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The Green Bag

It is to be hoped that the issue raised by Dr. Hannis Taylor will not be con fused with that involved in the main

project. Legislative codiﬁcaton is an entirely different matter from "tacit”

most useful text-books and digests, and perhaps also encyclopedias.

Not only is there danger of Dr. Andrews’

project foundering on the

rocks

anti-codiﬁcation

of

sentiment,

codiﬁcation, and presents a far more controversial question than that offered

but there is also the obstacle of public

by the simple unassailable proposition of Messrs. Alexander, Kirchwey and An drews. The Green Bag entertains posi tive convictions on the subject of legislative codiﬁcation, but it may

stumbling-block, one recognized as seri

not be necessary to express them at this time, and it would certainly

be well to refrain from saying any thing which might tend to prejudice

the discussion of an entirely different proposal. It is unnecessary to consider whether

Dr. Taylor's plan is feasible or not;

ﬁnancing.

The latter is a formidable

ous by many authorities, and probably insuperable, as Mr. Alexander has de clared

This

(see 22

hindrance,

Green Bag 80 supra).

likewise,

would

not

interfere with the working out of Mr. Alexander's scheme. It has perhaps been made clear, by a method of contrast, how trivial the objections to Mr. Andrews’ plan are,

if indeed any are serious enough to be considered at all. We can conﬁdently say that were some broad-minded,

it is sufficient to point out that the

progressive benefactor to see the wisdom

diﬂiculties blocking the way to its

of a liberal endowment for the purposes

realization are much greater than they

set forth, no opposition would be offered

would he were the object merely the accomplishment of "tacit" codiﬁcation.

by the American bench and bar to the consummation of a plan which would everywhere be recognized as beneﬁcent.

In the ﬁrst place, the achievement of the plan depends wholly upon the success with which the states can gradually be converted to a new propaganda

which however meritorious will not make its way easily. ' The adoption of the proposed code could come about only after long and earnest debate. In

On the contrary, Dr. Taylor’s plan would have to ﬁght its way over hotly contested ground, with no possibility of victory except after a long continued

struggle, the outcome of which would be dubious.

the case of the American Corpus jun's project, on the contrary, the objections which many members of the bar enter tain toward legislative codiﬁcation could not stand in the way, and there is

nothing in the proposition likely to

provoke strong or determined antago nism. Nothing radical or revolutionary is proposed; on the contrary, the pro jected statement of American law would be merely a broader and more systematic application, on a larger scale, of methods

which have hitherto been followed by law writers in the preparation of the

SOME NEW LAW MAXIMS T the annual dinner of the Queens County Bar Association, at the Hotel Astor,

New York, Jan. 15, Abraham Gruber coined the following epigrams :— "A client in Manhattan is worth two in Bushwick." "Do your client as you would have your client do unto you. But make him pay

for it." "Every client has a silver lining." "Some judges are born famous; some acquire fame, and some appoint condemna~ tion commissioners." "It is a wise client that knows his own lawyer."