WHAT WE BADLY WANT.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 2181, 8 July 1890, Page 1

WHAT WE BADLY WANT.

The Victorian Legislative Asaembly recently passed in lens than half an liour a bill consolidiating the whole of the existing statute laws of Victoria, 'i hero are 450 statutes in force in the eo'ony, which it is proposed to consolidate into 107 acts, containing altogether 3000 pages of printed matter. This great work has been accomplished gratuitously by the Chief Justice, Mr Iligiubotham, whom the Attorney General described R8 the father of consolidation in Victoria. The Chief Justice has been engaged upon the work for a number of years, and the result of his vast and patient labor is embodied in two bulky volumes, which Mr Wrixon laid on the table of the House, explaining that there was no new law incorporated in these volumes, and that no change had been introduced, the Chief Justice having simply put all the existing laws together that wero scattered over a number of amending acts, so that the law upon any subject may be read in a single act instead of having to search for.' it through the 450 acts which now encumber the statute book. All existing statute law will be repealed by the Consolidation Bill, and it is proposed that it shall come into operation on the Ist August. Mr Wrixon added that it would be impossible for the House to attempt a detail examination of a bill of such magnitude. Parliament would have to accept on trust the great work carried out by the Chief Justice, and approved of by a select committee. Some idea of the magnitude of the Bill will be obtained from the fact that the Government had to import a special fount of type, at a cost of £7000, before the bill could be printed.