Page:Compiled Laws of the State of North Dakota 1913 vol I.pdf/12

 these bills, together with all other bills making changes in existing laws, were referred. Many changes were made by the committee and the legislative assembly in the reported bills of the commission. All laws in force in the state of North Dakota, previous to the taking effect of the enactments of the legislative assembly of 1895, and in conflict therewith, were specifically repealed by reference to sections and chapters. After the adjournment of the legislative assembly, the revised codes of 1895 were printed by the commission, and by virtue of the governor's proclamation, which had been provided for by law, they became the complete body of laws in force in the state of North Dakota.

The edition of the revised codes of 1895 being exhausted, the legislative assembly in 1899 provided for a new codification to be known as the revised codes of 1899, the secretary of state being authorized to supervise such codification and publication. In pursuance of this authority R. N. Stevens, a member of the Burleigh county bar, and M. H. Jewell, editor of the Bismarck Tribune, were employed to compile and edit this edition.

The edition of the revised codes of 1899 being exhausted the legislative assembly, by chapter 41, laws of 1905, authorized a new codification to be known as the revised codes of 1905, giving the secretary of state authority to supervise such codification and publication. Under the law of 1905 it was provided that this edition of the revised codeş should contain, by appropriate references, annotations to each section, so far as construed by the supreme courts of the territory of Dakota and the states of North and South Dakota. This involved an enormous amount of work not included in former revisions of the codes and has required more time than originally contemplated. The contract for codification, annotation and publication, under the supervision of the secretary of state, was awarded to M. H. Jewell, who associated with him, in charge of the annotation features, R. N. Stevens, and in general codification J. G. Hamilton, member of a former revision commission, and R. D. Hoskins, clerk of the supreme court of this state. This volume is the result of their work.

An effort has been made to improve and greatly expand the index to this volume. The cross-indexing has been elaborated and by a system of sub-catch lines in boldface type it is believed that the subject desired may be located much more readily in this volume than in any other similar work published. The main subjects are printed in capital letters, the sub-titles or "catchlines" in boldface and the subdivisions thereof alphabetically arranged so as to present quickly to the eye the various divisions or minor subjects. For instance the subject of liability of directors of corporations for creating debts illegally appears in the index as follows:

CORPORATIONS.

directors, action against, for what 7366-7368

liability, bonds, for illegally issuing 4225

debts, for creating illegally 4221

number 4208

officers, election of 4209

The first word in each line is the "catch word " of the subject matter and relates and must be construed in connection with the line above having a different indenture. Thus, in the example cited above, line three transposed would read: "Liability of directors for illegally issuing bonds." Line three is indented to the right, and the first word, "liability," relates to " directors." Line four cites another section, but relates to the same subject, and when coupled with the " catch words " of lines preceding, rounds out the sentence : "Liability of directors of corporations for creating debts illegally." In lines five and six the "catch words" "number" and "officers, election of," relate to "directors," and are therefore indented the same as "liability" in line three, relating to the same subdivision. Thus a vast amount of verbiage and