The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-10-24
4 NEW REVJSION NEEDED.

II is now some time since the Revised Stat
utes of the United States went to second
edition, wherein they were much improved,
notwithstanding the criticism perhaps de-
servedly bestowed on boutwell,, the COM
missioner.) In all this time, since December
], 1873, the Revised Statutes relating to
+" the District of Columbia" originally i'm
perfect, and now preposterously out of all
form and obsolete, have not been touched in
any way. That nothing might he lacking to
the disrespect with which they were treated,
and their Inconvenience to the public which
Is supposed to know and govern itself Ivy
them, they were bound up with tho Post
Routes and Public Treaties of the United
States, with which they have nothing what
ever in common. The result is to make, in
stead of small book, huge and bulky
one, most inconvenient for reference, and
more costly than there is the slightest need
for. The purchaser pays for mass of paper
and printing which he does not want, and
then pays bookbinder for relieving him of
it and reducing the volume to its own slight
inherent dimcnsions-an instance of wicked
waste all round. The practicing lawyer, on
whom of course no sympathy need he wasted,
does this and tries to make his clients pay
for it. The general public cannot afford to
do so, and remain in ignorance Of the laws
which the Government is in duty bound to
prcmulgate TO them. This is the mechanical
difficulty allowed to remain in theway, when
IL might lie easily remcdied at the Printing
Dfnpa with ,,nSiftya 20 oil
cerned. But this is not the worst When
the volume is obtained and rebound in rea-
| sonable dimensions, it is found to start off
with chapter on Organization and Gov
" ernment,' which talks of Territory
n Governor" and Heaven knows what
things so far back in the past that we have
forgotten them even as history, but here
petrifed on the printed page of this obsolete
revision" Then we pass along and find a
chapter on Taxation" which is likewise as
defunct and misleading as anything solemnly
published and circulated to this day as lar,
under the great seal of the United States
could possibly be. Then we find that TIL,
act abolishing Imprisonment for debt, and tn,
act comforting probate jurisdiction on oul
Supreme Court, whose omission was motto {
when the volume first blundered out from til,
press, have never been inserted in the sever
years that have since elapsed. We say moth
ing here of the innumerable minor changes
in the law which would themselves demand
new revision to he made, even were Their
none of these gross and insufrerable lacuna
which are too numerous to specif,
in unprofessional columns like ours
We think it is evident that tn
work should be promptly taken in hand a
soon as possible after the meeting of Con
gress, and a second edition issued in conve
nient form without being bound up in ever
instance with lot of postroads, themselve
now obsolete, and public treaties whic
should in all reason and sense form separat
: books. 1t would have been better had til
Revised Statutes been divided into two hand
volumes instead of making an unwield
one the three subjects included in the con
: panion tome should certainly be boun
: separately in the new edition demanded
We are aware that the pendency of varior
Goodies" for the District before Congre
. has been made 4 preteXt for the neglect
. which We so strongly complain, but the pr
text is not allowable. 1t is impossible
estimate the mischiefs of having the authent
edition of the laws in such an inchoate ai
e misleading state as this has been for sew,
e years, and in which it will likely remain f
e years to come if the adoptionttof any code
l. waited for. Apart from this, the Legislatu
is bound at all times to keep its enactmen
fairly and reasonably before the people co
pi cerned--not entombed in the pyramid
'i Statutes-at-Large for seven years, or sole
S' within the knowledge of the expensive a.
~ highly-paid guild of lawyers. To quote
Is famous sentence from old Blackstone, "Wh;
l. lever way is made use of, it is incumbe
"on the promulgators to do it in the mc
n "pub!ic and perspicuous manner: not Ii
n Caligula, who according to Dio Cassiu
IN "wrote his laws in a very small charact
e. "and hung them upon high pillars, I
or "more efectually to ensnare the people
~ Any further neglect will bear out the caus
st remark which so neatly describes both @
situation and the treatment accorded, to W
that the District is the dOor-mat of Congress
III always "at the gates" but only to have dil
W feet wiped thereupon.
ed