Evening journal., 1910-01-22
MAKING new
CODE OF LAWS
Continued From First Far.

~"huuueu IRON h1fst Page.
The Legislative sessions covered by
the commissioners are 1853. 1855 1897
1s59,1s61, 1862, 1868, 1864. 1866. 1856. 1887
1863, 1871, 1873, 1875, 1877, 1879. 1881.
1888, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1891. 1898. 1895
1897, 1898. 1899, 1901, 1908, 1905 1907
and 1908 making 93 sessions comrnenc-
ing with the legislature OF 1853 and
ending with that Of 1909 being a period
of 56 years.
Some Things Done.
The resolution Of the General Assem-
bly under which this Commission acts
requires the commission to start with
the revised code Of 1852 as a basis OF
the general laws of the State and to
make such changes therein and addi-
lions thereto as has been provided by
the General Acts Of the Legislature
since that time. The commission has
examined carefully every act of the
Legislature Of Delaware commencing
With the session Of 1853 and ending
with the session of 1909 first by going
through the volumes Of Delaware Laws
commencing with Volume IL, and end
ing with Volume 25, page by page and
Act by Act, marking at that time the
Acts which appeared TO be general in
their nature. Then the Commission
pasted the Code of 1852 page BY page
upon separate sheets Of paper is by
"a inches, and on these same sheets
and extra sheets or similar Character
pasted the above selected Acts cut out
from the Volumes Of Delaware Laws
above mentioned collecting those re-
lating to the same subject matter Is
the page of the Revised Code of 1852.
together under their respective titles.
This has made six large sheet volumes.
not counting the Constitution of tho
State of Delaware of lois pages which
VIII average four and one-half print
ed pages to a pasting page, making
about $500 printed pages OF the size
Of the ordinary law book.
This work the Commission has lust
completed and will now start to con-
dense and codify the above $500 pages
into as small a number Of printed
pages as possible, consistent with its
authority and the purposes for which
IL was appointed.
There has been no codihcation OF the
General Laws OF Delaware since 1852. !
The code Of that year, however, which |
was adoptedF the Same as any other
Act OF the Legislature section by Sec |
tion and considered for fifty-three days
by the Legislature OF 1862, was amend !
ed IN 1874 and again in 1898. The evil
dent intent Of the Legislature OF 1909
In providing for a revision Of the Cen
eral Laws OF this State was that il /
should be such a one as was made in |
1852.
Will be "Boiled Down.
The work from now on. which win take
UP year or more will be to out out laws
or sections OF laws repealed by subsequent
legislation; TO make amendatory laws Mt |
into the proper place IN the laws they
amend, to eliminate entirely acts that
have been repealed or are null and void
because OF state or Federal court de.
,isions, and to arrange all laws Under
heir proper headings. Then all will be
typewriter and prepared for the printers.
one thing the recodlrying will do will be
o clarity the situation about what cleo
ion laws have been reeplaed ana iust
What are in force, which always has been
! mooted question. Another win be TO
'ring some order In the array OF laws af-
'ecting roads and bridges. and I
also in the laws affecting revenues.
which comprise many pages in the scrap
books made up by Messrs@ Lore, Hayes
and Ward.
Many New Subieete.
In their research the code commissioners
found many subjects not mentioned in
sny way in the code Of 1862 These new
subjects MI lis pages in the commission
ers' scrap book, or nearly 500 printed
pages Automobiles, rights Of married
women regulation Of dentistry. street
railway regulations. regulation OF tele-
graph and telephone companies and many
'ther subjects Of present day legislation
lad no place in the code OF 1857
The Commissioners expect to codify tho
evised laws in alphabetical order OF the
ubiect. This is the modern practice. 1t
vas followed in the code OF the State OF
Nebraska, which is accepted as a model
ode, and which is revised annually. It's
lea is being followed in most particulars