Evening star., 1932-10-11
MARKS CENTENARY
Of LAW DIVISION
Library of Congress Co|Iec-
. ton of Books Began With
Jefferson's Volumes.

The law division Of the Library OF
Congress is observing its Tooth ami
versary this week.
This great depository of the legal
lore of the ages-the reference library
of the Supreme Court justices when
they are confronted with knotty prob
lems-had its origin with the Law
books of Thomas Jefferson. When the
Capitol was destroyed during the War
of 1912, the growing collection Of books
which then constituted the Library OF
Congress was lost, but the loss was
partly repaired by the purchase OF the
private library of the former President
then deeply in debt in his old age.
OF these books, 63s pertained to law
and were grouped together. But it was
not until 1882 that the law library
was given an autonomous existence BY
act of Congress, occupying room in
the Capitol, conveniently accessible to
Congress and the Supreme Court. BY
the same act, the justices Of the Su-
preme Court were given measure OF
control over the law library, which
theoretically exists to the present.
Steady Growth Since Then.
From that time, the library has had
a steady growth, until it has become
one of the greatest repositories of lega
books in the world, with numerous
volumes that can be found nowhere
else 1t has been augmented by pur-
chases, gifts, exchange of documents
with other governments and the pro-
vision of the copyright law, which
stipulates that two copies of every do
mestic book and one Of every foreign
book copyrighted must be deposited ir
the Library of Congress. At present
the collection numbers 276,535 volumes
This constant expansion necessitateo
the removal of the library in 1902 from
the Capitol Building to the main build.
ing Of the Library of Congress. Since
then it has been divided into two
principal parts, the law library at the
Capitol, enormously known as the
Supreme Court library and which Is
primarily a reference source for men,
bers of Congress and the justices. and
the division in the Library of Congress
Building. which primarily is center
for research.
In observation of its Tooth birthday
the division is arranging unique ex-
hibit for the meeting OF the American
Bar Association here this week. From
its own shelves it is bringing out early
year books and court reports to show
original editions of noteworthy British
legal treatises. volumes of Colonial laws
illustrating the early legislation Of the
l3 Colonies. and volumes CT Indian
laws written in the native languages
Jefferson Books Shown.
Several volumes out Of the Jefferson
collection are being placed on exhibit
Another case will contain foreign laws
that once we're in force in the United
States. Thus Louisiana at one time
was under French law while at another
epoch Spanish law dominated. Early
editions Of the Customs Of Paris" end
of the "Recopilacion de las Indias'
have an immediate historical appeal
The same is true of an early volume
of Dutch law which contains the char
ter of the Dutch West India Co. which
led to the settlement Of New Amster-
dam
o. special interest in the exhibit will
be the first telegram sent from Balti-
more to Washington. There will bs
two polygraph copies of Jefferson's
letters in which he makes comments
on the great classics Of the Anglo
Saxon law. Exhibits furnished by the
clerk OF the Supreme Court, including
one writ of venire returnable August
3, 1795.
A curious exhibit will be the rule.
Of the court adopted between 1870 anc
1885 ard preserved in children's copy
books. presumably for economy. There
will be shown assignments Of circuit:
bearing the signatures of Jay, Gushing
Wilson, Blair. Iredell. johnson. Ellis
worth, Marshall and Bushrod Washing
ton. An interesting item will be a so.
called stipulation of counsel" writer
entirely in the hand Of John Quincy
Adams.