572
13.
a rapidly increasing European population, should be for any
long period without a Statute Book accessible to people
in general. And it must be remembered that if the work
were undertaken to-morrow, it would require at least eight-
een months for its completion.
4.
But even if this consideration is
laid aside, I think an examination of the contents of the
two volumes forming the Concise Edition will show that, from
the points of view both of popular use and of the adminis-
tration of justice, the time has now come for replacing that
edition by another one brought up to date. The result of
that examination and also of an examination of the Ord-
inances enacted since the publication of the Concise Edi-
tion is embodied in a Memorandum which I have prepared and
which is transmitted herewith. A perusal of this Memoran-
dum will show what a large quantity of deadmatter is con-
tained in the two volumes of the Concise Edition. It will
show besides how busy the Legislature has been during the
last few years in enacting Ordinances for the amendment of
earlier Ordinances, end how greatly the law would be sim-
plified and improved by the consolidation, where practica-
ble, in a new edition of amended and amending Ordinances.
5.
Abtention may also be once again
drawn to the defect fjom which the Concise Edition labours
of not having an Index, or at least an Index which can
properly be called by that name. Further, there is no ready
means of tracing the history of legislation in the Colony.
A new Edition of the laws such as is now suggested would
contain a Chronological Table of all statutes, whether in
force or not, and an Index, on the model of those issued by
the Statute Law Committee in England.
6. In compliance with Your Excel-
lency's request for information as to the probable coat
of such an undertaking, I forward herewith a memorandum
containing