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NOV. CXVIII.

ΚΕΦ. Α.

Περι διαδοχής των κατιοίλων.

CAP. I.

De descendentium successione.

Ei τις τοινυν των κατιονλων ύπειη τω άδια- SI quis igitur descendentium fuerit

θετο τελευτήσαντι, οιασδηποτε φύσεως ή βαθμε, εἴτε ἐξ ἀρρενογονίας, εἴτε ἐκ θηλυγονίας καταγόμενος, και είτε αυτεξέσιος είτε ὑπεξεσιος είη παντων των άνιοντων και των ἐκ πλα για συγγένων προτιμάσθω. Καν γαρ ὁ τελευ τησας έτερα ὑπεξ:σιος ἦν, όμως τὰς αὐτὸ παιδας, οιασδήποτε ἂν ὦσι φύσεως ἡ βαθμό, και αὐτων των γονέων προτιμασθαι κελευομεν, ὧν ὑπεξασιος ἦν ὁ τελευτησας, ἐπ ̓ ἐκείνοις δηλαδη τοις πραγμασιν, άτινα κατα τὰς ἀλλὰς ἡμων νομές, τοις πατρασιν ἐ προσπορίζεται ἐπι γαρ τῇ χρήσει των πραγματων τότων, οφείλωση προσπορίζεσθαι ή φυλατίεσθαι, της περι τότων ήμων νομες τοις γονευσι φυλαττομεν έτω μείζοιγε ώςε, εἰ τινα τούτων των καλιούτων παίδας καλαλιπονία τελευλησαι συμβαίη, της έκεινα υἱως ή θυγατέρας ή τας άλλεις καλιολας εἰς τον το ίδιο γονέως τότον ὑπεισιεναι, είτε ὑπεξεσίοι το τελευτησαντι, είτε αὑτεξσιοι εὐρεθοιεν· τοσῶτον ἐκ της κληρονομίας τα τελευτησαντος λαμβανονίας με

8ος,

των

όσοι δήποτε ἀν ὦσιν, ὅσιν ὁ αὐτων γονευς, ει περιην, ἐκομίζεῖς· ἦν τινα διαδοχην in stirpes ἡ ἀρχαιοτης έκάλεσεν· ἐπι ταυ Της γαρ της τάξεως τον βαθμον ζητείσθαι ἐ βελομεθά· άλλα μετα των όσων και θυγατέρων της ἐκ το προτελευτησαντος urg ή θυγατρος εγγονός καλείσθαι θεσπιζομεν. ἔδεμιας εἰσαγόμενης διαφοράς, είτε άρρενες είτε θηλείαι ώσι, και εἴτε ἐξ ἀρρενογονίας είτε ἐκ θηλυγονίας καταγωνίαι, είτε ὑπεξάσιοι, είτε

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ei, qui intestatus moritur, cujuslibet naturæ aut gradus, sive ex masculorum genere sive ex feminarum descendens, et sive suæ potestatis, sive sub potestate sit, omnibus ascendentibus et ex latere cognatis præponatur. Licet enim defunctus alterius potestate fuerit, tamen ejus liberos, cujuslibet sexus sint aut gradus, etiam ipsis parentibus præponi præcipimus, quorum sub potestate fuerit, qui defunctus est; in illis videlicet rebus, quæ, secundum nostras alias leges, patribus non acquiruntur; nam in usu harum rerum, qui debet acquiri aut servari, nostras de his omnibus leges parentibus custodimus: sic tamen, ut, si quem horum descendentium filios relinquentem mori contigerit, illius filios aut flias, aut alios descendentes, in proprii parentis locum succedere, sive su pos testate defuncti, sive suæ potestatis inveniantur; tantam de hæreditate morientis accipientes partem, quanticunque sint, quantam eorum parens, si viveret, habuisset; quam successionem in stirAcs vocavit antiquitas: in hoc enim or dine gradum quæri nolumus; sed, cum fliis et filiabus, ex præmortuo filio aut filia nepotes vocari sancimus; nulla introducenda diferentia, sive masculi si

και αυτεξέσιοι εἴησαν. Και ταύτα μεν περι της των κατιοντων διαδοχης ἐτυπωσαμεν.

ve faminæ sint, et seu ex masculorum seu fœminarum prole descendant, sive suæ potestatis, sive sub potestate sint constituti. Et hæc quidem de successionibus descendentium disposuimus.

CHAPTER I.

Of the succession of descendants.

If a man dies intestate, leaving a descendant of either sex or any degree, such descendant, whether he derives his descent from the male or female line, or whether he is under power or not, is to be preferred to all ascendants and collaterals. And, although the deceased was himself under paternal power, yet we ordain, that his children of either sex or any degree shall be preferred in succession to the parents, under whose power the intestate died, in regard to those things, which children do not acquire for their parents, according to our other laws; for we would maintain the laws in respect to the usufruct, which is allowed to parents: so that, if any of the descendants of the deceased should die, leaving sons or daughters or other descendants, they shall succeed in the place of their own father, whether they are under his power or sui juris, and shall be entitled to the same share of the intestate's estate, which their father would have had, if he had lived; and this kind of succession has been termed by the ancient lawyers a succession in stirpes: for in the succession of descendants we allow no priority of degree, but admit the grandchildren of any person by a deceased son or daughter to be called to inherit that person together with his sons or daughters, without making any distinction between males and females, or the descendants of males and females, or between those, who are under power, and those, who are not. These are the rules, which we have established, concerning the succession of descendants.

τοινυν.

El TIS TOU. Si quis igitur.] The three first chapters of this novel constitution deserve the attentive consideration of the reader, not onJy because they contain the latest policy of the civil law in regard to the disposition of the estates of intestates; but because they are the foundation of our statute law in this respect. Vid. Holt's cases, p. 259. Peere Williams's rep. p. 27. Prec. in chan. p. 593. Sir Thom. Raymond's rep. p 496. And they are still almost of continual use, by being the general guide of the courts in England, which hold cognizance of distributions, in all those cases, concerning which our own laws have either been silent, or not sufficient ly express.

Eis TOV TH 18 Yovews. In proprii parentis locum succedant. Nothing is more clear in the civil law, than that grandchildren, even when alone, (although they descend from various stocks and are unequal in their numbers,) would take the estate of their deceased grand-father per stirpes, and not per capita. Suppose therefore, that Titius should die,

leaving grandchildren by three different sons, already dead; to wit, three by one son, six by another, and twelve by another; each of these classes of grandchildren would take a third of the estate without any regard to the inequality of the numbers in each class. But, as to this point in England, the law reports mention no judicial determination; yet it seems probable, that the courts, in which distributions are cognizable, would order the division of an estate in such a case to be made per capita; and this, partly from a motive of equity, and partly from a consideration of the intent of the statute, relating to the estates of intestates; for the statute directs an equal and just distribution: and, when the act mentions representation, it must be understood to refer to it, in those cases only, where representation is necessary to prevent exclusion, but not to refer to it, in those cases, where all the claimants are in equal degree, and therefore can take suo quisque jure, each in his own right. Vid. 23, 24, Car. 2. cap. 10. Lib. 3. Inst. p. 4.

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ΚΕΦ. Β.

Περι των ανιονίων διαδοχής.

τοινυν ὁ τελευτησας καλίοντας μεν μη και Πάλι οι κληρονομίας πάλης δε ή μήλης ή άλλοι γονεῖς αὐτῷ ἐπιζησεσι, πανίων των ἐκ πλαγια συγγενών τέλος προτιμάσθαι θεσπιζομεν, εξηρημένων μονων ἀδελφῶν ἐξ ἑκαΠερες γονέων συναπτομένων τα τελευλησαντι, ως δια των έξης δηλωθησεται. Εἰ δὲ πολλοι των ἀνιοντων περίεισι τέλος προτιμάσθαι κελευομεν, οἱ τινες ἐγγύτεροι το βαθμῷ εὐρεθοιεν, άρρενας τε και θήλειας, είτε προς μητρος είτε προς παῖρος είεν Ει δε των αὐτον έχεοι βαθμον, ἐξ ίσης εἰς αὐτες ή κληρονομια διαιρεθήσεται, ώσε το μεν ήμισυ λαμβάνειν παντας τες προς πάρος ανιονίας, όσοι δηπόλε ἂν ὦσι· το δὲ ὑπολοιπον ήμισυ τις προς μήρος άνιόντας, όσες δηποτε ἀν αυτες ευρεθηναι συμβαιη. Ει δε μέλα των ανιόντων ευρεθώσιν ἀδελφοι ἡ ἀδελφοι ἐξ ἐκαίερων γονέων συναπτόμενοι τα τελευτησαντι μέλα των ἐγγύτερων τὰ βαθμῳ ἀνιονίων κληθησονται, εί και πάλης ή μήλης είησαν· διαιρεμένης εἰς ἀντης δηλαδή της κληρονομίας καλα τον των προσωπων ἀριθμον, ἵνα και των άνιονλων και των άδελφων έκατος στην έχει μοιραν, έδε των υίων ή θυγατέρων μιαν χρήσιν μοιρας ἐν ταλα το θεμαίι δυναμένα τα παρος ἑαυτα παντελως ἐκδικειν, ἐπειδὴ ἀντι ταύτης της χρησεως μέρος αὐτῷ της κληρονομίας και καλα δεσπόλειας δικαιον δια το παρολος δεδωκαμεν νόμο, έδεμιας φυλαττομένης διαφορας μεταξύ των προσωτων τέτων, είτε 9ηλειαι είτε άρρενες είησαν οἱ προς την κληρονομίαν καλόμενοι, και είτε δὲ ἄρρενος ή θηλεως προσωπε συναπίονται και είτε αὐτεξὅσιος είτε υπεξέσιος ἦν, ἐν διαδέχονται.

ἐκ τῆς

CAP. II.

De ascendentium successione.

SI igitur defunctus descendentes quidem non relinquat hæredes, pater autem aut mater aut alii parentes ei supersint, omnibus ex latere cognatis hos præponi sancimus, exceptis solis fratribus ex utroque parent conjunctis defuncto, sicut per subsequentia decla rabitur. Si autem plurimi ascendentium vivunt, hos præponi jubemus, qui proximi gradu reperiuntur, masculos et faeminas, sive paterni, sive materni sint. Si autem eundem habeant gradum, ex æquo inter eos hæreditas dividatur, ut medietatem quidem accipiant omnes a patre ascendentes, quanticunque fuerint; medietatem vero reliquam a matre ascendentes, quantoscunque eos inveniri contigerit. Si vero cum ascendentibus inveniantur fratres aut sorores ex utrisque parentibus conjuncti defuncto, cum proximis gradu ascendentibus vocabuntur, si et pater aut mater fuerint; dividenda inter eos quippe hæreditate secundum personarum numerum, uti et ascendentium et fratrum singuli æqualem habeant portionem; nullum usum ex filiorum aut filiarum portione in hoc casu valente patre sibi penitus vindicare, quoniam, pro hac usus portione, hæreditatis jus et secundum proprietatem per præsentem dedimus legem; differentia nulla servanda inter personas istas, sive faminæ sive masculi fuerint, qui ad hæreditatem vocantur; et sive per masculi sive per feminæ personam copulantur; et sive suæ potestatis sive sub potestate fuerit is, cui succedunt.

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CHAPTER II.

Of the succession of ascendants.

But, when the deceased leaves no descendants, if a father, or mother, or any other parents, grand-fathers, great-grand-fathers, &c.' survive him, we decree, that they shall be preferred to all collateral Telations except brothers of the whole blood to the deceased, as shall hereafter be more particularly declared. But, if many ascendants are living, we prefer those, who are in the nearest degree, whether they are male or female, paternal or maternal; and, when several ascendants concur in the same degree, the inheritance of the deceased must be so divided, that the ascendants on the part of the father may receive one-half, and the ascendants on the part of the mother the other half, without regard to the number of persons on either side. But, if the deceased leaves brothers and sisters of the whole blood together with ascendants, these coilaterals of the deceased shall be called with the nearest ascendants, although such ascendants are a father or mother; and the inheritance must be so divided according to the number of persons, that each of the ascendants, and each of the brothers, may have an equal portion; nor shall the father in this case take to himself any usufruct of the portions belonging to his sons and daughters, because by this law we have given him the absolute property of one portion: and we suffer no distinction to be made between those persons, who are called to an inheritance, whether they are males or females, or related by males or females, or whether he, to whom they succeed, was, or was not, under power, at the time of his decease.

El nas waing ☆ μxing noav. Si et pater aut mater fuerin] Byth law of England, when a person dies intestate, leaving a father, the father is solely entitled to the whole personal estate of the intestate, exclusive of l others; and anciently, [ie in the reign of Henry the first, vid Hen. primi, Wilkins editore, p. 266.] surviving father, or mother, could have taken even the real estate of their deceased child. But this law of succession was altered soon afterwards; for we find by G'an ille, that, in the time of Henry the second, a fa her or mother could not have taken the real estates of their deceased children, the inheritance being then carried over to the collateral line. Vid Glanville, lib. 7. cap. 1, 2, &c. 1 Peere Williams 50. And it has ever since been held as an inviol ble maxim, that an inheritance cannot ascend. Co. Litt. 11. a. But this alteration in the law, made since the reign of Henry the first, did not extend to personal estate, so that, before the statute of the first of James the second, if a child had died intestate without a wife, child, or father, the mother would have been entitled to the whole personal estate, exclusive of the brothers and sisters of the intestate; but it is enacted by that statute, "that, if, after the "death of a father, any of his children shall "die intestate, without wife or children, in

"the lifetime of the mother, every brother "and sister, and their representatives, shall "have an equal share with her." 1 Jac. 2. cap. 17. § 6.

But, should it here be asked, whether the brother of an intestate would exclude the grand-father by the civil law? the novel appears at first sight to answer it very fully in the negative by enacting, “that, if the deceas "ed leaves brothers and sisters together with "ascendants in the right line, these collaterals "shall be called with the nearest ascendants,” &c. And indeed the generality of writers, namely, Gudelin, Forster, Ferriere, Domat, and others, all understand this passage, as admitting ascendants and brothers to take jointly; yet a contrary interpretation hath been given by some civilians, of whom Voet is the principal, whose arguments in support of it are therefore here copied at large.

"Illud non satis expeditum est, an etiam "cum avo aut proavo, ubi alius proximior "ascendens non est, fratres germani ejus, "qui defunctus est, concurrere debeant, an "magis avo proavove præferendi sunt, eos"que excludant? Concursum enim ascenden"tium naturaliter gradu remotiorum, quos "nullus intermedius existens excludit, cum "fratribus germanis defuncti turentur pleri"que, moti eo, quod cum proxime ascenden

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"tibus fratres veniunt. Vid. novel. 118. Proxi"mus autem sit, quem nemo antecedit."

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"Sed juris rationibus convenientius vide"tur, avum proavumve defuncti a fratribus "ejus germanis in successione excludi; quia "imperator in dicta Novella 118. emphatice "dixit, fratres et sorores cum proximis gra"du ascendentibus vocari; qualis mentio prox "imorum gradu inutilis plane ac superflua "esset, si non per gradu proximos denotaren"tur illi, qui in primo linex ascendentis gra"du sunt; cum juris certi atque indubitati "sit, nunquam in ascendente linea locum es"se juri repræsentationis, per quod remotior "subintraret in locum proximioris defuncti; atque adeo suffecisset, si generaliter ex"pressum esset, fratres cum ascendentibus "vocari. Ne dicam hoc ipso, quo in linea "ascendente repræsentatio personæ proxi"mioris admissa non est, fieri non posse, ut "avus vel proavus defuncti, qui a patre vel "matre defuncti certo certius excluditur, "concurreret cum fratribus, qui cum patre "matreque defuncti concurrunt. Quibus ac"cedit, quod sententia, de avo defuncti cum "germanis ejus fratribus concurrente, ad ab"surda ducit. Si enim verum est, quod in "casu quo fratres et sorores cum proximis "gradu ascendentibus ita concurrant, ut hæ"reditas inter eos secundum personarum nu66 merum dividenda sit, ac ascendentium et "fratrum singuli æqualem habeant portionem secundum d. Nov. 118. eveniret neces"sario, ut remotiores ascendentes ob defec"tum proximiorum cum fratribus defuncti "concurrentes plus fratribus nocituri essent, "quam proximiores; dum, positis duobus "fratribus germanis defuncti, pater et mater "concurrens duas tantum partes æquales au"ferendo efficerent, ut fratres singuli quar"tam hæreditatis fraternæ partem capiant; quatuor autem avi aviæque existentes, vi"riles totidem partes occupando, non nisi "sextam singulis defuncti fratribus relicturi "essent; sicuti tantum partem decimam duo "fratres singuli essent habituri, si cum pro"avis atque proaviabus (quales octo esse "possunt) deberent concurrere. Quam autem "a ratione id alienum sit, ut magis aliis concursu suo noceant remotiores, quam qui "ejusdem lineæ proximiores sunt, nemo, ut "opinor, non sponte satis agnoscit. Denique "tantum concursum esse fratrum cum patre ❝et matre, non vero cum aliis ascendentibus "remotioribus, ubi pater materque deficit,

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"aperte probant verba Novellæ 118. dum il"lic diserte cautum, si cum ascendentibus "inveniuntur fratres aut sorores ex utrisque "parentibus conjuncti defuncto, eos "proximis gradu" ascendentibus vocari, si aut "pater aut mater fuerint: unde sequitur, eos "non omni casu, nec promiscue cum omni"bus ascendentibus, venire; sed si pater aut "mater fuerint: ideoque mox igitur subjici"tur, in hoc casu patrem nullum usum, ex "filiorum aut filiarum portione, posse sibi peni66 tus vindicare, nulla avi facta mentione; cum "tamen id avo æqua interdicendum fuisset, "si et avus cum defuncti nepotis fratribus "succedere potuisset, dum fratres succe"dentes æque potuissent in avi quam in pa"tris potestate esse. Ut proinde nihil in con"trarium efficiat, quod, in jure, proximus "dicatur, quem nemo antecedit; cum id tum "demum admitti debeat, quando nulla inde "absurditas profluit; prout in hoc casu futurum, supra monstratum est." Vid. Joannis Voet. com. ad Pandectas, tom. 2. lib. 38. t. 17 $13.

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But this question seems now to be settled in England in consequence of three determinations; the first of which was given in the Exchequer in the case of Poole v. Wilshaw on the 9th of July, 1708:-the second in the case of Norbury v. Vicars, before Mr. Fortescue, master of the rolls in November 1749:and the third was delivered on the 14th Janu ary, 1754, in the case of Evelin v. Evelin, by` the lord chancellor, who decreed in favour of the brother in exclusion of the grand-father, having founded his opinion partly in deference to the former determinations; partly in consideration of the present common law computation of degrees, relative to real es tates; and partly upon the benefit, which must accrue to the public by preferring a younger man to an older, the brother of a deceased person to the grand-father, propter spem accrescendi.

And it was also declared to be the opinion of the court, that, if the point in question had been res integra, and solely determinable by the Roman law, the decree would still have been the same; which declaration, from so high an authority, must have great weight in ascertaining of the Novel, and must incline civilians in general to think more favourably for the future of Voet's arguments, which were particularly quoted and much relied upon by the court.

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