Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-07-31
From the Boston journal.
The Revised and Consolidated Stat
utes of the United States

The Revised ana consolidated stat
utes OF the United States.
We desire to call attention to the com
pletion of this important work, the most
important probably of any of the nu'
merous acts of Congress for many years
1t com bines in single statute, all the
existing statutes of the nation in force
on the first day of December, A. d.
1873. 1t embraces the acts of Congress
for eighty-fve years, which before were
comprised in seventeen large volumes,
now reduced to one, not much exceeding
thousand pages, carefully revised and
systematically arranged, so that the
existing law, upon any subject, may be
seen in the shortest possible time, arrang-
ed in the most lucid and satisfactory
manner. Before, the law on any sub
ject consisted of successive enactmepts,
made from time to time, through pc
riod of nearly a century, and scattered
through so many volumes that it became
next to impossible to find the entire leg
islation upon any topic, short of the
search of days or weeks even, and then
resulting in no absolute certainty, since
the successive enactments were found
under heads bearing no connection or
anology to the main subject. This mode
Of attaching general legislation to every
kind of log,rolling scheme, not except
ing the appropriation bills, while it has
become most fragrant scandal to the
national legislation, has also rendered
it next to impossible to know what the
national statutes upon any sub ject 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 Con-
gress, Judge Poland of Vermont, while
member of the Senate, nearly eight
years since, conceived the idea of effect
ing the present result of revision and
consolidation.
The first movement in the discourage
ing undertaking resulted in the passage
of an act under which the first Commits
sion of Revision was appointed, with
distinguished Jurist at its head, but
which really resulted in accomplishing
almost nothing toward the completion of
the work. When the Commission threw
up the undertaking it left the whole
matter in state of more hopeless con-
fusion, uncertainty and distrust than be-
fore anything was attempted. One of
less power of will, or determine ton of
action, than Judge Poland would have
despaired of ever reviving it. But he
did not abandon it. Being then in the
House of Representatives, he applied his
best energies and talents to its resuscita.
ton, and secured the appointment of a
new Commission of Revision, of more
leisure, and consequently of more work.
ing capacity. Mr.. Poland, being Chair
man of the Committee in the House
having charge of the entire subject, has
labored with the most indefatigable in
dustry and perseverance through success
sive years, in concurrence with the final
Commission, to bring about the present
most satisfactory result. The entire re-
sponsibility of the work has devolved
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, laboring night and day, at all
hours, with degree of skill and iudg-
ment scarcely ever equalled in any great
undertaking, for the benefit of the ma.
ton and especially the administration of
justice. We speak but the common SEN
tlment 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, as well as business
men, an amount of labor and perplexity
absolutely incalculable, and for which
we are largely, if not exclusively, in its
primary movement and speedy accom-
plishment, indebted to Judge Poland,
If he had done nothing else during his
long Congressional service, he would de.
serve perpetual and grateful remem-
brance for this alone.
SUPPOSED MURDER Considerable
Nx-,