The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-12-15
Mr.. Simpson Defines his Position OH an
Important Matter.
COLUMBIA, S. c., December -

COLUMBIA, S. c., December ~
Mr.. EDITOR: An article appeared in
the December lst issue of the INTELLI-
GENCER, under the head of Editorial
Correspondence" in regard to the codifi-
cation of the laws, which did not prop
crly define my views and oniniona. I
would like to express what were my
views and the pc ,ition took on this i'm
portant matter, and my reasons therefor.
At the last session @ ihe General AS
sembly Commission WINS appointed to
codify the laws in accordance with pro-
vision of the Constitution. The Com
mission reported early in the session
The report, embracing all the laws of the
State, was a printed volume as large ns n
large family Bible. When the House
commenced to act upon this report the
members began to offer amendments,
whereupon Col. McCrady, after consul,
tation with scveral of us, objected to the
course boing pursued, and moved that
the report be referred to tho Judiciary
Committee and Committee on Rules to
ascertain if the report offering this huge
volume as ga bill" was in conformity
with the rules Of the House and the pro.
visions of tho Constitution. The mem.
bers Of the two committees who were
present, except Col. McCrady and my.
SELF reported that the report sJd the
manner in which it was being acted upon
by the House were in conformity with
both the Constitution and the rules.
Col. McCrady and myself united in a
minority report, setting forth that they
were violation Of both the Constitution
and the rules. The Constitution pro.
vides that no bill should be offered in the
House relating to more than one subject,
and the rules of the House require the
same. Now this report, or codi6ca,ion.
or bill, call it which you will, but bill
it was construed TO be in the usual &C.
ceptation of the term, related to every
subject known both in the laws and the
code, and, therefore, as such, was clearly
in violation of Constitution and the
rules.
The Constitution provides that the
laws must be codified every ten years.
That is, the laws must be gone over, and
ell laws, sections of laws that have been
repealed, taken out. and all amendments
of sec tions, &C., incorporated into the
original law, so that the citizen could
IraG ana understand tbs law. The Com.
mission did codify the laws, but they
went further and interpolated the entire
volume with amendments, many and i'm.
portont, and so intespersed were these
changes and amendments with what was
original, that it was physically impos.
sible for the members to determine their
effect or force, or strike them out without
destroying the congruity of the whole.
The Constitution in requir'n.e n bill 20
relate to but one subject was adopted TO
prevent this very thing, and thereby pro-
tect the dearest rights Of the people.
My opinion, therefore, was that the re-
port, or volume, or bill, should be re.
ierred back to the Commission with in
to codify the laws correctly,
and any changes which they might de-
sire to saggest should be by bills sepa.
rate nd distinct from the codi6cation,
and " hich could be separately acted upon
by the General Assembly. Besides all
:his, there were other considerations
which induced me to recommend that
This report, volume or bill should be re-
lerred back to the Commission.
The Constitution requires every bill
before il becomes a Law to be read three
imes in each House, and the rules re-
luire that when SO read it shall be en-
written out in full-and
hen to be sealed and signed by the Pres