CONSOLIDATED STATUTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 697, 23 December 1909, Page 8

CONSOLIDATED STATUTES.

:';'.■•■ '.vA' REFLECTIONS. .■-■- :. v^^.^-BfimYi'BY/.CpiaUSSiONEp.''', , ?-...''- , ; ; Mr.'James Allen recently asked tho Government'what l action they intended to-'take-.with' reference'.to Mr. Justice Edwards's remarks on tho : Consolidated, >"' Statutes'. ' The': Government I has communicatedi^dtba tho members' of tho Consolidation'Coininissibn now. in: New ■Zealand, and- has received , :^long-letter -in reply. 'The letter, -stetjis:- <\ : : ift-M-- ! f.P : "■■■ ' ' .'- : [.-.;'"Hγ.';- Allen quotes 'as ■ follows from \ a judg-. ment 1 of hii: Honour's 1 which was published in Tjb Dominion of November 4:—'A vory brief j experience:' of.ythe,,so-called: Consolidated 'Acts of-1008'-'show'tha,t' : the''commissioners have in-' ' troduced changes of an. important- character I into the legislation, without calling tho attention of Parliamenti'theretp.'. It is quito truo that-iin , -"many cases the;, commissioners have introduced changeswithout specifically calling the: attention of '.Parliament thereto.. But ■we are 1 , not .aware that, any of'them.'can fairly be called as. was not in their make, •Having -to the Act 'under:?wnich( ;, they ; fworked—The Reprint of [Statutes' Act, 1895.7 Their powers'were very. :.wide.'. For, instance, , by Section 3 'they were directed to■ 'make.such .alterations as may .be liecessaryito; reconcilel the contradictions, supply aafendf the imperfections of the .existing .Acts';" and were directed to "■ 're.port.ori:.such:contradictions, omissions,- and -imperfections as'tnay 'appearin the existing Acts, ■with, the ;.'modo. in, winch they have reconciled, supplied,'and'-amended'the same.' . -[.-,'■•: ■ !.'"fo. show, how .the commissioners interpreted this ~wo. 'quote from -their. finaV ■ report:—'Part of.'theMuty imposed upon, us is to. report: the contradictions, omissions,: and . iniperfections : app'eariiig?inl::thß existing Acts,. and the mode iin.; which;, they, \haye^bpen' ; reconciled, supplied, *atid : donot'understand this to re-: • quire J.iis 'to..specify./every': alteration or change ■we;;haye,.made.,,;,Th t e, , resources of. the printing office,,would "'.fie; -unequal to such a.task,' as,, apart'from 'numberless verbal alterations, many. ■'Acts arq.;almost -wholly..recast.' Such .of them, however,>as : ino'ur. judgment .are. of- sufficient impprtaiice).to'-.cair for : 'tho attention, of. the Legislature :.are 'referred;\to-in .the., supplementary -statement;.appended;,'.to this,.report.' This statement,■Vβ!may mention, covers twenty: two. printed pages." ..; ':.-'!■ ...... '.-... ~ ■;.[' "As ipointed out .by. his Honour, Parliament, when onacting. ith'e statutes, had full knbwledgo that: they, contained changes'to which specific attention had not; .-been drawn.:: In ..these circumstances,, 1 Parliament.'.must be i.deemed l .'to. have' accepted' : and ratified- tho action' of the commissioners.' - We ;freely■ admit,- 1 that the comimissioners: would:, be. blameworthy if'it were shown: th'at;.Parliament' had.-baen 'in -any. way : misled into ■ accepting. iinreporte & -. bhiriges of an impo'rtaht-icharacter, - such> as■'■ might. fairly have been objected, to" if attention' had been ■4rawn! to;them;:but," in'the judgment of the 'commissioners,:-none of.,them '.was...of that. ic'harabter.'.'.(i:.Th&'\ only-rchanges ;made .were ;in mitfesVo'f..''.maclinery.'..or; detail," and'.in- every fcaso ~ exreting 'statutory., analogies,, we're' followed /as'for'ios '•!'.'.-!,,':'-.', ; : ■:', ;■■ i- , ' V; .The letter deals'wita, specific cases" mentioned and-:continues -"as" follows:— t--'-. ■-'•■ : .' ■■ ;;».••./■.■:(.•;.■(,■.' ■'

'"His'/Honour sayß' that for> better , ori worse the -legislation 'pf 1908. has . beenv'enacted : and : thp.only.Vpossible'mode, of - dealing.;vith. it,-is to dealiiyitHit according to the.ordinary canons of constj-ncjiori.;. Wo • all, agree with'; this.'. At : tKe';:sani'e'Tifne'"w*nlay ? p'erhaps bo permitted to observe;.that,', so ;far as-.wo are; aware, tho ; ordinary ■ canons : 6t ■ construction do not include reflections ~oh ,tho.Jpeople; who .prepared the ■legislationvbr -th'e'Harliament ..that -it. The tok •of(the:"'.Cqin,mission ,was-one of. .very great difficult^-rhow. great'onlyithosQ'who have had! to.'db'with ,the. working ufitho.fold ..'Acts can form any. adequate: idea, .That .they .have, accomplished 'it mthoht'-'defectsor-niistiike ..is : n6t\to bo They .'did VtSeir.; best;', and it'is forithe suprjTy;the necessary corrections.', But, '■ with ; all-respect, -it .appears to lis-that'his Honour's animadversions were not necessary to '-.the', decision of the' case before him;; or;'fair.;,.tp the commissioners, whom he. Attacked!■'ln':conclusion, we wish to point out that'':His.Honour, ,-■■ Sir- Robert-Stout, who was Commission,'is, not' ; in. New Zealand,'; and; consequently i'is- hot; a. party 'to this niemorandum.r-'-We' , have, , ate.,:\ ■■•■-.; '■■ 'J:.h'f ■rlw'H• ■ W^ '•'• S^. ; :;v!•:' "'fo pitchett. % ;■ , ; The.;Goyemmeit,:. states, the ..?rime\ Minister, no , 'necessity "for .action in .the matte;;.- ■.-■: :, : ;' ■ . ■ ';•'.] '.-.• • '.V-; '.- i-v. ■■;■•" : \\' : : ,J