni probably of any Of The numerous acts
Of Congress i9r many years It combines in
single statute, ail the existing statutes Of the
nation in force on the 6rst Day Of December.
A. d., 1873. u embraces the nets Of Congress
for eighty-iyo years. which before were com
prised in seventeen large volumes. row reduced
to ono, not much exceeding thousand pages,
carefully revised and systematically arranged.
50 that the existing law, upon any subject, may
be seen IN the shortest possible time, arranged
in the most lucid and satisfactory manner.
Before, the law on any subject consisted q
successive cuac,ments, made from time to time,
through period Of nearly d century, and scat
tered through so many volumes that il became
next to impossible 10 find the entire legislation
upon any topic, short Of the search Of days or
weeks even, and then resulting 10 no absolute
certainty, since the successive cnactments were
found under heads bearing no connection or
analogy TO tho main subject This mode Of
attaching general Legislation to every kind Of
log-roiling scheme, not excepting the nppro-
pration bills, while it has become a most
fragrant scandal to the national legislation, has
also rendered 10 next TO impossible to know
what the national statutes upon any subject
were, short Of reading the whole seventeen
volumes in which they were contained, from
beginning TO end In this almost chaotic state
Of the legislation Of Congress, Judge Poland,
Of Vermont, while member Of the senate,
nearly eight years sinco, conceived tho idea Of
elccting the present result of revision aud con
soliiaton
The first movement in the discoumging un-
dertakng resulted in the passage of an act I'M
der which the first Commission Of the Revision
was appointed, with q distinguished iurist at
its head, but which really resulted in accom-
plishing almost nothing toward tie completion
Of tho work When this Commission throw
up the undertaking it left the whole matter in
a state of more hopeless confusion, uncertainty
and distrust than before anything was at
tempted. One Of less power of will, or determ-
nation Of action, than Judge Poland would
have despaired Of ever reviying it, But he did
not abandon it, Being then in the House Of
Representatives he applied his best energies
and talents to its resusctntion, and secured the
appointment Of new Commission Of Revision,
of more leisure, and consequently of more work
ing capacity. Mr. Poland, being Chairman Of
the Committee in tho House having charge Of
the entire subject, has labored with the most
industry and perseverance through
successive years in concurrence with the final
Commission, to bring about the present most
satisfactory result. The entire responsibility
Of the work has doyolyed upon the Committee,
and largely upon its Chairman, Judge Poland,
and it is but justice to him to declare that he
met it at every point in the most satisfactory
manner, laborng night and day, Mt all hours,
with degree of skill and Judgment scarcely
ever equaled in any great undertaking, for tho
benefit of the nation and especially the admin
istraton of justice. We speak but tho com
mon sentiment of the profession in saying that
the work is one Of unsurpassed merit, done
in the most careful, faithful and satisfactory
manner.
" We shall soon have the completed work,
with its index and preliminary and marginal
notes, which will save the courts and the bar,
rs well as business men, an amount of labor
md perplexity absolutely incalculable, and for
which VIC are largely, if not exclusively, in its
primary movement and speedy accomplishment,
indebted to Judge Poland II he had done
nothing else during his long Congressional SER
ice, he would deserve perpetual and grateful
for this alone "