Public Law 39–CXL

That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint three persons, learned in the law, as commissioners, to revise, simplify, arrange, and consolidate all statutes of the United States, general and permanent in their nature, which shall be inTHIRTY-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 140, 141. 1866. force at the time such commissioners may make the final report of their doings.

Sec. 2.

And be it further enacted, That, in performing this duty, the

Duties of the commissioners.

commissioners shall bring together all statutes and parts of statutes which, from similarity of subject, ought to be brought together, omitting redundant or obsolete enactments, and making such alterations as may be necessary to reconcile the contradictions, supply the omissions, and amend the imperfections of the original text; and they shall arrange the same under titles, chapters, and sections, or other suitable divisions and subdivisions, with head-notes briefly expressive of the matter contained in such divisions; also with side-notes, so drawn as to point to the contents of the text, and with references to the original text from which each section is compiled, and to the decisions of the federal courts, explaining or expounding the same, and also to such decisions of the State courts as they may deem expedient; and they shall provide by a temporary index, or other expedient means, for an easy reference to every portion of their report.

Sec. 3.

And be it further enacted, That when the commissioners have

Copy of their completed work to be submitted to Congress in print.

Suggestions.

completed the revision and consolidation of the statutes, as aforesaid, they shall cause a copy of the same, in print, to be submitted to Congress, that the statutes so revised and consolidated may be re-enacted, if Congress shall so determine; and at the same time they shall also suggest to Congress such contradictions, omissions, and imperfections as may appear in the original text, with the mode in which they have reconciled, supplied, and amended the same; and they may also designate such statutes or parts of statutes as, in their judgment, ought to be repealed, with their reasons for such repeal.

Sec. 4.

And be it further enacted, That the commissioners shall be

Work may be printed in parts.

authorized to cause their work to be printed in parts, so fast as it may be ready for the press, and to distribute copies of the same to members of Congress, and to such other persons in limited numbers, as they may see fit, for the purpose of obtaining their suggestions; and they shall, from

Report to Congress.

time to time, report to Congress their progress and doings.

Sec. 5.

And be it further enacted, That the statutes so revised and consolidated

Revision when to be completed.

shall be reported to Congress as soon as practicable, and the whole work closed without unnecessary delay.

Sec. 6.

And be it further enacted, That the commissioners shall each

Compensation of commissioners.

Clerical service and incidental expenses.

receive as compensation for his services at the rate of five thousand dollars a year for three years, with the reasonable expenses of clerical service and other incidental matters, not to exceed two thousand dollars annually for such expenses.