actiones in rem sunt, sed negativæ; quod genus actionis in controversiis rerum corporalium proditum non est ; nam in his is agit, qui non possidet; ei verò, qui possidet, non est actio prodita, per quam neget rem actoris esse. Sanè non uno casu, qui possidet, nihilominus is actoris partes obtinet; sicut in latioribus digestorum libris opportunius apparebit. endi, immittendive: istæ quoque adversary is not intitled to the usü: fruct of a particular ground, or to the right of passage, &c. &c. These actions are also real, but are negative in their nature, and cannot therefore be used in controversies respecting things corporeal, where the agent, or plaintiff, is the person out of possession: for a pos sessor can bring no action: there' are however, many cases, in which a possessor may be obliged to act the part of a plaintiff; but we refer the reader to the books of the digests. De actionibus prætoriis realibus. III. Sed istæ quidem actiones, quarum mentionem habuimus, et si quæ sunt similes, ex legitimis et civilibus causis descendunt. Aliæ autem sunt, quas prætor ex suâ jurisdictione comparatas habet, tam in rem, quam in personam; quas et ipsas necessarium est exemplis ostendere: ut ecce, plerùmque ita permittit prætor in rem agere, ut vel actor dicat, se quasi usucepisse, quod non usuceperit, vel ex diverso possessor dicat, adversarium suum non usucepisse, quod usuceperit. 3. The actions just mentioned and those of a similar nature, are derived from the civil law; but the prætor, by virtue of his jurisdiction, hath introduced other actions, both real and personal, of which it will be necessary to give some examples: for he often permits a real ac· tion to be brought, either by allowing the demandant to alledge, that he hath acquired by prescription, what he hath not so acquired; or, on the contrary, by permitting a former possessor to alledge, that his adver sary hath not acquired by prescrip tion, what, in reality, he hath so acquired. De Publicianâ. 5 IV. Namque, si cui ex justâ eausa res aliqua tradita fuerit, (veluti ex causâ emptionis, aut donationis, aut dotis, aut legatorum,) et necdum ejus rei dominus effectus est, siis ejus rei possessionem casu §4. If any thing should be delivered to or deposited with a man in trust upon some just account, as by reason of a purchase, a gift, a marri age, or a bequest, and the trustee should lose the possession, before he amiserit, nullam habet in rem directam actionem ad eam persequendam: quippe ita proditæ sunt jure civili aetiones, ut quis dominium suum vindicet. Sed, quia sanè durum erat, eo casu deficere actionem, inventa est à prætore actio, in quâ dicit is, qui possessionem amisit, eam rem se usucepisse, quam usu non cepit, et ita vindicat suam esse: quæ actio Publiciana appellatur, quoniam primum à Publicio prætore in edicto proposita est. hath gained a property in the thing possessed, he could have no direct action for the recovery of it; inas much as real actions are given by law for the re-vindication of those things only, in which a man hath a vested property or dominion. But, it being hard, that an action should be wanting in such a case, the prætor hath supplied one, in which the person, who hath lost his possession, is allowed to prescribe to the thing in question, although he did not obtain it by prescription, and ke may thus recover. This action is called actio Publiciana, because it was first instituted by the edict of Publicius the prætor. De rescissoriâ. V. Rursus ex diverso, si quis, cum reipublicæ causâ abesset, vel in hostium potestate esset, rem ejus, qui in civitate esset, usucepe rit, permittitur domino, si possessor reipublicæ causâ abesse desierit, tunc intra annum rescissâ usucapione eam rem petere, id est, ita petere, ut dicat, possessorum usu non cepisse, et ob id suam rem esse. Quod genus actionis quibusdam et aliis simili æquitate motus prætor accommodat; sicut ex latiore digestorum seu pandectarum volumine intelligere licet. § 5. On the contrary, if any màn; while abroad in the service of his country, or a prisoner in the hands of the enemy, should gain a prescriptive title to a thing, which belongs to another person resident at home, then the former proprietor is permitted within a year after the return of the possessor from public service, to bring an action against him, the prescriptive title being rescinded; and may alledge, that the possessor hath not effectually prescribed, so that the thing in litigation is his own. Under the same motive of equity the prætor hath adapted this species of action to certain other persons, as we may learn more at large from the digests. De Paulianâ. § VI. Item, si quis in fraudem creditorum rem suam alicui tradiderit, bonis ejus à creditoribus possessis ex sententia præsidis, permittitur ipsis creditoribus, rescissâ traditione, eam rem petere; id est, dicere eam rem traditam non esse, et ob id in bonis debitoris mansis se. 6. If a debtor deliver any thing to some person in order to defraud his creditors, they are permitted, notwithstanding the delivery, to bring an action for the thing, if the possession hath been previously adjudged to them by an order of court: that is, they are allowed to plead, that the thing was not delivered, and of course, that it continues to be a part of their debtor's goods. De Servianâ et quasi-Servianâ, seu hypothecariâ. VII. Item Serviana, et quasi Serviana, (quæ ètiam hypothecaria vocatur,) ex ipsius prætoris jurisdictione substantiam capiunt. Serviana autem experitur quis de rebus coloni, quæ pignoris jure pro mercedibus fundi ei tenentur. Quasi. Serviana autem est, qua creditores pignora hypothecasve persequuntur. Inter pignus autem et hypothecam, (quantum ad actionem hypothecariam attinet,) nihil interest; nam de quâ re inter creditorem et debitorem convenerit, ut sit pro debito obligata, utraque hac appellatione continetur; sed in aliis differentia est : nam pignoris appellatione eam propriè rem contineri dicimus, quæ simul etiam traditur creditori, maximè si mobilis sit: at eam, quæ sine traditione nuda conventione tenetur, propriè hypothecæ appellatione contineri dicimus. § 7. Also the action Serviana, and the action quasi - Serviana, (which is also called hypothecary,) take their rise from the prætor's jurisdiction. By the action Serviana, a suit may be commenced for the property of a farmer, bound for rent. The action quasi-Serviana is that, by which a creditor may sue for a thing pledged or hypothecated to him; and, in regard to this action, there is no difference between a pledge and an hypotheque; though in other respects they differ; for, by the term pledge, is meant that, which hath actually been delivered to a creditor, especially if the thing was a moveable; hypothecation means the making any thing liable to a creditor by a nude agreement only, without delivery. De actionibus prætoriis personalibus. 6 VIII. In personam quoque actiones ex suâ jurisdictione propopositas habet prætor, veluti de pecuniâ constitutâ ; cui similis videbatur receptitia. Sed ex nostrâ constitutione, (cum, et si quid plenius habebat, hoc in actionem pecuniæ constitutæ transfusum est,) et ea quasi supervacua jussa est cum suâ auctoritate à nostris legibus, recedere. Item prætor proposuit actionem de peculio servorum, filiorumque familiarum; et eam, ex quâ quæritur, an actor juraverit; et alias complures. § 8. Personal actions have also been introduced by the prætors, in consequence of their authority; as the action de pecuniâ constitutà; which much resembles that called receptitia, now taken away by our constitution, as unnecessary; and whatever advantageous matter it contained, we have comprized in the action de pecunia constitutâ. The prætors have likewise introduced the action concerning the peculium of slaves, and the sons of families; and also the action wherein the question is, whether the plaintiff hath made oath of his debt; and many others. De actione in factum ex jurejurando. XI. Item, si quis postulante adversario juraverit, deberi sibi pecuniam, quam peteret, neque ei solvatur, justissimè accommodat ei talem actionem, per quam non illud quæritur, an ei pecunia debeatur, sed an juraverit. De actionibus § XII, Pœnales quoque actiones prætor penè multas ex sua jurisdictione introduxit; veluti adversus eum, qui quid ex albo ejus corru pisset; et in eum, qui patronum vel parentem in jus vocasset, cum id non impetrasset; item adversus eum, qui vi exemerit eum, qui in jus vocaretur, cujusve dolo alius exemerit; et alias innumerabiles. § 11. Also if any man, called upon by the adverse party, make oath, that the debt, which he sues for, is due and unpaid, the prætor most justly indulges him with an action upon the fact; in which no inquiry is made, whether the debt be due, but whether the oath hath been taken. pœnalibus, § 12. The prætors have also introduced many penal actions, by virtue of their authority. Thus, they have provided an action against him, who hath wilfully damaged or erased an edict; against an emancipated son, or a freed-man, who hath commenced suit against his parent or patron, without previous permission from the proper magistrate; also against any person, who by force or fraud hath hindered another from appearing to the process of a court of justice; and many others. De præjudicialibus actionibus, XIII. Præjudiciales acticnes in rem esse videntur; quales sunt, per quas quæritur, an aliquis liber, an libertus sit, vel servus, vel de partu agnoscendo. Ex quibus ferè una illa legitimam causam habet, per quam quæritur, an aliquis liber şit cæteræ ex ipsius prætoris jurisdictione substantiam capiunt, § 13. Prejudicial actions are also real; such are those, by which it is inquired, whether a man is born free, or made free; whether he be a slave, or a bastard. But of these, that only arises from the civil law, by which it is inquired, whether a man be free born: the rest originatę from the prætor's jurisdiction. |