Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-12-26
CODE COMMISSIONERS FORT.
After Ardnoas Labor the New Code
Is Ready fer the Legislature.
OFFICE or CoDE COMMISSIONERS, J
STATS or MISSISSIPPI,
,Jarksan. Dec, ~. 1891. \

OFFICE or CoDE COMMISSIONERS, J
STATS or MISSISSIPPI, 7
jackson, Dec. ~, 1891. )
John NJ, Stone, Governor:
The undersigned appointed by you
in ohedirBce 10 section Y1o OF the cou'
stituiion, TO prepsTe ana draft s0ci
general laws de are contemplated II
the constitution, sud such other laws
as shall be necessary ana proper t0
put into operation the provisions there
of, and As may be appropriate to cou'
form the general statutes OF the state
to the constitution" deem il proper to
inform YOU of the progress OF our la
bors in advance of our report to the
Legislature. -.
We met in Jackson The 6th day OF
JANUARY, 1884, were assigned The
speakers Foom of the house SIS su Of
6Ce, aud at cnco entered upon our Ia
hors.
After deiibcrating carefully we be.
came convinced of the nagni ude anu
| Importance of tie duties assigned Us.
1t occurred TO US at the outset that The
yario.y-xn d far.reachiug character
changes wrought by the constitution
would render necessary a complete re-
| vision OF our statute laws, THIS view
OF the matter We submitted 10 on ana
sought your ndyice, and on Your sug.
gestion we addressed all the. judges
| aud chaucellors in the state, and many
private persons, soliciting their views
on the subject. e..
With practical unanimity thejudges,
cganccllors and other persons agreed
and urgedthat the new statutes, made
necessary by the constitution, should
be presented in connection with, and
as parts OF Il ncwiy-rcyised statute law.
Yon ~concurred i'll this view, and were
pleased to assure us ofyour confidence
that We would %crcdiiably acquit
selves of The task.
Our own judgment lends us to be-
iieve that, considering the numerous
amendments to the code of 1880, pre-.
pared by that eminent jurist, Judge
J. a. L, Campbell, the changes made
necessary by the constitution, and the
preparation by us of the neldlul
amendments TO the code alone, TO say
nothing OF the new statutes not in the
code OF 1850, or OF the new legislation
required by the constitution, would
leave our statute laws in a state OF in
extricable confusion aud would make
it necessary for the coming legislature
to provide for a new code at the next
session: in fact, we felt that the ncces-
sites of the case were such that we
could not discharge our duties, consci-
enstiously, save BY preparing and pre-.
senting an entire new code.
With many misgivings, as to our
ability to perform satisfactorily so inn
portant a work, we undertook it. We
have spent almost every day of the
YEA upon it, and have labored with
the single hope, that the results of our
work would rebound to the well being
of our beloved state.
The arduous task has been compile.
ted and we will have ready for pres.
entatiou to the Legislature a'comploN
revision of our statute laws, carefully
and fully annotated with the decisions
of the supreme court, TO date. We
have endeavored TO prepare a code Of
Mississippi laws which will compare
favorably with the best standards of
modern compilations.
Thanking you for the honor con-
ferred upon ms, and for the constant
encouragement you have given us, we
remain, your obcdient servants,
r. II. THOMPSON,
GEO. G. DILLARD,
r. B. CAMPBELL,
Commissioners.