New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-11
THE NEW FEDERAL. CODE.
Commission Has Completed York
on the Lascs of the Nation.
IF-ou The Tribune Bureau. J

which was conflded TO II four years ago. and II
the coming Congress does its part a new set of
Revised. Statutes, composed of two volumes and
including approximately twelve thousand sec
tons, clas lfed under about eighty-hve titles.
viii replace the numerous volumes Of Revised
STATUTES the supplements and the statutes at
large which It is now necessary to consult
whenever one has occasion TO ascertain the
federal law in any particular
The new work viii embrace all the law now
contained ii the old set Of Revised Statutes.
The Two supplementary volumes and approx
r7ateIy 47I0 pages Of statutes a. large, bring
ing the new code down TO March l. 1905. and the
saving not only to the jurists and lawyers. but
- the hundreds Of army and naval officers.
newspaper writers and. IN fact. men OF all
classes who from time TO time have occasion
n consult the federal laws. Will be incalcula5le
7 has required four years of constant labor 10
accomplish this tremendous task The Legal
authorities n each Of the federal departments
hare been consulted regarding the purpose and
TACTICAL administration OF the laws. the en-
f--cerent Of which comes under their respective
5Arsrtrnents. and the result promises 10 be one
n the most valuable contributions 70 the legal
literature Of the nation
The actual revision IS now practically com
-14ted ard the Government Printing once IS
engaged in printing the successive titles AS
nero has bAen no actual revision Of the United
he work nov completed can be easily appre-
oi.-as The work Of the commission which has
-,Ar<o--7ed this great task viii be submitted 10
congress st the coming session. through 'he
Tenart11ent Of Justice. and II will then remain
o-lv for Congress TO enact such leglslanon as
shall make the newly Revised statues me ID"
If the land. and which shall repeal all previous
enactments which in any way CONNECT Win 'iie
new code
-ba commission to which this important work
tas been irtrusted consists Of Alexander Z
Ro-l.,n chairman. David Il Watson OF ONO
s76 ". D. Bynurn. Of Indiana, Judge Ihollp-
son. Of Ohio. and Judge Culberson' OF Ie>as
7+7o we're on the commission as originally or
--,zsa taz-fns been succeeded by Messrs- wat
son and Bynun
FLINDERS MADE By CONGRhHo'
..,5a from those lawyers who have 70 deal
7-f+r United States statutes. and the fe" men
Who watch the process OF lavr1aA-Ls ~ -
,a+,onsI legislature, probably few persons ap-
n-eciate the numerous and eNIraol oIiHAI'
plumbers which Congress frequently per
IS !, its legal enacunents, some OF winch
-,15 IA 1,,dicrous were they not OF such serious
,n7nort. The practice of rushing leslsidlloi.
-+-o,,zh both houses of Congress III the iLlH1
hours of the sessions. often under q suspeilsi3
~ The rules frequently causes the most esFesi-
o-e and the custom Of enacting statutes
riders on Appropriated O---0 -
o,,-,a If mistakes. In some instances the 1--WE
80 ,laced on the statute books have been
l---5 n he absolutely contradictory, and even
ne ,roverbial philadelphia lawyer would Iliid
a. 5ffHcult TO construe the statutes or TO ascer-
tain the intent of Congress In certain Oh THESE
Instances
--.e commission charged with the revision OF
IS has made a most careful investigation
:, sus-z, instance where such conflicts Of enact
e,- existed or where the purpose Of the Con-
,-..s v7as not clear, and throughout its work has
tsn+ n close touch with the federal departments
earning from them the practice and nne1hoo OF
enforcing each law which comes under Ihelr re-
sra-++ve supervision In this way q revision mas
bean ACCOMPLISHED which viii, it is believed re-
--77ve al Of the vague or conflicting passages III
laws now on the statutes, and order has been
brought out OF q chaos Incredible IN extent
7FGAIIZINC1 THE STATUTES.
considerable interest attaches TO the method
n IA employed by Congress in the legalization
~ The statutes as now revised. When IN 1873,
me last revision was completed. It was sent 10
CONGRESS- and the late George F. Hoar. then a
--,a-,,er Of the House took the work under his
rnecisI supervision E lockwood Hoar. a
r~orher Of George r. Hoar, was then ranking
member Of the House Committee on the Re
vision OF the Laws. and he conducted the e1-
animation Of the work OF the reTlsory com
mission in committee, Whlle george T f1ooT III
gfneered the legislation on the floor Of the
House other members Of the lower chaInper
r.4,e- entirely content to leave this purely pa
t-io+fc work 70 the Massachusetts statesman,
Win had entered into II with heart and soul As
result Of their labors a bill passed the House
which enacted the Revised Statutes as the
federal law. and repealed all other enactnents
which mad been placed on the statutes prior 10
me rorrIflsior of the revision and which con-
TfCre6 herewith
Zy-5a1 mis- bill came I'D 10 the Senate that
body gave an extraordinary vote OF colll1ehcs
10 The man who was soon 10 De q n1emper OF
-Fe -ry7-er chamber and ultimately 10 serve WITH
distinction as chairman OF us JUDICIARY CoIl-
rrf-t=e The Senate said informally, George r
FTaar has examined and approved TINS WORK 1t
must Be good Then the senate passed uae
House bill without change, and on the recon-
ruen6ation Of NJ. Hoar the REVISED statutes
became the Law. - -, 1900
n tl,e scrr+frv of thousands OF lawyers through
out he land there were found 10 nave peen some
errors made as WAS inevitable IN a work OF
such MAGNITUDE. and measure correcting lhSsS
--7ssral-ee 1-ae rrepared and on February -,
1877 Ibis bill correcting the errors IN tae re-
Vision Of three years earlier. became d iaN'-
Congress then instructed q single commissioner
George {. Boutwell, 10 50 edit the f1eNISeo 90
mes n e.7bodv the corrections ii had enacted
and Instructed the Secretary Of State 10 puhiish
the Revised Statutes. Second Edltlon, "illCH i
the wade meLum or every lawyer "ilo "
tises before United States courts. The text ~
the new edition has not II viii be seen, the tulI
authority Of law, as had the first, and IN the
event Of a dispute regarding the text OF any OF
the statutes, it would become necessary TO com.
pare the texts il the revisionary enactment OF
1874 and the corrective enactment OF DO put
as a code the Second Edition" has served every
purpose.
COMMITTEES OK REVISION OF LAWS
With the prospect that The revision effected by