The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-01

lington. George E Hamilton, A A. Birney
Leon Tobriner, and W. G. johnson. The
Board Of Trade referred Judge Cox's worl
TO a special committee OH the code, orig
inally composed as follows: A. T. Britton
Chairman: R. Ross Perry, Charles C
Glover. H. F. Blount, and Col. NJ. NJ
Parker.
On July Z. 1888 Colonel Britton's death
resulted in 4 reorganization of the com
mittee, which has since then been COM
posed of the following members: r. Ross
Perry, Hon. F. G. Newlands. Judge R. H.
Alvey, A. S. Worthington. J b. Larner,
F. L. Siddons. Leon Tobriuer, Avis B,
Brown. Eugene Carusi. James VI. Johnston,
and c. W. Needham.
The Committee on Legislation of the Bar
Association went carefully over the whole
code and agreed Professionally upon a num-
Der of notifications. They concluded from
various causes to lay aside. for the time,
the second part of the code as prepared by
Judge Cox, relating to municipal affairs.
and COnfne their labors to the first part.
After this committee had finished its re-
vision. the judges of the Supreme Court OF
the District of Columbia met with he
committee-tho court adjourning for the
purpose for several weeks.
The judges including Judge Cox. and the
members of the committee then went over
the proposed notifications as submitted
by the committee and considered many
others suggested by the Judges. and finally
agreed upon the terms of every section of
the code with the understanding that in
the form in which it was then left, it
should be introduced in Congress and
printed and that thereupon a second re-
vision should be made in substantially the
same way. This was done accordingly the
code being introduced in the Senate as
Senate bill $3.50. Fifty-ffth Congress. third
session This action was taken with the
approval also Of. the Bar Association at 4
special mestingI called for the purpose
with the understanding az the time, with
the corresponding committee of the Board
of Trade. that after a final revision should
have been completed the whole work
should be submitted to the Board Of Trade
through its special committee.
Notifications Agreed Upon.
After the code had been thus introduced
into Congress and printed, the Commit On
Legislation Of the Bar Association again
went over it and agreed upon number
of further notifications. The committee
then met a committee Of the judges, con-
sisting of Justices Bradley, Cole, and Bar
nard. and they together spent six weeks
in going over the provisions of the code,
every paragraph being carefully read ard
considered. This joint committee Of tie
bench and bar also examined Abert's Com
piation of the Statutes in force in the Dis
trict of Columbia, the Revised Statutes of
the District, and the acts of Congress
enacted since December, lS73-the Gate of
the Revised Statutes-fcr the purpose OF
discovering whether any important omis-
sion had been made
J Of the changes made in the proposed
code by this joint committee were sub
mitted to the author of the code, Judge
Cox and met with his approval.
During the whole period lively interest
was taken in the code by all the members
of the bar and many ether citizens of tie
District. The committee in charge of the
revision of the code received numerous
as TO amendments from such
sources, all of which were carefully con-
sidered by the joint committee of tie
bench ard bar.
To each member of the Committee on
Legislation was assigned, in the earlier
stages of the work. separate chapters Ct
the code. each member. so far as Dracti-
cable, taking under his special charge
that branch with which he was most IA
miliar and each member Of the committee,
after having his share of the work thus
apportioned to him. was aided by a num-
Der of the members OF the bar, net mem
bers OF the committee. who were specially
requested by the committee to act on such
After his final revision had been COM
pleted. the code. as agreed upon, was sub
mitted to the Bar Association. and ct
very fun meeting of that body. which was
held on the 10th day of March, 1900, by
unanimous vote the committee on legis-
laticn was instructed to present the code
to Congress and urge its passage. the COM
lnittee being given discretion as to any
further changes in matters of detail.
Like other codes. this work deals only
with those general and permanent statutes
which affect the personal and property
rights OF the people at large and the pro-
cedure by which these rights are to Ee
established and defeAded. II takes no note
Of laws relating to particular corporations,
or classes Of corporations. or other merely
private statutes. 1t omits, of course. all
acts and other matters
merely CT a temporary nature.
Chapter i. section /. Of the Code pro-
yides that The common law, all British
statutes in force in Maryland on the 27tn
day CT February. 1901, the principles Of
equity and admiralty. al acts of Congress
not locally insppiicable in the District Of
Columbia. and all acts of Congress by their
terms applicable to the District of Column
bia. and to other places under the iuris-
iiction of the United States in force at the
date of the passage of this act. shall re-
main in force except in so far as the same
are inconsistent with. or are replaced by,
some provision of this code.