Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-04

ARRANGED IN CONVENIENT FORM
II was stated in yesterdays STAR that the
Court in General Term has appointed Messrs
W. Stone Albert and b. G. Lovejoy, of the Dis
trict bar, to compile the laws of the District
This action was taken under authority of an act
of Congress approved March 2. 1885, which di-
reefs the Supreme Court of the District ito ap-
point two persons learned in the law as COM
missioners to compile, arrange, and classify,
with proper index. all statutes and parts of
statutes in force in the said District, including
the acts of the second session of the 5Oth Con-
gress, and relating to all such matters as would
properly come within the scope of a civil and
cririna! code; and the said court shall have
power to nil any vacancies occurring in said
commission"
The law further provides that leach of the
said commissioners shall receive for his services
such sum, not exceeding $500. said court
shall deem reasonable; said sum TO be paid upon
the completion of the work and the approval
thereof in writing by the court; which sums.
together with the reasonable costs incurred by
the commission for clerical assistance and in
cIdental expenses. not exceeding the sum of
$1,000. shall be paid by the Secretary of the
Treasury ont of any moneys not otherwise ap
propriated. One-half to be paid out of the rev.
enues of the District of Columbia: that of said
compilation. when completed. upon the order
of the supreme court of the District of Column
bia. there shall be printed 5000 copies at the
government printing office. said copies to be
sold at 10 percentum above cost"
TALK WITH Mr. LovEJoY.
Mr.. LOvejOy said to STAR reporter last eve
ming that he had not been officially notified as
Vet of his appointment. The work of the COM
mission is not, he said. to codify the laws of the
District. - In a general way a code means he
said. the collection of the body of existing
law. their condensation and modification.
When adopted it becomes the law But the
duties of the commission in this instance. as
defined by the law. Is to compile. arrange and
classify all laws IN force in this District. That
Is labOrlOus work. and is so because of the
anomalous condition OF affairs in this District.
VT have more common law in this District
than is in force anywhere else in this country
or IN England All The old English laws appli-
cable to Maryland a colony are in force
All the colonial statutes and the statutes of
Maryland up to the time of the cessiOn of that
portion OF Maryland lying within the bounds of
the District to the United States. In the session
of the District to the United States. which oc-
Cured an lIs9. ii was provided that all existing
Laws OF Maryland should continue in force until
repealed or modified by Congress This has
never been done. All the old body of law in
force IN Maryland i'll the last century has been
continued with such additions Congress has
from year to year made. These latter laws are
contained in the Revised Statutes for the Dis
condition of affairs has laid upon the court and
bar. the confusion and uncertainty which ex-
lists has been frequently represented to Con-
gress. Various attempts have been made to
induce Congress TO adopt code for the Dis
trict. as has been generally done in the
states think no less than five orders have
been prepared. but Congress has failed to
adopt item. The classification of the law. if
the work is properly done by the commission
will bring together from the different sources
have indicated the entire body of the laws
applicable to the District. 1t will. as | have
SAID. involve great deal of work and the ex-
animation OF all the English statutes from the
settlement of Maryland. all the colonial laws
and all the maryland laws down to the cession
OF the District. Then the laws passed by Con-
Sress Tor the beginning down to the present
time.
MANY BOOKS AND MUCH WORK.
Under the present conditions. continued
Mr.. LovejOy. IA District lawyer In preparing a
is obliged TO consult the English books for
the Interpretation of English statutes in force
here. the Maryland books to find out the mean
ing of the Maryland law and then .he L. s.
Statutes at Large to ascertain the meaning of
the l. ;. Statutes IN force here. As You NAV
readily understand from this very imperfect
and hasty sketch of tn field of the laws appli-
cable to the District the judges and the lawyers
must have at hand large collection of books
and consume much time in ascertaining what
the law really Is The present measure will
have the effect of simplifying this work and
bringing together i'll compact form the body of
the law. Next TO a code 1t Is the best thing
that could be DONE"
As TO the time that would probably be occu-
pied IN the work Mr.. Lovejoy said that he
thought it would take a year.