UNITED STATES. In this country the sub ject has received no less attention and has presented obstacles of less magnitude. Codes and revisions have been enacted as follows: The Revision of Federal Statutes in 1873, which went into effect June 22, 1874, was by act of congress declared to constitute the law of the land; the pre-existing laws were thereby repealed, and ceased to be of effect. By subsequent acts of congress, cer tain errors in this revision were corrected. A new edition of the Revision of 1873 was authorized by acts of March 2, 1877, and March 9, 1878; this is not a new enact ment, but merely a new publication; it contains a copy of the Revision of 1873, with certain specific alterations and amendments made by subsequent enactments of the 43d and 44th congresses, incorporated ac cording to the judgment and discretion of the editor, under the authority of the acts providing for his appointment. These alter ations, or amendments, were merely indi cated by italics and brackets. The act of March 9, 1878, provides that the edition of 1878 shall be legal evidence of the laws therein contained in all the courts of the United States, and of the several states and territories, "but shall not preclude refer ence to, nor control, in case of any discrep ancy, the effect of any original act as passed by congress since the first day of December, 1873." The supplement of 1881 is official to a lim ited extent. The provisions in regard to it
are as follows: "The publication herein ap thorized shall be taken to be prima facie evidence of the laws therein contained in all the courts of the United States, and of the several states and therein ; but shall not preclude reference to, nor control, in case of any discrepancy, the ef fect of any original act as passed by con gress: Prodded, that nothing herein contain ed shall be construed to change or alter any existing law ;" 21 Stat. L. 388. See Wright v. U. S., 15 Ct. Cl. 80, where the subject is explained by Richardson, J., one of the com pilers. Volume I, Supplement to the Re vised Statutes, contains all the permanent general laws enacted from the passage of the Revised Statutes in 1874, to and includ ing the fifty-first congress, which expired in 1891, and supersedes Vol. I., prepared under resolution of June 7, 1880. The pub lication is prima fade evidence of the laws therein contained in all of the courts of the United States. Vol. II. of the Supplement contains the general laws of the fifty-second and subsequent congresses.
The laws of the United States relating to the judiciary were enacted into the Judicial Code, March 3, 1911, and went into effect January 1, 1912 ; those relating to crimes were enacted into the Criminal Code, March 4, 1909, and went into effect January 1, 1910.