Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-10
NEW CODE OF LAWS
The Production Subject of Report to
Bar Association.
RESULT OF RECENT REVISION
Represents Labor of the Bar and
the Judges.
THE NGES MADE

At a special meeting of the Bar Associa-
ton this afternoon the committee on leg
fslat!on of the association submitted
port in rela ion to the nroposed code of
laws for the District of Columbia. The
port was adopted unanimously. 1t sets
forth that:
IN accordance with the resolution
adopted by the association at its meeting
held the 10th day of February. 1879. the
code prepared by Justice Cox. revised by
the committee on legislation in conjunction
with the justices Of the Supreme Court of
the DisJr. :. including Justice Cox, was
introduced in the Senate on the 18th day
of February. 1893 as Senate bill 500 of the
Fifty-ffth Congress. third session. After
this Oil was printed the committee on
legislation made a number Of changes in
it, and in the last six weeks it has been
revised at joint meeting If the commit
tee and a committee nf the justices of the
Supreme Court of the District, consisting
o. justices Bradley. Cole and Barnard In
his revision every word of the bill was
carefully read ard considered There We're
also examined Abert's compilation. the Re-
yised Statutes of the District of Columbia.
and the acts of Congress enacted since De
cember J. 1aIi, and a number of the acts
which were omitted in the code as origi-
nally prepared were supplied.
During the past year the committee re-
ceived numerous suggestions as to different
parts of the work from members of the bar
and others. all of which received careful
consideration. and many of them have been
incorporated in the code.
The worl, Divided.
''In the revision of the code, as prepared
by Justice Cox. the subjects embraced in it
were divided among the members of the
committee. and each member was aided in
his work by members of the association
not the committee. who We're requested
by the committee TO act on these subcom-
mittees. and who in this way rendered val
liable service.
Other members of the association rem
dered aid in the examination of the acts of
Congress passed since December l, 1873,
the date Of the Revised Statutes. and call
ing attention to those viii, relate to the
District 1t may we'll be said that the Gods
represents the labor of the entire bar and
all the judges of the courts of the District.
"Tha principal difference between the code
as T. now stands and Senate bill $3.50 is in
the striking out Of the latter. under the di-
rectfOn Of the association. of the chapter
establishing a municipal court in the Dis
trict and substituting therefor the original
statutes relating to justices of the peace,
with a number of impnr ant amendments
These amendments reduce the number of
Justices of the peace to six. abolish fees and
provide instead a salary of $1,000. with $50
additional for office. stationery and other
expenses. It Is provided that the districts
over Wnlcn each justice Is to preside shall
&c fixed from time TO tirna by the Supreme
Court Of the District of Columbia. Trial
o. jury before justices of the peace is abol-
jsEefl The writ of certiGrari is restored in
I'll cases of concurrent Jurisdiction. but the
Supreme Court of thu District may pre-
scribe A condition precedent an affidavit
Substantially like the present seven.y-third
rule
Early Action Necessary.
The committee has been advised by
members OF Congress who have taken great
Interest in the matter that it is very i'm
portant. if any action upon the code is to
be taken al the present session, that the
present revision should be introduced at
as early ate as possible. The committee
therefore recon mends that il be authorized
OH behalf of the association to have Senate
BIZ $3.50. revised, introduced in Congress
bill: that when IL shall have been
printed in its new form the committee be
authorized to suggest such further amend
usutS as ii may deem necessary to perfect
the code. and that the committee be then
authorized to press upon Congress the early
passage of the bill. 1t is proposed that if
the code shall be adopted at the present
session Of Congress IL shall go into effect
the first day of January, 1891.
The report is signed by A. s. WorthinS
ton. William F. Mattingly, r. Ross Perry.
Nathaniel Wilson, ]. ]. Darlington. George
E Hamilton. Leon Tobriner, William q.
johnson and A. A. Birney.