The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-26
PLAGUE OF LAWS.
Governor Griggs' Master1y
Address to the Ameri-
can Bar Association.
10 SCIENCE IN LEGISLATION
Evil Caused by Selfish Designs,
Lack Of Conscience and
Crank Reform Pana-
eeas.
REFERENDUM OF NO VALUE
Public Opinion May Compel a
Change Through the Selec-
tion of Better Leg
islators.
INFLUENCE OF THE COURTS
All Honest Lawyers and Good Cit
izens should Join in Fight
ing the Worst EVIL Of
Our system.
INFLUENCE OF THE COURTS

was a large attendance of ladies and
members of the local bar at the meeting
of the National Bar Association in the
Y NJ C. A. Building this morning, in an
tieipation of discussion on the arbitra-
ton treaty which had been promised.
However. the discussion did not mater
ialize. AS soon as the meeting was
called to order President ]. NJ 'Woolword
introduced Governor Griggs. who was
selected to deliver the annual address.
He spoke as follows
When l was invited by your association
to make the annual address cast about
for subject that would not only pc
appropriate to the occasion but W0uid
also furnish some practical suggestions
in the line of Improvement of our sys-
TENS of Jurisprudence. An extended ex-
perience by personal participation i'm Leg
islation according TO the American sys-
TEN, has led me to believe that there is
no one thing in all the various depart
ments of government or business that Is
carried on with less scientific or orderly
method than the making OF laws.
This is not due TO the fact that Ieg1sla-
tion is obsolete necessity-rarel-y called
tor after the centuries of growth ana
pruning and perfecting through which
English law has passed. No age OF Eng
lish or American history has ever seen
such activity and profusion in iega2 enact
n.ent as now prevail With the lnperlal eil q
eral Congress at Washington in almost
continual session, there are nearly thlfty
parliaments in the British colonial sys-
TEN and legislatures of forty-five Ameri-
can States holding annual or biennial
sessions. all engaged in Ssipplementang
and amending the old laws and in devils
ing and passing new ones. Besides these,
are countless cities, towns and boroughs,
each with a legislative board exercising
portant matters of municipal life and
government. The steps Of the citizen
desiring to walk uprightlyl are beset with
labyrinths of statutory enactments that
conflicting that he must stumble, turn
which way he may. Volume after
by year in every State of. the Union, SO
that 1t is heavy task for the lawyer to
keep familiar with the growing mass of
statutory law of his own State; and no
lawyer who values his reputation would
think of giving an opinion upon the law
In a sister State unless it might be upon
the construction of some one particular
The general statutes of New Jersey
comprise three large closely printed vol
umes and cover more than 1900 pages.
More than half of this body of statu-
tory law has been enacted within the
last twenty years.
Of over 800 pages to. contain its enact
ments- And it is to be noted that these
are almost entirely general laws, the
constitution of that State prohibiting the
passage of special laws relating to many
important and prolific subjects, such as
the regulation Of internal affairs of coun-
ton of corporations The same produc-
tiyeness prevail in other States, in some
to a larger and in others to a little less
degree; Wsers ,eo,s,.t;va hoa,as assa,,,,,a
are found exceeding activity and willing
ness to exercise the fascinating power of
mental conception into q law is so sim
pie and easy in the ordinary State Leg
isature that laws are losing the sanction
they once possessed. Besides the spirit
of obedience as a patriotic duty, there
was in former days a feeling OF rever-
ence and awe towards the body of the
law as being the embodiment of the wis
dom of government inspired by very
high regard for the welfare of society and
promulgated only upon most careful and
mature consideration. Law as thus con-
ceived is not thing to be charged with
every whim and caprice of popular Opin-
ion. j II y It be. as the subject IS taught te
benefieent law-giver, whether prophet, or
king, or sovereign people, then it is the
product of superior knowledge and wis
conceive or his experience suggest. The
law-giver who changes his mind with
new limitations upon his code, or try-
ing experiments in government, cannot
expect to retain the reverence and re-
spect of his subjects for his wisdom
or ability.
There is nothing SO ancient and well
approved in our legal system that some
one cannot be found to venture an i'm
provement. The most novel and compli-
Gated problems are constantly arising
from the advancement and development
CT business and science, or trade and So
cial relations.
Nevertheless. it is true that we have nc
class of skilled legislators-rnen trained
all the arts and professions of the world,
Every 9thef department of business, OF
trade. Of art, of commerce. Aes its skill
ed and experienced men, Its eSs sineers, its
electricians, its statisticians, its archi-
tects, its designers. Men of business
enterprise have come universally to rec
ognize that every scheme of construction
only under the guidance and advice Of
those whose business 1t is to furnish ex-
pert and professional assistance. In the
construction of laws only is this skilled
assistance considered unnecessary We
would not dare to build a house or lay
ollf a landscape. or do any OF the or
dinary works of construction in social or
i the exsert and the specialist
Il. probation of law Is a. science; law
mr. is not. For centuries there has
l;s lawyer class whose special study
paration have been directed to the
landing of the law as II is found
sn .sat they might guide men by their
counsel or speak for them IN court, or
systems incomprehensible to the unt1atn-
ed mind Of the 1aynlan.
Judges construe the law give it its
Dropnr application say when this Or that