where deposited. 3 Mich. Rep. 144. (1.) SECTION 1. The original acts of the Legislature shall be original acts— deposited with, and kept by the Secretary of State. (a) SEC. 2. (b.) (a) As amended by Act 46 of 1847, p. 55. take effect It related to the time when Statutes should Rules of con struction of Statutes. (2.) SEC. 3. In the construction of the statutes of this State, the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Legislature, that is to say: 1. All words and phrases shall be construed and understood according to the common and approved usage of the language; but technical words and phrases, and such as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in the law, shall be construed and understood according to such peculiar and appropriate meaning; 2. Every word importing the singular number only, may extend to and embrace the plural number, and every word importing the plural number, may be applied and limited to the singular number; and every word importing the masculine gender only, may extend and be applied to females as well as males; 3. All words purporting to give a joint authority to three or more public officers or other persons, shall be construed as giving such authority to a majority of such officers or other persons, unless it shall be otherwise expressly declared in the law giving the authority; 4. The words " annual meeting," when applied to townships, shall be construed to mean the annual meeting required by law to be held in the month of April; 5. The word "grantor," may be construed as including every person from or by whom any estate in lands passes, in or by any deed; and the word "grantee," as including every person to whom any such interest or estate passes in like manner; 6. The word "inhabitant," may be construed to mean a resident of a city, township, village, district, or county; 7. The words "insane person," shall be construed to include an idiot, a non compos, lunatic, and distracted person; 8. The word "issue," as applied to the descent of estates, shall be construed to include all the lawful lineal descendants of the ancestor ; 9. The word "land," or "lands," and the words "real estate," shall be construed to include lands, tenements, and real estate, and all rights thereto, and interests therein; 10. The word "month," shall be construed to mean a calendar month; and the word "year," a calendar year; and the word "year" alone, shall be equivalent to the words "year of our Lord;" 11. The word "oath," shall be construed to include the word "affirmation," in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath; and in like cases the word "sworn" shall be construed to include the word "affirmed;" 12. The word "person," may extend and be applied to Rules of conbodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals ; 13. The words "preceding," and "following," when used by way of reference to any title, chapter or section of these Revised Statutes, shall be construed to mean the title, chapter or section next preceding, or next following that in which such reference is made, unless when some other title, chapter or section is expressly designated in such reference; 14. In all cases in which the seal of any. court or public office shall be required to be affixed to any paper issuing from such court or office, the word "seal," shall be construed to mean the impression of such seal on such paper alone, as well as the impression of such seal affixed thereto by means of a wafer or wax; 15. The word "State," when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to, and include the District of Columbia, and the several Territories. belonging to the United States; and the words "United States," shall be construed to include the said district and Territories; 16. The word "will," shall be construed to include codicils, as well as wills; 17. The words "written," and "in writing," may be construed to include printing, engraving and lithographing; except that in all cases where the written signature of any person is required by law, it shall always be the proper handwriting of such person; or in case he is unable to write, his proper mark; 18. All acts of incorporation shall be deemed public acts, and as such, may be declared on, and given in evidence, without specially pleading the same; 19. The words "general election," shall be construed to mean the election required by law to be held in the month of No vember. struction of Statutes. ing Statute. (3.) SEC. 4. Whenever a statute, or any part thereof, shall Repeal of repealbe repealed by a subsequent statute, such statute, or any part thereof, so repealed, shall not be revived by the repeal of such subsequent repealing statute. to furnish copies (4.) SEC. 5. The Secretary of State, immediately after any Secretary of State act of the Legislature shall have been deposited with him, publication. 1837, p. 22. Statutes. of Statutes for shall furnish a true copy thereof to the publishers of the State paper, who shall immediately publish the same in such paper. Distribution of (5.) SEC. 6. The Secretary of State shall be entitled to one copy of the Statutes for the use of his office, and he shall annually, and from time to time, immediately after their publication in volumes, deposit thirty copies thereof in the State library, for the use of the Legislature, and distribute to the following public officers, persons, corporations and societies, one copy each, that is to say: Who entitled to copy. furnish Secretary The Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Senators and members of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the, House of Representatives, the Senators and Representatives of this State in Congress, the Secretary of State of the United States, Chancellor, each Judge of a Court of Record in this State, Attorney General, Auditor General, State Treasurer, Adjutant General, the President of the Board of Internal Improvements, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Superintendent of the State Prison, Judge of the District Court of the United States for the district of Michigan, Clerk of the last named court, the several clerks and registers of Courts of Record, Masters in Chancery, Prosecuting Attorneys, Sheriffs, keepers of jails, Judges of Probate, Registers of Deeds, County Treasurers, County Surveyors, Boards of County Superintendents of the Poor, Coroners, Justices of the Peace, Supervisors and Clerks of townships for the use of their townships, the Historical Society of Michigan, the Library of Congress, the Library of the University of Michigan, and of each branch thereof, the Governor of each of the States and Territories of the United States, for the use of such State or Territory. (a) County Clerks to (6.) SEC. 7. Each County Clerk, within one month after the of State with No. adjournment of the Legislature in each year, shall forward to entitled to copy the Secretary of State a statement of the number of officers, of officers, etc., of Laws. persons, corporations, and societies in his county, entitled by law to a copy of the laws of the next preceding session of the Legislature; and as soon as the same are ready for distribution, the Secretary of State shall, at his office, deliver to such 1837-8, p. 251. clerk, or to his order, properly packed, the number of copies set forth in such statement, and take a receipt therefor. County Clerk to give notice, and take receipt. (7.) SEC. 8. The County Clerk, on the receipt of the laws, shall give notice thereof in a newspaper published in his (a) As amended by Act 105 of 1847, p. 167, Sec. 2. The offices in italics are abolished. |