The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-19
The Most important Work
of General Assembly
of 1905.
Important Changes in The Laws En-.
: acted by the Legislature Which
Go Into Effect on The
First Of August.

The most important work of the
General Assembly was done by the
Committee on Revision of the Laws, of
which Senator A. c.. Zollicoffer, of
Vance, was chairman of the Senate
branch, and ex-Judge A. w. Graham
was chairman of the House branch.
The able Code Commissioners-Jud
Womack, Mr.. w. B. Rodman and Mr..
N. Y. Gulley-had given their best
thought to the codification of the laws.
The legislative committee read every
line of the Revised Code prepared by
the Code Commissioners and amended
it in many particulars after holding
frequent conferences with the Code
Commission. All the amendments pro-
Iposed by the committee were adopted
by the General Assembly and a legis-
lative committee composed of Senator
Zollicoffer, Judge Graham and Mr..
Redwine, of Union, was elected to SUI
perintend the publication of what will
be known as The Revised Code of
North Carolina. 1t will be printed at
once In fact, owing to the wisdom
of the Code Commission, The Revised
Code is already in type, and as soon
as the necessary changes and addi-
tons can be made the work of print
ing will begin. The Revised Code,
adopted by the Legislature, was or
iered to go into effect on the first day
of August, and it is expected the books
will, by that time, be put in the hands
Of the magistrates and all other public
officials.
The most important changes in the
laws are the following.
1. Where either husband or wife
has feloniously slain the other, the
guilty one shall be debarred from all
rights in the personal estate of the
other, and the right to administer on
the estate. This applies to those
guilty of manslaughter whereas here
tofore it applied only to cases of muir
der.
2. An administrator can sue for the
recovery of personal property fraudul-
emily conveyed by the decendent in
his lifetime.
8. When an attorney at law collects
judgment against him for his failure
to account, the judgment shall be car
ried forward on the docket, and if it
is not paid by the next term of court,
the judge may disbar him from prac-
ticing.
4. The power of sale in a mortgage
cannot be executed after ten years
from its maturity.
5. County officials hereafter give
their official bonds for their term of
office and not annually as heretofore.
6. Letters of administration must be
taken out within ten years from the
death of the intestate.
7. a county commissioner, approving
a bond, is liable as surety, if by rea-
sonable diligence he could have found
that the surety was insolvent.
s. In action against insurance COM
panies summons can be served on the
local agent as we'll as on the Insur-
ance Commissioner.
g. In actions in magistrates courts
against foreign corporations, summons
can be addressed to the sheriff of the
county where a process agent of said
corporation is located. returnable in
not less than twenty and not over forty
days.
10. Profane swearing in a Justices
court is punishable by a fine of IS or
imprisonment.
IL. 1t is now only necessary in Or
der to remove a case from a justice
to file affidavit that affiant "has good
reason to believe he is unable to OBJ
tain a fair trial.
12.Mileage books are redeemable at
the price paid for them if as much as
so per cent of same has been used.
IS. No sheriff shall administer an
oath.
IA. General bird and turkey law,
close season begins March LIST and
ends November LIST. a number of coun-
ties being excepted.
10. The following only are exempt
ed from jury duty: Practicing physi-
clan, licensed druggist, telegraph OPP
orator in regular employment; train
dispatcher employed in handling
trains, regularly licensed pilot, regular
minister of the gospel, officer or en-
ployee of a State hospital for the in
sane. or active member of a fire COM
pany.
16. All State institutions, except the
higher educational institutions that
are not also charitable, must make re-
ports on demand, to the Board of In
ternal improvements. The Governor
can at any time order the Beard to in
vestigate any of such Institutions, and,
when In his opinion the interest of the
State demands it, he can remove the
officials of such institutions
The change numbered fifteen in
the above is of such importance that
public attention needs to be called to
it. At the June meeting of the county
commissioners, when Jurors are
drawn, they should put IN the box all
the names of men who will be eligible
to serve as jurors in the fall terms of
court; if they fail to do this, they
postpone the operations of this best
change in The Revised Code for two
years.