Tennessee Reports. Tennessee Chancery Reports. Term Reports, English King's Bench. Texas Appeal Reports, Criminal Cases. Texas Civil Appeal Reports. Texas Criminal Reports. Texas Court of Appeal Reports. Thompson on Corporations. Thompson on the Liability of Stockholders. Thompson and Cook's Reports, New York Tiffany on Domestic Relations. Times Law Reports, English Courts. Toullier's Droit Civil Français. Turner and Russell's Reports, English Chancery. Upper Canada, Common Pleas Reports. Upper Canada, Queen's Bench Reports. United States Supreme Court Reports. United States Circuit Court of Appeals Reports. United States Revised Statutes. United States Statutes at Large. Virginia Reports. Vaughn's Reports, English Common Pleas. Vesey's Reports, English Chancery. Vesey and Beames's Reports, English Chancery. Vroom's Reports, New Jersey Law Reports, Vermont Reports. William Blackstone's Reports, English Common Weekly Notes of Cases, Philadelphia. West Virginia Reports. Watts and Sergeant's Reports, Pennsylvania. Washington Reports. Washington's Reports, United States Circuit Washington Territory Reports. Washburn on Easements and Servitudes. Watts's Reports, Pennsylvania. Webster's Patent Cases. Weekly Cincinnati Law Bulletin, Cincinnati, Ohio. Wendell's Reports, New York Supreme Court. Wharton on Agency. Wharton on Conflict of Laws. Wharton on Contracts. Wharton's Law Dictionary. Wheaton's Reports, United States Supreme Court. Wheeler's Criminal Cases, New York. White on Corporations. White &T. L. Cas. White and Tudor's Leading Cases, Equity. Wisconsin Reports. Williams on Executors. Williams on Real Property. Woods's Reports, United States Circuit Court, Fifth Circuit. Wood on Fire Insurance. Wood on Master and Servant. Woodfall on Landlord and Tenant. Woodward's Decisions, Pennsylvania District Woolworth's Reports, United States Circuit Wright's Reports, Pennsylvania Reports, Vols. Y. & C. Ch. Y. & C. Ex. Yeates Zane B. & B.. Young and Collyer's Reports, English Chancery. Yerger's Reports, Tennessee. Zane on Banks and Banking. THE LAW IN GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1. The most perfect and satisfactory description of law that lives in instructive pages is this conception of Demosthenes: "The design and object of the laws is to ascertain what is just, honorable, and expedient; and, when that is discovered, it is proclaimed as a general ordinance, equal and impartial to all. This is the origin of law, which, for various reasons, all are under an obligation to obey; but especially because all law is the invention and gift of Heaven, the sentiment of wise men, the correction of every offense, and the general compact of the state; to live in conformity with which is the duty of every individual in society."" The explanation of the several properties of municipal law, as they arise out of the definition given below, is so well expressed by Sir William Blackstone in his commentaries, that to modify or change it materially would be profanation. Zealous preceptors of the law reverently caution students that the great commentator's clear definitions and forceful statements should be ardently adopted. Attempts to change the style of a text, which has been pronounced "the most correct and beautiful outline that ever was exhibited of any human science," invariably result in mutilation of the noble achievement of an artist of whom it has been attested: "He it was who first gave to the law the air of a science. He found it a skeleton, and clothed it with life, colour, and complexion: he embraced the cold statue, and by his touch it grew into youth, health, and beauty." ---- 1 Orat. 1, Cont. Aristogit. For notice of copyright, see page immediately following the title page DEFINITIONS 2. Law, in its most general and comprehensive sense, signifies that rule of action which is prescribed by some superior, and which the inferior is bound to obey.' Municipal law is a rule of civil conduct prescribed by the supreme power in a state, commanding what is right and prohibiting what is wrong.' 3. And, first, it is a rule, not a transient sudden order from a superior to or concerning a particular person, but something permanent, uniform, and universal; and the term is used to distinguish it from advice or counsel, which a person is at liberty to follow or not, as he sees proper, and to judge upon the reasonableness or unreasonableness of the thing advised; whereas, obedience to the law depends not upon the person's approbation, but upon the maker's will. Counsel is only matter of persuasion, law is matter of injunction; counsel acts only upon the willing, law upon the unwilling also. It is also called a rule to distinguish it from a compact or agreement; for an agreement is a promise proceeding from the person, law is a command directed to the person.* 4. As a rule of civil conduct, municipal law is distinguished from the natural, or revealed, law, the former of which is the rule of moral conduct, and the latter not only the rule of moral conduct, but also the rule of faith. These regard man as a creature, and point out his duty to God, to himself, and to his neighbor, considered in the light of an individual. But municipal, or civil, law regards him also as a citizen, and bound to other duties towards his neighbor than those of mere nature and religion; duties which he has engaged in by enjoying the benefits of the common union, and which amount to no more than that he contributes, on his part, to the subsistence and peace of the society." 21 Black. Comm. 38. 3 Ibid. 44. • Ibid. 14. 5 lbid. 45. |