Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17
D. G. CODE MADE UP
13OF QUAINT LAWS
Howard Boyd, Compiler, Tells
Radio Audience Extraor-
binary Origin.

trict Of Columbia law is the Declare.
ton of Rights Of the State Of Mary
land" Howard Bo5d, one of the COM
pliers of the new D. c. code, explained
in radio address last night that the
code consists Of compilation of many
laws, some of which were enacted In
Latin more than 700 years ago by the
British Parliament
Probably no other code has ever
been evolved from more complex but
interesting conditions" said Mr.. Boyd
speaking over Station WMAL. Its pro-
visions were culled from laws made by
the British Parliament, the respective
Legislatures of Maryland, Virginia, Dis
trict of Columbia and the AZ volumes of
the United States statutes at large.
Much of the congressional legisla-
ttun touching the District was hidden
In appropriation acts" asserted Mr..
Boyd, and in many instances the same
law has been re-enacted several times,
Congress apparently not knowing of the
prior enactment. In one instance an
appropriation was made and actually
used for the enforcement of law that
had previously been expressly repealed
by words hidden in the midst of an
other law"
Effect on Bridge Players.
It may be of interest to bridge play
ers, he added, TO know that all prom
1seS, securities or conveyance for the
payment of money lost at playing cards.
etc, are made null and void by British
statute enacted in ITO, and that a loss
OF S26.67 or more that has been paid
may be recovered, and also that If at
any one sitting a sum in excess of
S26.67 shall be won by fraud or decep-
ha trtftN fc iolo 81
times the value Of the money or thing
so won"
Explaining that the basis of all Dis
trict law is the Declaration of Rights of
the State of Maryland, the speaker said
that lin harmony with the spirit OF
Magma Carta and~the Declaration of
Independence, it proclaimed that all
government of right originates from the
people, is founded in compact only, and
instituted solely for the good of the
whole. -. That the inhabitants of
Maryland are entitled to the common
law of England, and the trial by tury
according to the course of that law. and
OF the dement, Of such of the English
statutes as existed at the time of their
nrst embarkation and which by expert.
ence nave been found applicable to
OF such others as have been since made
N England or Great Britain, and have
neen introduced. used and practiced by
tne courts OF law or equity"
Solely for District.
1t is important to note, Mr.. Boyd
pointed out, that the code contains only
general and permanent laws applicable
solely to the District. Private. temDo-
rary or local laws and acts of Con-
gress applicable in the District and
elsewhere are not included.
The speaker paid tribute to Repre-
sentative Roy G. Fitzgerald of Ohio.
chairman of the Committee on Revi-
sion OF the Laws, declaring credit was
que MIN Tor his 'untiring patriotic eff
forts FOR the legislation authorizing
the code. Cooperation Of "inestimahle
value" was accorded the compilers, the
speaker said, by Robert Klepinger, sec
rotary to Mr.. Fitzgerald. and Walter
H. McClenon of the legislative refer
ence bureau of the Library of Congress.
The making of codes is not a new
endeavor," he said. "On the contrary,
from the dawn Of civilization the en-
actment OF laws and the compilation of
codes constantly engaged the efforts and
best thought of man, because without
just laws organized society cannot
exist.
THE world activities and conouests
OF the Roman Empire brought her into
touch with all extant systems Of law
OF the ages that had gone before.
Great System Developed.
''These laws and systems, tempered
by Christian principles, exerted such a
potent influence on the laws Of Rome
that the greatest system the world has
known was developed.
The substance of this system was
embodied in the Theodosian Code COM
piled IN the fifth century, and it was
followed in the next century by the
Justinian Code, which emphasized the
spirit of the system. This code, known
exert beneficent influence for all ages
to come, because 1t is based on funda-
mental principles Of right and justice
that never die.
Internal disSensions made the Ro-
man Empire an easy prey to the sword
of the barbaric hordes that overthrow it.
but these conquerors in turn yielded to
the spirit of Corpus Juris CiviliS,' and
its principles now rule practically the
whole of Europe and South America
and have had vast influence on the
law of England and America.
That same spirit gave courage to the
men who procured from King John the
immortal Magma Charta, and also slim
uiated our own forefathers to declare
themselves forever free from the gov
eminent that denied to them the rights
set forth in that code, and we have seen
that the laws contained in our own code
were inspired by these same principles. u