The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-29

Mr.. EditOr The Introduction of house
bill No. 1862 relative to the appointment of
commissioners for revising the laws sug-
gests the inquiry whether, in this season of
retrenchment, it is necessary to have any
revision at all. This query is especially ap-
propriate in view of the fact that since the
last elaborate and expensive revision of the
statutes, in 1880, but five sessions of the
legislature, including the present, have
been held. The enactments of these five
sessions will constitute the smallest body
of statutes that any reviserS have been
called upon to review during the hundred
years of our states existence. Indeed, be-
ginning with that of 1907 there have been
in all but four reviSons of our statutes
namely, Revised Statutes of 1882 pub
lished in 1870; General Statutes of 1862
published in 1859 and Revised Laws of
1880, besides the Revision of 1877 first men
toned, universally known and quoted by
that name. True, there were published in
1908 two volumes of Laws of Vermont"
complied and arranged by Thomas Toll
man, Esq, but these were a mere reprint of
the Revision of 1897, exactly corresponding
in the arrangement of subjects ana differ
ing only in the insertion of later enactments
under their appropriate heads, with " an
appendix containing titles of local and pri-
waite acts, with the exception of those the
most private and temporary" A third
volume was added in 1917, which merely
included the public acts contained in the
similar appendix The Laws of Vermont,
published in 1925, prepared and arranged
by William Slade, Jr., though commonly
known and quoted as "Slad S Statutes >
or " Slad s Revision" was and purported
to be only compilation, to which the little
volume, Laws of Vermont of "a Public and
Permanent Nature coming down to and in
Guiding the year 1884, - compiled by Daniel
p. Thompson, Esq, constituted IA second
and supplemental volume. After the d" Re
vised Statutes " published in 1910, which
was really the first revision since that of
1897 and so claimed to be in the Adver-
tSement" prttXed to the volume, there
appeared in 1851 the " Compiled Statutes,
Incorporating in one volume with the
former all the later legislative enactments
up o and including the year 1870, prepared
and arranged by Charles H. Williams. Not
till 1860, twenty years after the publica-
ton of the last revision, with annual
sessions of the legislature during the whole
interval, was it thought necessary to revise
the statutes again AT that years session
of the legislature, Milo l.. Bennett, Pier
point lsham and Andrew Tracy were ap-
pointed commissioners " to revise, redraft
compile, consolidate and arrange the public
statutes of this state" The report of these
commissioners, adopted after amendment
by the legislature of 1862, was enacted rs
the " General Statutes of Vermont" and
published in 1868. This revision answered
the purposes Of the legal profession and the
people for more than eighteen years till the
appearance of the Revised Laws " late il
1881 In 1870, however, seven sessions d
the legislature having interviewed since 1868
second edition of the General Statutes
was prepared by William G.. Shaw the com
missioner appointed "to edit and superin
tend the publication " of the first, and tn,
legislature Of 1870 authorized it to be pub
lished Why, then, cannot our present legis
lature direct the governor to appoint a com
missioner who shall prepare and attend II
the publication of a second edition of the
Revised Laws of Vermont" TO contain il
addition to the contents of the first edition
an appendix embracing all the public act
OF the legislature enacted since the session
of 1880, with marginal references to all de
cisiOns of the supreme court from the fifty
third to the sixty-third volume of Vernon
Reports inclusive, constituting the " Revised
Laws and the public acts? Should thi
be done, but five years session laws nee'
be included in the appendix; whereas il
that TO the " General Statutes" Of 1876
seven were contained All this conl,
easily be accomplished before july 1892
and the next legislature be relieved of tn
need OF lengthening its session far into De
cenber in considering and acting upon tn
report of commissioners appointed TO revis
the statutes Thus several thousand dol
dars expense might be saved the state.
Economy,