Chapter LXXI. *prescribing the Form of the enacting and resolving Clauses of Acts and Resolutions of Congress, and Rules for the Construction thereof*
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CHAP. LXXI.— An Act *prescribing the Form of the enacting and resolving Clauses of Acts and Resolutions of Congress, and Rules for the Construction thereof*. Feb. 25, 1871. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Form hereafter of enacting clause of acts; That 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” ; and the resolving clause ofof resolutions. all joint resolutions shall be in the following form :
“Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America inNo further enacting, &c. words.Sections how to be numbered and what to contain.Rules of construction;singular and plural words;masculine and feminine;“insane person” and “lunatic”“Person” to include corporation. Congress assembled”; and no further enacting or resolving words shall be used in any subsequent section or resolution after the first ; and each section shall be numbered and contain as nearly as may be a single proposition of enactment.
Sec. 2. *And be it further enacted*, That in all acts hereafter passed 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 ; and the word “person” may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, 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 the word “oath”“Oath” and “sworn” to include “affirmation” and “affirmed.” shall include “affirmation” in cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in like cases the word “sworn” shall include the word “affirmed.
” Sec. 3. *And be it further enacted*, That, whenever an act shall be re-432FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 71–74. 1871.Repeal not to revive former act;pealed, which repealed a former act, such former act shall not thereby be revived, unless it shall be expressly so provided. Sec. 4. not to release any penalty, &c. unless, &c.*And be it further enacted*, That the repeal of any statute shall not have the effect to release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under such statute, unless the repealing act shall so expressly provide, and such statute shall be treated as still remaining in force for the purpose of sustaining any proper action or prosecution for the enforcement of such penalty, forfeiture, or liability.
Approved, February 25, 1871.