Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-31
Il REMARKAB1E Bill PnoposrD

HE GLOBE has already called attention to
the bill pending in the Legislature for the
codifcation of the statutes. It is a matter
of surprise that such measure should re-
ceive moments consideration. That our
criticism may not seem harsh, we append
the bill in full, which is as follows:
SECTION l. The public acts now in force. in
Guiding the Revised Statutes of one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-six (1S66) and the pub
lie acts and laws passed since that revision of
the Statutes, and which may be passed by this
Legislature, shall be compiled and arranged
and put into chapters, with appropriate heads
and with references to the decisions of the Su-
preme Court.
Sec. 2. The said Statutes shall be complied
and published by a commission consisting of
George b. Young and such others as he may as
sociate with him under the supervision and
direction of the Governor, within one wear
from the passage of this act.
SEC. 3. All expenses of the preparation and
publication Of said statutes shall be borne by
the party publishing them, and the State shall
not be liable in any way for any of the ex-
penses of this work. And the price of said
compilation of the statutes shall be fixed at SIX
dollars for the entire work.
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and he in
force from and after it's passage.
AS if this bill was not sufficient on its
face, the petition of members of the bar of
st. Paul and Minneapolis is attached and
printed. almost as part of the bill itself.
In fact, if the bill should become law, it
might be question whether the lawyers of
st. Paul and Minneapolis had not succeeded
IN making their names portion of the stat
utes, and bound to be obeyed and respected.
But seriously, is it not about time for the
Legislature to put an end to impudent
schemes of private individuals? Some book
publishers wish to make some money by
publishing the statutes of Minnesota They
employ this or that lawyer, as the case may
be, to compile them and then 90 to
the Legislature and ask law
directing this compilation. It is pure
~ private scheme, and if the pub
fishers wish to embark in it independently, well
and good. The proviso that the State is to
incur no expense in the matter, if inserted in
good faith, shows that the State should have
nothing to do with the business. When a
publisher wishes to issue work what right
or claim has he upon the Legislature
to ask law ordering him to do so?
1t is evidently the intention of the origi-
majors of this bill to come in next winter
with bill authorizing the State to buy one
or two thousand copies at six dollars per
copy and supply them to judges, county Off
Gals, and Others That is undoubtedly one
of the Africans in this meal tub, and per
haps several others remain to be unearthed.
We make no reflection upon eny member
of the Legislature. The favorable action
which this bill has thus far received has nm
doubleday been with good intentions, but it
IS mistake, and the members of the Leois-
lature should perceive that they are asked to
put through private job before it is too
late. We do not know. that the
State of Minnesota is under obliea-
tons to authorize publisher to is
sue e the statutes, because a few
attorneys in st. Paul and Minneapolis have
requested it. In fact we doubt whether
these attorneys, who seem likely to have
their names embalmed as part of the statutes