National Affairs: Codification

It was getting on in the evening and the Senate was busy as well as sleepy, when Senator Pepper came in with a colossal bundle of printed matter. He explained that this bundle, which consisted of 1,700 pages would take a week at least to read but he offered to carry it around to any of his learned colleagues who might like to examine it. It was simply a codification of all the laws enacted between 1789 and last December by U. S. Congresses and had been prepared merely to establish physical evidence of the existence of the country’s statutes, which it altered no jot or tittle.

Mildly appalled, the Senators refrained from insisting upon a reading,but they watched and inquired curiously as Senator Pepper trundledhis burden hither and thither among the desks. Ripples of levity passed over the drowsy gathering as the bill was variously referred to as “that thing,” “this huge document,” “that 1,700 pages.” After an hour’s toying, “that thing” was passed.