Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-11
CODE REVISION.
An Interesting Record of Efforts to
This End in 1871.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
1 read with great interest the communica- ,
ton of Mr.. John Joy Edison in the issue !;
of Wednesday on THE Code Of Laws of the
District of Columbia" which Is being i'm
peded INSTRUCTED by the action OF Mr..
Mudd of Maryland. in the House of Rep
resentatives. Mr.. Edson's publication is
timely and valuable but he omits to men
ton the fact that there was a revision of
the laws made in the first session of the
Forty third Congress on May ii. 1874 (Rec-
cord p. 1916. Mr.. Poland of Vermont.
chairman of the committee on the revision
OF the laws. reported from that committee
bill, II. r. 3S49, to revise and consolidate
the Statutes of the United States, general
and permanent in their nature. elating to
the District of Columbia prior to the LIST of
December 1873. That committee had
previously reported. and the House had
passed bill revising and consolidating the
Statutes of the United States in force on
the first day of December 1873. In re-
porting said bill Mr.. Poland gave the his
tory of the work of the Commissioners and
the employment of Mr.. Durant, an emf
nent lawyer of this city, to go over the re-
vision and put it in the form of a bill TO he
brought before the House of Representa-
tives and the work of Mr.. Durant was sub
mtted to Mr.. Poland in accordance with !
the previous order of the House made after
a statement by General Butler of Massa- !
chusetts, in respect to the work of the re- I
vision of the statute laws Of the United /
States. General Buffers statement, togeth- |
er with that of Mr.. Poland and Mr.. George ,
F. Hoar Of MASSACHUSETTS,. will be found on
page 129 of the Record of that session.
That bill considered at many night
sessions, and finally passed the House on
April l, 1874 Record, p. 2113). When Mr..
Poland made the report of the bill for the
revision and consolidation of the Statutes
of the United States relating to the District
of Columbia. he made statement of he
situation, which was supplemented by
statements made by Mr.. Maynard of Ten
nessee. In his statement Mr.. Maynard said
that he had carefully examined the revision
of the laws relating TO the District of Co
lumbia, and that the committee had in
serted certain amendments, and placed +,
upon the bill the same provisions and saw /:
ing clauses that We're attached to the gen.
eral revision. Reference was made by Mr.. .
Maynard to the laws of Maryland. which /
We're in force at the time of the orsaniza- /,
ton of the District of Columbia; that they |
were adopted in body and have remained /,
in force except as they have been modified i
from time to time or repealed until that
day, and he inquired of Mr.. Poland if the |
revision incorporated the Maryland laws.
Mr.. Poland replied that it did not; that 1t
was mere revision of the acts of Con- A.,
gress in reference to the District of Column ,
bia and contained nothing but enac.ments !
of Congress and those statutes only of II
general nature. Mr.. Poland, in reply to a
further question as to the revision of the
old Maryland statutes stated that the Dis
trict legislature in 1872 authorized the re-
vision of all the laws of the District. as ,
well Maryland laws under winch tney D.
lived, and to which Mr.. Maynard referred.
and that nothing had come of it. The bill !
was passed without division.
On May q, Immediately following the
passage by the Senate of the House bill for I
the general revision of the statutes. the +,
bill to revise and consolidate the Statutes !
of the United States. general and perma
nent in their nature, relating to the District
Of Columbia in force on the first day of
December, 1873. was passed by the Senate !
without debate or amendment, which bill
became law by the approval of President +
Grant on June p, 1874. 1t would be very
easy matter, II the Speaker Of the House
desired such action, TO have special order
reported from the committee on rules which
would make 1t impossible for Mr.. Mudd or /
any other single member of the House to
obstruct prevent the consideration of the
revised code and after the code shall have
been read to the House, and opportunity
given to offer legitimate amendments and
considered at night sessions. provide that
the previous question shall be considered
as ordered in the House at a certain hour,
and put the bill on its passage. 1t is hard
Nv likely, If this action would be taken, .
that Mr.. Mudd would take the responsible
ty of further impeding obstructing the
consideration and passage of the revised
code of laws of the District of Columbia.
the necessity of which Is undisputed even
by Mr.. Mudd. After the passage of the
general deficiency bill next week by the
House. that body will have plenty of time,
waiting on the Senate" and there will be-
plenty of time to pass this revised code +.
bill. HENRY ii. SMITH.
Hawaiian Postal Savings Banks.