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72d CONGRESS . S ESS. II. CH. 12 8. F EBRUA RY 27, 1933 . [CHA PTER 128 .1 February 77,
To provide a new civil code for the Canal Zone ana to repeal the existing civil [H. R. 7s2z .] [Public, No . 376.]
code . C ivil Code of Canal Zone. AN ACT Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States o f America in Congress assembled, That the seventy- seven chapters hereinafter set forth shall constitute the Civil Code of the Canal Zone . PRELIMINARY
CHAPT ER 1 .-PRELIMINARY PR OV ISI ONS PROVISIONS . Title .
SECT ION 1. TITLE Or THIS ACT .-This Act shall be kn own as the Civil Code of the Canal Zone . Effective date .
SEC. 2. WHEN THIS CODE TAKES EFFECT .-This code shall take effect on the first day of October, nineteen hundred and thirty-three . Not retroactive .
SEc. 3. NOT RETROACTIVE.-NO part of it is retroactive, unless expressly so declared . Rules of construe- SEc. 4. RULES OF coNsTRUCTION .-The rule of the common law, tion. that s tatutes in derog ation th ereof ar e to be s trictly construe d, has no application to this code . The code establishes the law of the Canal Zone respecting the subjects to which it relates, and its provisions are to be liberally construed with a view to effect its objects and to pro- mote justice . Construing proof- SEC . 5 . PROVISIONS SIMILAR TO EXISTING LAWS, HOW CONSTRUED .- lions aimitac toes sting facts. The pr ovisions of this code, s o far as they are sbstant ially th e same as exi sting st atutes, must be construe d as cont inuation s thereo f, and not as new enactments . Actions, etc., not SEC . 6 . ACTIONS, AND SO FORTH, NOT AFFEOTED.-No action or pro- affected .
ceeding commenced before this code takes effect, and no right accrued, is affected by its provisions . Holidays.
SEC. 7. LEGAL HOLIDAYS .-Except as otherwise provided in section 1 Executive order go . 12 of the Executive order of February 2, 1914, as amended, the fol- lowing are the legal holidays in the Canal Zone : Every Sunday, January 1, February 22, Good Friday, May 30, July 4, Labor Day, November 3, Thanksgiving Day , and December 25. If a legal holi- day other than Sunday falls on the first day of the week, the Monday followi ng will be observ ed as a legal ho liday . As far as pr act ica ble , all pub lic busi ness will be susp ended on these d ays . Business da ys .
SEc . 8 . BUSINESS DAYS .-All other days than those mentioned in section 7 are to be deemed business days for all purposes . Computation of time . SEC. 9. COMPUTATION OF TIME .-The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded . Performances on hol- ,SEC. 10 . CERTAIN ACTS NOT TO BE DONE ON HO T .TnAys.-Whenever idays. any act of a secular nature, other than a work of necessity or mercy, is appointed by law or contract to be performed upon a particular day, which day falls upon a holiday, it may be performed upon the next business day, with the same effect as if it had been performed upon the day appointed . Words and phrases, SEC. 11 . WORDS AND PHRASES, HOW CONSTRUED .-Words and phrases cons truct ion . are construed according to the context and the approved usage of the language ; but technical words and phrases, and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law, or are defined in sect ion 12, a re to be constru ed accor ding to such pec uliar and appropriate meaning or definition .
