Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-01
THE CRIMINAL LAWS
Plans and Purposes Of the New Com
mission.
REASON FOR Its CREATION
Has Been No Revision for Over
Twenty Years.
WORK OF CODIFICATION

pointed, by virtue of an act of Congress, to
revise and codify the criminal and penal
laws of the United States, has organized
and entered upon it's duties in this city.
The commission IS composed of Judge AL
bert c. Thompson of Ohio, chairman; Judge
Alex. c. Botkin of Montana and Judge
David b. Culberson of Texas. Mr.. F. W.
Collins of Nebraska has been appointed
secretary and Mr.. N. c. Crutchfield of Ken
ttcky one Of the law clerks. The commits
sion is located at 1416 street northwest.
The objects of the commission were out
lined by Judge Thompson in conversation
with a Star reporter today.
Reason for the Commission.
Because Of new legislation since the
revision of 1S73,'' said Judge Thompson,
'and of decisions of the Supreme Court
and other courts, it is difficult to ascertain
readily what the criminal law is in many
respects. The laws dealing with penalties
were not included in the chapter on crimes
OF the revision of 1873, and for the purpose
OF convenience Congress thought best to
put into single code not only the criminal
but what are called the penal laws of the
United States, with such revision as will
correct errors, supply omissions and bring
the Wnole into harmony. The work of the
commission will proceed along those lines"
What division of the work among the
commissioners has been made?" he was
asked
None; in the progress of the work. how
ever, some division of the labor will nat
rally grow up. But each section and
paragraph of the code, as finally COM
pleted. must have the approval of the
commission or of majority of the COM
missore1s. If there be any division OF
labor among the commissioners the work
OF each will have to pe submitted to the
tody and approved before it can become
part of the code"
The commission is going ahead rapidly
with the work in hand. The law clerk
and the secretary are going through the
statutes. segregating them and arrang-
ing them for the convenience of the COM
missioners. The latter are comforting upon
the methods to be pursued in the codiri-
cation and making preliminary examina-
ton OF the material to be handled.
Asking for SuggestiOns.
The commission has caused a letter to
be prepared which has been sent to each
United States district judge, each United
States circuit Judge and each United States
district attorney, citing the act organizing
the commission and saying:
Recognizing the grave Importance of
the work before Us, we have the honor
to request that you shall communicate to
US any suggestions that have peen derived
from your extended experience in admin
isterinF the criminal ard penal laws of
some doubt as to whether procedure is
covered by the terms of the law, we will
be grateful for an expression of your
opinion to the need of such a CODE and
what it should embrace
Provision of the Commission,
The provision for the appointment of the
commission was contained in the sundry
civil appropriation bill, which was ap-
proved June 4, 1897 and was as follows:
consent of the Senate. shall appoint three
commissioners whose duty it shall be, un-
der the direction of the Attorney General.
to revise and codify the criminal and penal
laws of the United States
THAT they shall proceed with their work
as rapidly as may be consistent with thor
oughness, and shall report the result of
their labors to the Attorney General when
completed, to be by him laid before Con-
gress and shall make such other reports
during the progress of their labor as they
shall fit to the Attorney General, to
be laid before Congress at his discretion.
That their report shall be SO made as
to indicate any proposed change in the
accompanied by notes which shall briefly
and clearly state the reasons for any pro-
posed change"
The missiOners.
The appointment of the commission fol-
lowed. Judge Thompson is a prominent
lawyer of Ohio. He represented his state
in the House of Representatives in the
Forty-ninth Fiftieth and Fffty-first Con-
crosses. His fitness for the work was recog-
nized at once and President Mckinley de-
cided to make him chairman of the COM
mission.
Judge Botkin is one of the most promi-
nent lawyers in the west. He has been
associated with the growth and prosperity
of Montana for many years, and has taken
a prominent part in state politics. He is
regarded as man of high legal ability and
well acquainted with the details of the
work cut out for him.
Judge Culberson of Texas has been one
of the foremost lawyers in Congress for
many years. When the democrats were in
power in the House he was chairman of
the judiciary committee, and his ability
was recognized by the republicans as well
as his own party. Speaker Reed enter
tanned high opinion of him, and such was
the esteem in which he was generally held
that he never failed to get a hearing when
he took the floor, and very seldom lost a
bill which he was engineering
great deal of interest has been mani
Tested throughout the country in the work
of the commission, and for years lawyers
have been besieging Congress to authorize
the work the commission has now under
taken. The principal states of the UniCn
have codifcations of their criminal laws
but there has been great confusion with
raSnect To the Tinted. States laws