An act providing for the travel expenses of the members of the national legislature [from Montserrado County and Marshall Territory $10; Maryland, $72; Sinoe, 49.68; Grand Bassa, $43.92; and Grand Cape Mount, $43.92] (Acts 1938, pp. 1-2).
An act to amend Section XXXIX of the act entitled “An act relating to matrimonial causes” passed and approved Feb. 24th 1936 [restricting Section 39 to divorces on the ground of adultery only] (Acts 1938, p. 2).
An act amendatory to the statute laws of Liberia relating to appeals [adding: “that no act nor omission of a judge nor any officer of the court shall affect the validity of an appeal”] (Acts 1938, p. 3).
An act amending Section 1414 of the Revised Statutes [investing the corporate powers of each township in a commissioner, appointed by the president, along with following, elected at the annual township meeting: a town clerk, a treasurer, three road overseers and three constables] (Acts 1938, p. 4).
An act extending the jurisdiction of all municipal courts in commonwealth and municipal districts in this republic in actions of debt, detinue, replevin, trover [all up to $300] and slander [up to $100] (Acts 1938, p. 5).
An act amending an act entitled an act to repeal the charter of the city of Robertsport and creating the municipal district of Robertsport, county of Grand Cape Mount, passed and approved Jan. 27, 1936 [stipulating the salaries of officers; requiring periodic reports by the court clerk to the bureau of internal revenue and by the police chief to the circuit court; and extending the jurisdiction of the Municipal Court in this district only to include: examination of all criminal cases above the justice of peace level; all revenue cases; sanitation violations; and violations of municipal ordinances] (Acts 1938, pp. 5-7).
A vote of confidence extended His Excellency Edwin Barclay, president of the Republic of Liberia, by the national legislature of Liberia, for and on behalf of the people of the Republic of Liberia for the satisfactory manner in which he has conducted the affairs of state during his incumbency [for dissipating “the clouds that darkened our national atmosphere,” improving the economic conditions, making the county “self-supporting and prosperous by encouraging industry and thrift,” and judicious solution of “several issues affecting the internal relationship of the several units composing the citizenry … he is bringing about a closer and sympathetic touch and understanding each with the other, and all into a solid homogeneous entity than ever before,” approved unanimously by the legislature, prefaced by the note that “during said tenure of office the republic was caused to face some of the most complicated and difficult situations she has every experience in her international relationship with foreign powers to the extend of threatening her very existence as a free state” and ordered published in the Weekly Mirror newspaper] (Acts 1938, pp. 7-8).
An act repealing an act entitled “An act approving the mining agreement entered into between the government of the Republic of Liberia and the Noord Europeesche Erts en Pyriet Maatschappy and date Aug. 23rd 1937,” approved Dec. 9, 1937 and authorizing the president to explored other means of exploiting the iron ore deposits of Liberia [cancelled because the company rejected modifications imposed by the legislature] (Acts 1938, p. 9).
An act relating to bonds of public servants and officials [authorizing the circuit court to hear cases alleging violations of bonds by public servants and providing as penalties the restoration of missing amount and cost of proceeding plus possible criminal prosecution] (Acts 1938, pp. 10-11).
An act amending Article 2, Sections 1 (a), (b), (c) and 19, Articles 3, Sections 28 and 30 of an act entitled “An act to provide an Internal Revenue Code of the Republic of Liberia, approved Dec. 11, 1937 [providing for a 15 percent discount on property valuation if no improvements have been made in ten years and a six cents per acre tax on farm land within municipalities; changing the license fee for goldsmiths, pharmacists and certain mechanics; and adding a $1.50 tax for municipal upkeep to be collected from all male residents of municipalities and commonwealth districts and all real estate owners in those area] (Acts 1938, pp. 11-13).
An act abolishing the position of justice of the peace and creating instead the office of stipendiary magistrate [to be held for four year tenures by lawyers also possessing the qualifications of justices of the peace with a $600 salary, necessitating the division by the counties into magisterial area] (Acts 1938, pp. 14-15).
An act amendatory to “An act to regulate the imporation, exportation, sale and dispensing of narcotic and dangerous drugs” approved Nov. 5, 1937 (Acts 1938, pp. 15 [requiring the public health director to comply with provisions of the International Opium Convention of 1925; reserving to the government the right to import all drugs covered by this act through the pharmacy of the Liberian Government Hospital; and providing of penalties ranging 20 years imprisonment for peddling narcotics to $100 fines for minor infractions] (Acts 1938, pp. 15-17).
An act relating to naturalization [permitting the department of justice to intervene in all naturalization matters, in opposition to petitions; and including facsimiles of “declaration of intention and “certificate of citizenship” forms] (Acts 1938, pp. 17-21).
An act to legalize certain executive orders issued by the president during the year 1938 [prohibiting the removal of official records from government office; and concerning registration of births and deaths, official working days, reorganization of the tribal affairs bureau of the interior department, notary public fees and amendments to the Civil Service Rule] (Acts 1938, p. 21).
An act approving the budget presented by the secretary of the treasury, Republic of Liberia, and providing for the expenses of the government for the fiscal year, Jan. 1, 1939 to Dec. 31, 1939 (Acts 1938, p. 22).
An act providing for the establishment of a reserve fund [to defray emergency, unappropriated expenses, as authorized by the president with subsequent approval by the legislature as the next regular session] (Acts 1938, pp. 22-23).
An act providing for the appropriation of certain public monies for sundry purposes [namely $360 for presidential office equipment; $10,077.501/2 toward the floating debt; $1,977.50, construction of an aviation slipway; $1,000, repairs of public buildings; $700 for election expenses; $459.37, general contingent; $5,000 to control the spread of sleeping sickness, yaws and leprosy; $2,300, government light and power plant; $800 to send two government radio station employees to Dakar to study meteorology] (Acts 1938, pp. 24-25).
An act providing for the appropriation of certain public monies for sundry purposes [namely $3,173 for construction of an aviation slipway; $1,750, New York World’s Fair expenses; $2,500 judiciary expenses of the justice department; $300 printing of revenue bureau forms; $1,800, commission to chiefs for hut tax collection; $450, revenue bureau for internal travel; $900, agriculture bureau for supervising inspector salary; $120 for audit bureau equipment and stationary; $5,000, Government Hospital remodeling; and $1,000, construction of dustbids for Monrovia, due to a suplus from appropriated but unspent funds as follows: $10,873 for Frontier Force supplies; $5,000, Government Hospital salaries; $1,000, drainage system; $120, audits bureau salaries] (Acts 1938, pp. 25-27).
An act to control the distillation of rum and other potable spirits [requiring the registration of all sugar cane farms, payment of an excise tax on rum produced for sale, and the placing in bonded warehouses of all rum produced for commercial distribution; and prohibiting the extension of sugar cane planting, except by permission from the secretary of treasury; (Acts 1938, pp. 27-31).
An act relating to the office of the curator of intestate estates [permitting the president to issue rules for this office, with the weight of law] (Acts 1938, p. 32).
An act to repeal Section 3 of the act entitled “An act to provide for defense counsel [appropriating salaries for county defense counsels instead of fees, as follows: Monsterrado, $500, and all others, $300] (Acts 1938, pp. 32-33).
An act relating to the pay of special juries in civil cases [reducing pay of jurors from $1.25 per day to 75 cents] (Acts 1938, p. 33).
An act repealing Sections 1155, 1161 and 1162 of the Revised Statutes and authorizing the president to issue regulations controlling the training of the militia and fixing penalties for the non-performance of military duty (Acts 1938, p. 34).
An act providing for appeals in criminal causes [specifying that all appeals by prisoners be taken by the Supreme Court as a matter of rights and “an appeal taken by the state shall in no case operate to stay or affect the operation of a judgment in favour of the defendant until the judgment be reversed,” among other rules] (Acts 1938, pp. 34-38).
An act prescribing laws and regulations for the administration of the several prisons of the Republic of Liberia [authorizing the president by executive order to establish all prisons or close any, remove any prisoner, put any prisoner to work and grant early releases; requiring reports from superintendents of prisoners held in their counties; establishing a limit of 15 strokes at any one whipping; allowing visits only with permission of the appropriate sheriff; and requiring passage of the civil service examination as a requirement for future appointment to prison administration] (Acts 1938, pp. 38-54).
An act amending Sections 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10 of an act entitled “An act chartering the Saint John River City, Grand Bassa County, Republic of Liberia, approved Jan. 29, 1920 [changing the boundaries of the city; and reducing the council from seven to five members] (Acts 1938, pp. 55-56).
An act granting a pension [of $150] to Colonel Edward W. Leonards of Grand Bassa County [, having served for 48 years in the military, including command of the Sinoe and Grand Bassa regiments in the Nana Kru Expedition of 1903] (Acts 1938, pp. 57-58).
An act restoring E. A. L. McCauley of Greenville, Sinoe County, Republic of Liberia, to citizenship (Acts 1938, p. 58).
Joint resolution granting Thomas M. Moore, major general, Liberian army, of the county of Grand Bassa, Republic of Liberia, an annuity [of $300, having been wounded while in service] (Acts 1938, pp. 58-59).
A joint resolution granting to Mary L. Ford of Sinoe County, Republic of Liberia, widow of the late Prince A. Ford, the [$50] pension granted her husband (Acts 1938, p. 59).
A joint resolution granting to Nancy G. Walbuck, widow of the late Sandy Walbuck of Grand Bassa County, the pension which was by law paid to her late husband (Acts 1938, p. 60).
A joint resolution granting Agabus E. Walker of Montserrado County, an annuity {of $150, having been injured while serving as captain of the Johnson Volunteers during the Yarn vor quelle War of 1910] (Acts 1938, pp. 60-61).
An act granting 18 acres of land to the Rev. and Mrs. C. F. Walin and Miss Lucille Jinkins, trustees of the Associate Fellowship of the Assembly of God’s Mission of the United States of America, Blue Barrow in the Mantro Chiefdom, Sinoe County, for missionary and educational purposes (Acts 1938, pp. 61-62).
Joint resolution granting C. C. Bodo Hoffman of Hoffman Station, Maryland County, Republic of Liberia, an annuity [of $60, having fought in several expeditions] (Acts 1938, pp. 62).
Joint resolution granting J. Catherine Smith of the county of Grand Bassa, Republic of Liberia [widow of John J. Smith], an annuity [of $60] (Acts 1938, p. 63).
Joint resolution authorizing the payment to Charles Vanah Wright of the settlement of Arthington, Montserrado County, a sum of money [, $181.60, awarded in an arbitration order by Attorney General Louis A. Grimes] as compensation for use by the government of his house and entire premises as a “pest house” in the year A. D. 1929 [for housing small pox cases] (Acts 1938, p. 64).
Joint resolution granting annuity [of $120] to A. R. Chinoweth, Sr., of the county of Grand Cape Mount [, having served as commissary for 15 years and in the active duty from 1890 to 1910, including the Gbesseh expedition, under R. A. Sherman, and the Gleemah battle] (Acts 1938, p. 65).
Joint resolution granting Lott Hill of the county of Montserrado, Montserrado County, a pension [$100, having been incapacitated by injuries sufferin in the 1900 Suehn-Bopolu expedition] (Acts 1938, p. 66).
Joint resolution granting Sarah Woodall of Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, annuity [, mother of Private Frank Woodall, who died in the 1910 Cape Palmas was while under the command of Captain John Betty] (Acts 1938, pp. 66-67).
An act incorporating the Farmersville Progressive union of the settlement of Farmersville, Sinoe County, Republic of Liberia [naming A. E. Montgomery, president; B. A. Frazier, vice president; A. E. M. Rauls, patron; D. J. Clarke, vice patron; Fanny J. Davies, secretary; Lina Quins, treasurer; Eliza Bing, chaplain; M. J. Turner, marshall; and J. J. Bing] (Acts 1938, pp. 67-68).
An act granting a ferry franchise to Harriet Harmon, J. Allen Benson, J. Wallace Smith, Jannie Brownell nee White, C. C. Dougans nee Russell, Stephen J. Crusoe, T. Reuben Hill, Thomas R. Horace, Moses B. King, James E. Morgan and John S. Woods on the Mechlin, Benson and Saint John Rivers between Edina, Upper Buchanan and Moore’s Point, Grand Bassa County, Republic of Liberia, to be known as the “Edina—Buchanan Ferry Company” [for ten years, with a maximum charge of 12 cents] (Acts 1938, pp. 68-69).
An act repealing an act incorporating the Ferry Boat Company of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Republic of Liberia, passed and approved Oct. 12, A. D. 1916, amended Jan. 15 A. D. 1931 [with no reason given] (Acts 1938, p. 69).
An act restoring S. A. Bing of the settlement of Farmersville, Sinoe County, Liberia, to all the rights and privileges of citizenship (Acts 1938, p. 70).
An act incorporating the Atina Reading Circle of Sasstown, Sinoe County, Republic of Libera [naming Stephen S. Togba, president; J. Nimley Blamoh, vice president; David C. Tobour, secretary; Thomas P. Nimene, critic; Francis F. Doh, treasurer; Joseph B. Kie, financial secretary; John W. Toe, chaplain; Joseph S. Wah, marshall; and members: Dennis N. Davis, James M. Nagbe, Philip S. Broh, Peter B. Tapera, Jeremiah J. Teh and Paul T. War] (Acts 1938, pp. 70-71).
An act granting to Ella F. Minor of Sinoe County, an annuity of $100 (Acts 1938, p. 71).
An act to repeal an act entitled “An act granting a ferry franchise to J. C. Johns Company,” passed and approved Dec. 8, 1929, and act granting ferry franchise to I. L. Hoff and Company, passed and approved Dec. 11, 1934, both of the county of Grand Cape Mount, and granting ferry franchise to the Wakolo Ferry Transport Company, Incorporated, county of Grand Cape Mount [naming N. B. Baxton, I. L. Hoff, E. O. K. Freeman, Mambu Kia Howo, A. H. Butler and J. J. Greene, to operate along the Maffar River, from Sawilor to Deah, and along Lake Piso, from Robertsport, Mecca Point, Sulima and Towele, for ten years with a maximum charge of 48 cents between Robertsport and Deah, 24 cents between Robertsport and Sawilor and 12 cents between Robertsport and Mecca Point and between Towele and Sulima] (Acts 1938, pp. 72-73).
An act incorporating the Hoffman Station Company of Maryland County in Liberia, and granting it certain rights [naming C. C. Hoffman, president; J. H. Nelson, first vice president; S. K. Scott, second vice president; H. N. Prowd, business manager; Godfrey G. Evans, secretary; W. T. Toomey, treasurer; and members: J. P. Jackson, J. Y. Wright, H. Jacques, B. Scotland, Bobbo Henning and Sissimah Wesley, to operate a ferry across the Hoffman River between Hoffman Station and Palm Grove landing for a maximum charge of four cents] (Acts 1938, pp. 74-75).
An act incorporating the Progressive Crowd Twelve of the city of Careysburg, Montserrrado County [naming P. Edward Nelson, president; Robert D. Ureh, president emeritus; J. R. D. Craig, vice president; Gabriel E. Knuckles, Jr., secretary; Samuel P. Ureh, treasurer; William T. Ureh, master of ceremonies; and members: James G. Johnson, Henry T. Dennis and Thomas J. Wardsworth, organized, among other reasons, to “entertain the public from time to time with series of debates, social and dramatic concerts, athletic sports and other public entertainments”] (Acts 1938, pp. 75-76).
An act restoring Anthony Williams of the commonwealth district of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, to all the rights and privileges of citizenship (Acts 1938, p. 76).
An act to grant the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States of America, operating in Kplapo section of the Kru coast district in Maryland County, 50 acres of land (Acts 1938, pp. 76-77).
An act incorporating the Mamba Chemical Corporation [naming Monroe Phelps, president; F. A. K. Russell, secretary; and directors: J. H. Ricks, Cyril Henries, R. S. Wiles, James S. Smith, B. D. Peal and Joseph Phelps, granting sole rights to manufacture soap, candies and all other confectioneries for 15 years] (Acts 1938, pp. 77-78).
An act fixing the day of adjournment of the fourth session of the thirty-eighth legislature of the Republic of Liberia (Acts 1938, p. 79).
Acts passed by the legislature of the Republic of Liberia during the session 1938. Government Printing Office, Department of State: Monrovia, 1938.