Printers' Ornaments

"Printers' ornaments are decorative motifs used to fill in page space, signify the end of a chapter or the end of a book and generally add an aesthetic quality to the printed page. They have been around since moveable type printing commenced in the 15th century."

Definition from:

BibliOdyssey Blog

Books~~Illustrations~~Science~~History~~Visual Materia Obscura~~Eclectic Bookart

Above: Details of several printers' ornaments

as found in the following two volumes:

A collection of all the acts of Assembly, of the province of North-Carolina, in force and use since the revisal of the laws in the year 1751: together with the titles of all such laws as are obsolete, had their effect, expir'd or repeal'd: with an exact table: to which is prefixed a list of the names of those gentlemen who subscribed for the book. New Bern, N.C.: Printed by James Davis, M,DCC,LXIV [1764] 

AND

A collection of all the acts of Assembly of the province of North-Carolina, now in force and use: together with the titles of all such laws as are obsolete, expired or repealed: in two volumes: with marginal notes and references and an exact table to the whole. New Bern, N.C.: Printed by James Davis, M,DCC,LXV [1765]

Source: University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: The Colonial and State Records of North Carolina Digital Collection. A project made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act grant distributed through the State Library of North Carolina. Recommended Link ~ Documenting the American South

For beautiful & interesting information about printers' ornaments see: BibliOdyssey Blog

GINA and the Saturday Effective Date

On May 21, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (H.R. 493), known as GINA. Public Law No. 110-233 (2008).

Basically, GINA prohibits health insurers (Title I) and employers (Title II) from discriminating against applicants, employees, and the insured based on genetic tests or genetic information.

One interesting thing about GINA is that Title II of the Act becomes effective 18 months after the date of enactment, which is Saturday, November 21, 2009. 

Recommended GINA Links:

Text Of GINA as Passed by House and Senate

Summary of GINA Title I (Health Insurance)

Summary of GINA Title II (Employment)

EEOC Notice of Rule-Making

DHHS Guidance

NCSL State Genetic Legislation Database

NCSL Genetics and Health State Anti-Discrimination Laws

THE Manual ~ Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure

Mason's Manual is published by the National Conference of State Legislatures in cooperation with the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries. 

At 707 pages, calling Mason's the "bible of legislative procedure" would not be inaccurate, or boastful. Mason's tome is THE Manual. 

An effective law writer will understand the principles advanced in Mason's Manual, for that is the context and system under which one will work. Legislative bodies adopt their own rules of procedure. It is Law Writer's understanding that Mason's Manual has become the most widely used legislative procedure guide in the United States, currently in use by 77 of the 99 state legislative bodies in the United States. Thus, when the rules of procedure of a house need to be supplemented, Mason's becomes the guiding text. 

Mason's Manual is edited by NCSL every few years to update relevant legal precedents. NCSL ~ Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure

NOTE ~ Paul Mason's (1898-1985) roles in California state government included: Chief Assistant Secretary of the California Senate (1929-1932); Chief, Division of Driver's Licenses (1937-1953); Director of Motor Vehicles (1954-1958); and Legislative Secretary to Governor Goddwin Knight (1954-1958). * Before his death, Mason assigned the copyright of his manual to NCSL.  

The two other leading manuals of legislative procedure include Thomas Jefferson's Manual of the Senate and Cushing's Legislative Assemblies.

PRIMARY RESOURCE ~ MANUAL OF PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE: for the Use of the Senate of the United States. BY THOMAS JEFFERSON. SECOND EDITION. WITH THE LAST ADDITIONS OF THE AUTHOR. GEORGE TOWN: PUBLISHED BY JOSEPH MILLIGAN; AND BY WILLIAM COOPER, WASHINGTON. 1812. Edited with an Introduction by Wilbur Samuel Howell. (Published without copyright by Princeton University Press)  Link to TEXT.

PRIMARY RESOURCE ~ Cushing's Manual of parliamentary practice for deliberative assemblies and rules of procedure in business corporation meetings. by Luther Stearns Cushing. Published in 1914, The John C. Winston Company (Philadelphia)  ~ Link to  Cushing's TEXT on Google Books.

Bill Drafting Bibliography -- The Classics

As recommended by the master drafters of the Texas legislature:

Biskind, Elliott L. Simplify Legal Writing. 2nd ed. New York: Arco, 1975. Aimed at the general practitioner. Examines the style and ambiguities of certain examples and rewrites them in proper form. A large portion is devoted to suggestions for avoiding common errors in legal writing.

Dickerson, Reed. Legislative Drafting. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1954. The bible for legislative drafting. Primarily gives answers to everyday drafting problems. [Westport: Greenwood Press, 1977. Reprint of the 1954 edition.]

Filson, Lawrence E., and Sandra L. Strokoff. The Legislative Drafter’s Desk Reference. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2008. An overview of legislative drafting concerns and considerations with an emphasis on federal statute construction. Provides statutory examples, case studies, and court decision citations to illustrate drafting principles. Also examines the dynamics between legislative and judicial branches in interpreting legislation.


Garner, Bryan A. A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2001. A general reference work that provides definitions of legal terms and guidance on specific points of usage.

Goldfarb, Ronald L., and James C. Raymond. Clear Understandings. New York: Random House, 1982. Demonstrates through anecdotes and examples problems common to legal writing and how to solve them. Does not address legislative drafting but is a readable and entertaining guide to improved legal expression in general.

Haggard, Thomas R. Legal Drafting in a Nutshell. St. Paul: West Publishing Co., 1996. Addresses many facets of the legal drafting process, including style and usage, construction of definitions, contract drafting, and legislative drafting.

Mehlman, Maxwell J., and Edward G. Grossman. Yale Legislative Services Handbook of Legislative Drafting. New Haven: Yale Legislative Services, 1977. Designed to provide instruction in the basic techniques of legislative drafting for nonprofessional drafters. Divided into two main sections—one section concerns word choice and sentence structure and the other concerns the parts of a bill.

Mellinkoff, David. The Language of the Law. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1963. Explores the history and usage of legal language. Well researched, understandable, and humorous. Not a guide for legal drafting but useful to improve writing and drafting skills.

Mellinkoff, David. Legal Writing: Sense and Nonsense. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1982. Provides lively instruction in ways to make legal documents more precise and readable. Does not deal specifically with legislative drafting.

Sutherland, Jabez G. Statutes and Statutory Construction. 6th ed. edited by Norman J. Singer. St. Paul: West Group, 2000. Discussion of legislative powers, constitutional regulations relative to the forms of legislation and to legislative procedure, together with an exposition at length of the principles of statutory interpretation and construction.

The HAUNTED State Library of North Carolina?

The State Library of North Carolina opened in 1812. Its Government and Heritage Library provides direct services to state government employees and to anyone with a research interest in the history, culture, geography, economy and people of North Carolina. The genealogy services are enjoyed by family researchers from all over the country and other parts of the world. The State Library serves as the repository of state government publications and is the coordinating agency of the State Data Center.

But, it it haunted????????   Haunted Carolina Website