66 tibus fratres veniunt. Vid. novel. 118. Proximus autem sit, quem nemo antecedit." "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 nu"merum dividenda sit, ac ascendentium et "fratrum singuli æqualem habeant portio"nem 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, 66 aperte probant verba Novellæ 118. dum il"lic diserte cautum, si cum ascendentibus "inveniuntur fratres aut sorores ex utrisque "parentibus conjuncti defuncto, eos cum "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 peni"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 futu"rum, supra monstratum est." Vid. Joannis Voet. com. ad Pandectas, tom. 2. lib. 38. t, 17 § 13. But this question seems now to be settled in England in consequence of three determi nations; the first of which was given in the Exchequer in the case of Poole v. Wilshaws 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 January, 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. 398 Περί διαδοχής των ἐκ πλαγια κατιοντων. Ει τοινυν ὁ τελεύτησας μηδε κατιονίας μη των De successione ex latere venientium. SI igitur defunctus neque descenden δε άνιίας κατάλειψης πρώτες προς την tes neque ascendentes reliquerit, primos ad hæreditatem vocamus fratres et sorores ex eodem patre et ex eadem matre natos, quos etiam cum patribus ad hæreditatem vocavimus. His autem non existentibus, in secundo ordine illos fratres ad hæreditatem vocamus, qui ex uno parente conjuncti sunt defuncto, sive per patrem solum, sive per matrem. Si autem defuncto fratres fuerint, et alterius fratris aut sororis præmortuorum filii, vocabuntur ad hæreditatem isti cum de patre et matre thiis, masculis et fæminis: et, quanticunque fuerint, tantam ex hæreditate percipient portionem, quantam eorum parens futurus esset accipere, si superstes esset. Unde consequens est, ut, si forte præmortuus frater, cujus filii vivunt, per utrumque parentem nunc defunctæ personæ jungebatur, superstites autem fratres per patrem solum forsan aut matrem ei jungebantur, præponantur istius filii propriis thiis, licet in tertio sint gradu, (sive a patre sive a matre sint thii, et sive masculi sive feminæ,) sicut eorum parens præponeretur, si viveret. Et ex diverso, siquidem superstes frater ex utroque parente conjungitur defuncto, præmortuus autem per unum parentem jungebatur, hujus filios ab hæreditate excludimus, sicut ipse, si viveret, ab hæreditate excludebatur. Hujusmodi vero privilegium in hoc ordine cognationis solis præbemus fratrum masculorum et fœminarum filiis aut filiabus, ut in suorum parentum κληρονομίαν καλέμεν τις άδελφος και άλλω παντελως προσώπων ἐκ ταυτης της ταξίως ἐρχομένη, τέλο το δικαιον συγχωλεμεν. Αλλα και αύτοις τοις των άδελφων παισι τοτε ταύτην την εὐεργεσίαν παρεχομεν, ότε μέλα των ίδιων κρίνονται θείων, ἀφρενων τε και θηλειών, είτε προς παῖρος είτε προς μητρος είεν. Ει δε μέλα των άδελφων το τελευτησαντος και άκολες, ώς ήδη προειπομεν, προς την κληρονομίαν καλοίαι, ἐδενι τροπο προς την εξ αδιαθετει διαδοχην τὸς τὸ ἀδελφο ή της αδελφης παιδας και λεισθαι συ[χως μεν· ἐδε εἰ ἐξ ἑκατέρα γονε ως ὁ αὐτων πάλης ἡ μήλης συνηπλείο τα πε λεύληται. Οποτε τοινυν τοῖς τὰ ἀδελφε και της άδελφης παισι τοιειο προνόμιον δέδωκα. μεν, ίνα τον των γονέων ὑπεισιονες τοπον, μονοι προς όλες βαθμό, μελα των ἐκ δευπερι βαθιάς προς την κληρονομίαν καλωαι· ἔκεινο προδηλον ἐσιν, ότι των θείων τα τελευΤησαντος ἀρρενων τε και θηλείων είτε παρος είτε προς μηρος είησαν, προτιμωνας, εἰ και έκεινοι τρίτον όμοιως συγ[ενειας βαθ μον έχοιεν. προς jura succedant; nulli enim alii omnino personæ, ex hoc ordine venienti, hoc jus largimur. Sed et ipsis fratrum filiis tunc hoc beneficium conferimus, quando cum propriis judicantur thiis, masculis et feminis, sive paterni sive materni sint. Si autem cum fratribus defuncti etiam ascendentes, (sicut jam diximus) ad hæreditatem vocantur, nullo modo ad successionem ab intestato fratris aut sororis filios vocari permittimus; neque si ex utroque parente eorum pater aut mater defuncto jungebatur. Quandoquidem igitur fratris et sororis filiis tale privilegium dedimus, ut, in propriorum parentum succedentes locum, soli in tertio constituti gradu, cum iis, qui in secundo gradu sunt, ad hæreditatem vocentur; illud palam est, quia thiis defuncti masculis et fœminis, sive a patre sive a matre, præponuntur, si etiam ilii tertium cognationis similiter obtineant gradum. Si vero neque fratres, neque filios fratrum, sicut diximus, defunctus reliquerit, omnes deinceps a latere cognatos ad hæreditatem vocamus, secundum uniuscujusque gradus prærogativam, ut viciniores gradu ipse reliquis præponantur. Si autem plurimi ejusdem gradus inveniantur, secundum personarum numerum inter eos hæreditus dividatur; quod in capita nostræ le ges appellant. CHAPTER III. Of the succession of collaterals. If a man leaves neither descendants nor ascendants at the time of his death, we first call his brothers and sisters of the whole blood, whom we have also called to inherit with the fathers of deceased persons. But, when there are no brothers of the whole blood with the deceased, we call those, who are either by the same father only, or by the same mother. And, if the deceased leaves brothers and also nephews by a deceased brother or sister, these nephews shall be called to succeed with their uncles and aunts of the whole 400 blood to the deceased; but, however numerous these nephews are, they shall be entitled only to that share, which their parent would have taken, if alive. From whence it follows, that, if a man dies and is survived by the children of a deceased brother of the whole blood, and also by brothers of the half blood, then his nephews, [that is, the children of his brother, by the whole blood,] are to be preferred to their uncles and aunts; for, although such nephews are themselves in the third degree, yet they are preferred, as their parent would have been, if living. And, on the contrary, if a man dies, and is survived by a brother of the whole blood, and by children of a brother of the half blood deceased, these nephews are excluded, as their father would have been, if he had lived. But among collaterals we allow the privilege of representation to the sons and daughters of brothers and sisters, and no farther; and we grant it only to brothers and sisters' children, when they concur with their uncles or aunts, paternal or maternal: for, when ascendants are called to inherit, we by no means permit the children of a deceased brother or sister to share in the succession; although the father or mother was of the whole blood with the deceased brother. But we have so far allowed the right of representation to brothers and sisters' children, that, being only in the third degree, they are called to inherit with those, who are in the second; and this is evident, because brothers and sisters' children are preferred to the uncles and aunts of the deceased, paternal as well as maternal; although they are all in the third degree of cognation. But, if a deceased person leaves neither brothers nor brothers' children, we then call all the other collaterals according to the prerogative of their respective degrees, preferring the nearer to the more remote; and, if many are found in the same degree, the inheritance must be divided according to the number of persons; and our laws distinguish this manner of dividing an inheritance by calling it a division in capita. Пgwlus wgos ruv xangovoμav. Primos ad hæreditatem vocamus.] We must here observe in relation to the distinction between the whole blood and the half blood, that in England the rules of law are different, according to the nature of the estate, which is to be taken; for, in case of lands the whole blood is always preferred, and the half blood is no blood inheritable by descent. 1 Co inst. 14 a. But, in respect to personal estate, the law has not always been fixed and certain; inas much as the statute of the 23d of Car. II. [for the better settlement of the estates of intestates] takes no notice of this distinction between the whole blood and the half blood, but directs, that distribution shall be made among all those, who are in equal degree of kindred to the intestate But, it being certain, that brothers and sisters of the half blood are in the same degree with brothers and sisters of the whole blood, it hath been the general opinion, that brothers and sisters of the half blood were entitled, by virtue of the statute, to an equal share of the intestate's estate, with the brothers and sisters of the whole blood, although there are several precedents of judgments given, since the statute, allowing the half blood to have but an half s are But the law in this respect has been fully settled ever since the decree of the house of lords in the case of Watts and others versus Crooke, upon an appeal from a decree in chancery, which had been given in favour of the half blood, and was affirmed by the house. Vid. Showers's Cases in Par. 108, and Strahan's Domat. 683. 2 Mod. 204. Harris. Oudere Tgow. Nullo modo ] “Sancimus, ut, "si quis moriens relinquat ascendentium ali"quem et fratres, qui possint cum parenti"bus vocari, et alterius præmortui fratris fi"lios, cum ascendentibus et fratribus vocen"tur etiam præmortui fratris filii, et tantam "accipiant portionem, quantum eorum futu"rus erat pater accipiere, si vixisset." Vid. Nov.cxxvii. cap. 1. Harris. END OF THE INSTITUTES. NOTES AND REFERENCES. PROEMIUM, OR PREFACE. DE CONFIRMATIONE INSTITUTIONUM.... Page 1. THIS amounts to an imperial constitution, giving a Sanction, to this compilation by Tribonian and his associates. In nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi. This is elsewhere used, as in the second and third confirmations of the digests, in the confirmation of the code, and of several of the novels. In nomine Domini nastri Jesu Christi, ad omnia consilia omnesinue actus semper progredimur. Cod. 1. 27. 2. pr. Hence the usual solemn form of beginning last wills and testaments, IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. That the ancient Romans, seldom entered on a business of importance sine consilio deorum et ope invocata, I am aware; but I suspect this practice, was rather of Christian origin: 3 Coloss. 17. "Whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, and the father by him." See Dr. Taylor's observations on the proemium of the Institutes, Elem. Civ. Law. qto. 28. This form of testamentary introduction, cannot be necessary, unless under some precise and positive institution; of which I know none in the English or American law. I refer to Taylor, (loc. cit.) for a full dissertation on the titles assumed by the emperor, of which the following is a concise account. Emperor. Imperator. Originally conferred on victorious generals, but first assumed as an imperial title by Augustus Cæsar. |