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GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Revised Statutes of the United States were enacted by the Forty-Third Congress, at the first session, by an act entitled "An act to revise and coasolidate the statutes of the United States, in force on the first day of December, anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three," which was approved June 22, 1874.

Numerous amendments of said act, "for the purpose of correcting errors and supplying omissions" therein, were made by Act Feb. 18, 1875, c. 80, 18 Stat. 316, and Act Feb. 27, 1877, c. 69, § 1, 19 Stat. 240. And by Act March 2, 1877, c. 82, 19 Stat. 268, the preparation of a new edition of the Revised Statutes was provided for, in the text of which was incorporated all the amendments made in the Revision to the close of the Forty-Fourth Congress, March 4, 1877, with marginal references to other statutes passed subsequent to the Revised Statutes affecting or modifying any of the provisions thereof. This new edition was published as The Revised Statutes of the United States, Second Edition, 1878.

The Revised Statutes embraced, in Titles I-LXXIII, the statutes of the United States general and permanent in their nature, in force on the first day of December, 1873, as revised and consolidated therein, and repealed all statutes so embraced, but did not repeal or affect any act of Congress passed after December 1, 1873. See R. S. Title LXXIV, “Repeal Provisions," §§ 5595-5601, post, §§ 10592-10598.

Provisions for the preparation, adoption, publication, and distribution of the Revised Statutes and the Supplements thereto, which were temporary merely and have been executed, and therefore are not set forth in this compilation, were contained in the following acts and parts of acts:

Chap.

Act June 27, 1866, c. 140, 14 Stat. 74.

Act May 4, 1870, c. 72, 16 Stat. 96.
Act March 3, 1873, c. 241, 17 Stat. 579.
Act June 20, 1874, c. 333, 18 Stat. 113.
Act Dec. 28, 1874, c. 9, § 1, 18 Stat. 293.
Act Feb. 18, 1875, c. 84, 18 Stat. 329.
Act March 2, 1877, c. 82, 19 Stat. 268.
Act March 9, 1878, c. 26, 20 Stat. 27.
Res. May 22, 1878, No. 22, 20 Stat. 251.
Res. Dec. 21, 1878, No. 1, 20 Stat. 487.
Res. June 7, 1880, No. 44, 21 Stat. 308.
Act March 3, 1883, c. 131, 22 Stat. 565.
Act April 9, 1890, c. 73, 26 Stat. 50.

Act Feb. 27, 1893, c. 167, 27 Stat. 477.

Act June 4, 1897, c. 2, § 1, 30 Stat. 30.

Act March 3, 1901, c. 853, § 1, 31 Stat. 1162.

1. Definitions

2. Form and enactment of statutes and effect of repeals.

Sec.

1

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§ 1. (R. S. § 1.) Definitions.

In determining the meaning of the revised statutes, or of any act or resolution of Congress passed subsequent to February twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and seventy-one, words importing the singular number may extend and be applied to several persons or things; words importing the plural number may include the singular; words importing the 'masculine gender may be applied to females; the words "insane person" and "lunatic" shall include every idiot, non compos, lunatic, and insane person; the word "person" may extend and be applied to partnerships and corporations, and the reference to any officer shall include any person authorized by law to perform the duties of such office, unless the context shows that such words were intended to be used in a more limited sense; and a requirement of an "oath" shall be deemed complied with by making affirmation in judicial form.

Act Feb. 25, 1871, c. 71, § 2, 16 Stat. 431. Act July 13, 1866, c. 184, § 44, 14 Stat. 163. Act June 30, 1864. c. 173, §§ 82, 126, 13 Stat. 258, 287. Act July 20, 1868, c. 186, § 104, 15 Stat. 166.

Provisions as to the meaning and application of words used in particular titles, chapters, or sections, of the Revised Statutes, or in subsequent acts, are contained in the respective titles, chapters, etc.

Provisions of a general nature, similar to those of this section, are contained in the Bankruptcy Act of 1898, Act July 1, 1898, c. 541, § 1, post, § 9585, and in the Criminal Code, Act March 4, 1909, c. 321, § 337, post, § 10511.

The provisions of R. S. §§ 1-5, apply to and govern the construction of the provisions of the Judicial Code, by section 293 thereof, post, § 1270.

A provision for the construction of the word "person," as used in R. S. Title XXXV, "Internal Revenue," is contained in R. S. § 3140, as amended by Act Feb. 27, 1877, c. 69, 19 Stat. 248, post, § 5842.

Other provisions as to the meaning of the word "person" or "persons," as used in particular acts, etc., are contained in such acts, as follows:

Act for protection of submarine cables of Feb. 29, 1888, c. 17, § 10, post, § 10096.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act of July 2, 1890, c. 647, § 8, post, § 8830.

Bankruptcy Act of July 1, 1898, c. 541, § 1, post, § 9585.
Trade-Mark Act of Feb. 20, 1905, c. 592, § 29, post, § 9515.

Bridge Act of March 23, 1906, c. 1130, § 7, post, § 9967.

Dam Act of June 21, 1906, c. 3508, § 8, as amended, Act June 23, 1910, c. 360, post, § 9983.

Food and Drugs Act of June 30, 1906, c. 3915, § 12, post, § 8728.
Criminal Code, Act March 4, 1909, c. 321, § 337, post, § 10511.
Insecticide Act of April 26, 1910, c. 191, § 12, post, § 8776.

Act to license custom-house brokers of June 10, 1910, c. 283, § 5, post, § 5554.
White-Slave Traffic Act of June 25, 1910, c. 395, § 7, post, § 8818.

A provision as to what the word "officer," as used in the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 and in proceedings pursuant thereto, shall include, is contained in section 1, subd. 18, thereof, Act July 1, 1898, c. 541, § 1, post, § 9585.

The word "oath," as used in the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 and in proceedings pursuant thereto, includes affirmation, by a provision of section 1, subd. 17, thereof, Act July 1, 1898, c. 541, § 1, post, § 9585.

References to statutory definitions of terms other than the words defined in this chapter are collected in the General Index, under the heading "Words and Phrases."

§ 2. (R. S. § 2.) County.

The word "county" includes a parish, or any other equivalent subdivision of a State or Territory of the United States.

Act July 13, 1866, c. 184, § 9, 14 Stat. 110.

§ 3. (R. S. § 3.) Vessel.

The word "vessel" includes every description of water-craft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water.

Act July 18, 1866, c. 201, § 1, 14 Stat. 178. Act June 29, 1870, c. 169, § 7, 16 Stat. 170.

A provision for the construction of the term "vessel," as used in R. S. Title LIII, "Merchant Seamen," is contained in R. S. § 4612, post, § 8392.

A similar provision is contained in the act for the protection of submarine cables of Feb. 29, 1888, c. 17, § 10, post, § 10096.

§ 4. (R. S. § 4.) Vehicle.

The word "vehicle" includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land.

Act July 18, 1866, c. 201, § 1, 14 Stat. 178.

§ 5. (R. S. § 5.) Company; association.

The word "company" or "association," when used in reference. to a corporation, shall be deemed to embrace the words "successors and assigns of such company or association," in like manner as if these last-named words, or words of similar import, were expressed. Act July 25, 1866, c. 242, § 9, 14 Stat. 241.

§ 6. (R. S. § 6.) Seal.

In all cases where a seal is necessary by law to any commission, process, or other instrument provided for by the laws of Congress, it shall be lawful to affix the proper seal by making an impression therewith directly on the paper to which such seal is necessary; which shall be as valid as if made on wax or other adhesive substance.

Act May 31, 1854, c. 60, § 2, 10 Stat. 297.

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The enacting clause of all acts of Congress hereafter enacted shall be in the following form: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled."

Act. Feb. 25, 1871, c. 71, § 1, 16 Stat. 431.

§ 8. (R. S. § 8.) Resolving clause.

The resolving clause of all joint resolutions shall be in the following form: "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled."

Act Feb. 25, 1871, c. 71, § 1, 16 Stat. 431.

§ 9. (R. S. § 9.) No enacting words after first section.

No enacting or resolving words shall be used in any section of an act or resolution of Congress except in the first.

Act Feb. 25, 1871, c. 71, § 1, 16 Stat. 431.

§ 10. (R. S. § 10.) Numbering and frame of sections.

Each section shall be numbered, and shall contain, as nearly as may be, a single proposition of enactment.

Act Feb. 25, 1871, c. 71, § 1, 16 Stat. 431.

§ 11. (R. S. § 11.) Title of appropriation acts.

The style and title of all acts making appropriations for the support of Government shall be as follows: "An act making appropriations, (here insert the object) for the year ending June thirtieth (here insert the calendar year.)

Act Aug. 26, 1842, c. 207, § 2, 5 Stat. 537.

No act of Congress was to be construed to make an appropriation out of the Treasury of the United States unless such act, in specific terms, declares an appropriation to be made, by Act June 30, 1906, c. 3914, § 9, post, § 6763. The committees of Congress in reporting general appropriation bills were required, as far as practicable, to follow the general order and arrangement of the respective appropriation acts for the year preceding, by a provision of Act June 22, 1906, c. 3514, § 4, post, § 6672.

§ 12. (Act March 2, 1895, c. 177, § 1.) Printing in lieu of engrossing and enrolling of bills and joint resolutions.

Hereafter the engrossing and enrolling of bills and joint resolutions of either House of Congress shall be done in accordance with the concurrent resolution adopted by the Fifty-third Congress at its first session, November first, eighteen hundred and ninetythree: Provided, That during the last six days of a session such engrossing and enrolling of bills and joint resolutions may be done otherwise than as prescribed in said concurrent resolution, upon the order of Congress by concurrent resolution. (28 Stat. 769.)

This was a provision of the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation act for the fiscal year 1896, cited above.

The concurrent resolution referred to in this provision was as follows: "Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That, beginning with the first day of the regular session of the Fifty-third Congress, to wit, the first Monday in December, 1893, in lieu of being engrossed, every bill and joint resolution in each House of Congress at the stage of the consideration at which a bill or joint resolution is at present engrossed, shall be printed, and such printed copy shall take the place of what is now known as, and shall be called the engrossed bill, or resolution as the case may be, and it shall be dealt with in the same manner as engrossed bills and joint resolutions are dealt with at present, and shall be sent in printed form, after passing, to the other House, and in that form shall be dealt with by that House, and its officers in the same manner in which engrossed bills and joint resolutions are now dealt with.

"Resolved, That when such bill or joint resolution shall have passed both Houses, it shall be printed on parchment, which print shall be in lieu of, what is now known as, and shall be called, the enrolled bill, or joint resolution as the case may be, and shall be dealt with in the same manner in which enrolled bills and joint resolutions are now dealt with.

"Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Printing is hereby charged with the duty of having the foregoing resolutions properly executed, and is empowered

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