The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-10-12

| portance TO come before the nexi
Legislature Is the probable recodifea.
tion Of the laws of the State This
matter must be brought before the
| lawmakers by the Governor in his
message, IN order to make action by
them possible The Attorney-General's
biennial report. now In preparation.
contains the following suggestion:
A new code is needed Since the
adoption of the Annotated Code No.
vember 10. 1S92. the Legislatures of
1894. 1896. 1897. 1898 aud 1900 have
enacted a multitude OF amendments
and new laws, as well as repeating
many portions of that Code. II may
be counted certain that still further
important changes will be made by the
Legislature of 1901. This report is not
the place for a general discussion OF
the needs of new code. but IL may
be worth the while to call attention %
the reyisions of our statutes In the
past. They are as follows: Revised
Statutes. 1907; Territorial Statutes.
1916, Revised Code (Poindexter1 !.
1924; Revised Public Laws. 1888: Di.
gest of Laws Alden 4 Van Hoesen) i.
1899: Revised Statutes tiIownrd &
Iiutchesonl, 1870; Code of Laws
! (Hgteheson), 1910: Revised Code of
Laws. 1857. Revised Code of Laws.
1871; Revised Code (Camphell). 1880:
Annotated Code, 1892. 1t will thus be
seen that during eighty-fye years.
from 1907 to 1892. there were eleven
revisions. making the average life of
code of laws less than eight years.
The present Code will have been
twelve years old, in the progressive
era of the States history, before
new one can be adopted"
In case the revision be not ordered
the Attorney-Generiil suggests certain
other important changes. among them
a complete revision of the privilege
tax laws. In speaking of trusts and
combines. Gen. McClurg says:
Our antitrust laws might be more
effectual If the severity OF the penal
ties were modified to the extent of al.
lowing the court discretion Ia ini.
posing proper fines in those cases
where the penalty now fixed Is the
absolute destruction of valuable prop
erty upon conviction. The grand
juries would be more disposed than
they now seem to be to enforce the
law by Indictment. II may be counted
certain that unless the common Law
privilege from testifying where II
would subject the witness to prosecu
tion Is taken from all witnesses, In.
Guiding principals charged and their
agents, there is little hope of ever Sc
curing the facts necessary to sustain
a prosecution. Nearly all of the anti.
compact States have adopted the rule
suggested District attorneys In their
respective districts should have aI.
thority equal to that conferred upon
the Attorney-G General in enforcing tho
law, and questions of revenue and ju.
risdiction should be put beyond con.
troveray by statute authorizing the
prosecution of all In any county. the
domicile or residence OF one OF the
criminal conspirators, and. If by the
Attorney General, at the seat of gov
ernment The books of all concerned
should be held to investigation in all
courts and by all persons interested. +"
The delegates from this State to the
great Ecumenical Council in London
this summer are all safe home again,
/ fa,- .4nI. he Al
South, as well as their immediate fam
lilies, should render thanks Bishop
Galloway, who was at the head of our
distinguished delegation, made a fine
impression upon that great body of
the leading men OF this church. and he
was the recipient Of numerous and dis
tingulshed courtesies. II would be a
great pleasure, had we the space at
our command, to reprint all OF the
high compliments paid our Bishop and
our other delegates by the members
Of the great council and their English
hosts, as recorded in the English jour-
nails Bishop Galloway was acknowl-
edged leading spirit among those in
tellectual giants.
The rejoicing throughout South Mis-
sissippi increases as the deep water
harbor at Gulfport nears completion.
The real work is now practically fin
ished, and it will be only a short
while before everything is in order
and preparations begin for the big
celebration which is on foot TO sig
nalize this great engineering triumph.
The g. & s. /. X. X. and the people
along its line from Gulfport to Jack
son are interested in this great event
and will all combine to celebrate It
fittingly The largest vessel available
will be brought TO Gulfpoft for the
occasion. and people who never saw a
boat larger. than skin will be taken
on board and introduced to all the
beauties and mysteries Of these twep-
tieth century marvelg
We are glad TO learn. from the news
papers Of the State, that the graded
schools have without exception $50 far
as are reported to date) opened with
fuller attendance or brighter prospects
than ever before This is true, In q
marked degree, OF IRE States great
educational institutions, and so far az
we can hear all Of the private (b0ard-
ing} schools are prcspering How fine
thing this Is for the State wherein