We shall endeavor to procure the laws of every state in the Union, from which such selections shall be made, from time to time, as may enable us, in a few years, to exhibit a complete institute of American jurisprudence. The science of legislation is not yet perfectly understood among us; it is still in a crude and imperfect state. But with such a collection before him as we hope to amass, the law-giver or the judge may accurately survey the progress of our experiments, and it will be in his power to imitate the promising, to adopt what is salutary and reject that which time has demonstrated to be pernicious,

Thus, by comparing the projects of the adventurous with the experience of the wise, the young legislator may early acquire knowledge and the old will find additional motives of adherence to a rule of action, which is not less imperative in legal than in political science. Thus might the respective laws of the states become, not only what Spencer says laws should be, like stone tables, plain, steadfast and immoveable,---but they might gradually be moulded so as to be the expository applications of consis tent and immutable principles. Such a state of harmony and uniformity, pervading the various members of this vast political body, more than all the cant of hollow patriotism, would brace its fibres and animate its vital functions,

It has been intimated in a cotemporary journal that our plan might be made still more comprehensive; and the reviewer recommends to our attention, " inquiries into the origin of the federal constitution and that of the several states, which would afford us some view of the progress we have made. Changes, more frequent than those of the moon, in the form and the substance of the several governments, were once considered the employment or the sport of visionary politicians, and too many of our politicians were of that class; now, the reverence which the sober and the speculative, equally profess, is almost as great as that which they ought to feel. The discussion of old constitutional questions should fill a part of the volume; and the tracts on the subject should either be resuscitated, or an abstract be supplied.”

To this suggestion, we have not been inattentive, but have collected a variety of pamphlets, illustrative of our political and legal history, which must always be read with profound interest by the statesman and the lawyer. We had likewise collected some old Latin tracts respecting the civil law and the common law of England, of which we intended to insert copious accounts or faithful translations. In this manner also we proposed to introduce to the English reader a translation of the celebrated Treatise of Hubner on the right of searching and seizing neutral vessels, which we have long since completed: and the Consolato del Mare and the Treatise of Emerigon on Insurance, which are nearly prepared for the press.

We had further marked out some parts of the works of Sir Leoline Jenkins relating to the laws of nations: a translation of Fortesque de laudibus legum Anglia and some sections of Dr. Duck de Usu et Authoritate Juris Civilis Romanorum.

We mention these things, not for the purpose of exciting expectation; but simply to show that however the annals of our domestic jurisprudence should fail in the contribution of materials, we should be at no loss. The legal lore of former ages and foreign nations is an abundant treasury to which the scientific lawyer can always resort for those abstract principles of right which are applicable at all times and in all places.

Each volume will contain at least six hundred pages, divided into semi-annual numbers, the price of each of which will be two dollars and fifty cents payable on delivery.

Persons who receive subscription papers are requested to transmit their orders to the publisher by the 1st of February next, at which time another volume shall be put to press, if it appear probable that the expense may be remunerated.

Subscribers who receive their numbers by the mail, will find them post-paid, if they transmit the price of each volume in advance.

Baltimore, 10th October, 1811.

CONTENTS OF THE THREE FIRST VOLUMES:

No. 1. Supreme Court of the United States. Insurance. Aban's donment. Total loss. Rhinelander vs. The Insurance Company of Pennsylvania. Foreign Sentence. Jurisdiction. Hudson et al. vs.. Guestier. Rose et al. vs. Himely et al.---Circuit Court of Pennsylvania. Insurance. Risk. Premium. Scriba vs. North American Insurance Company.---In Chancery. Devise, Daw vs. Pitt.---Court of Vice Admiralty. Neutral Property. Case of the Sampson.-South Carolina. Sentence pronounced by Judge Wilds in a case of murder.-Court of Oyer and Terminer, New-York. Bigamy. The People vs. Hoag alias Parker. A brief discourse showing the order and structure of a Libel or Declaration. Abstract of the Laws of Maryland. Law of Insolvent Debtors in Maryland, Manner of executing deeds in Maryland.---Biography. Life of Sir James Mackintosh.

No. II. Supreme Court of the United States. Insurance, Blockade, Foreign Sentences, Fitzimmons, vs. Newport Insurance Company, and Groudson vs. Leonard.--Insurance, Abandonment, Total and Partial Loss, Marshal vs. Delaware Insurance Company.-Circuit Court, U. S. Pennsylvania. Insurance, Par tial Loss, Abandonment, Murray and Mumford, vs. Insurance Company of Pennsylvania.-Opinion of Chief Justice Tilghman

on the law respecting surety for good behaviour and of the peace, Commonwealth vs. Wm. Duane.--Philadelphia County, Common Pleas, Day vs. Jarvis.—Quarter Sessions, Commonwealth vs.Naglee.Georgia Superior Court, Embargo, Injunction, Grimball's case.---Court of King's Bench, Devise, Perrin vs. Blake.--Baltimore County Court. Bankrupt, Deed, McMechin's lessee vs. Grundy.--District Court of Maryland. Judge Winchester's opinion on the construction of Maritime Contracts.-Court of Vice Admiralty. Decision of Sir James Mackintosh, how far ORDERS IN COUNCIL are binding on those Courts.— High Court of Admiralty. Decision by Sir Wm. Scott, as to a continuity of voyage.---Opinion of the Twelve Judges of England on a point in the law of evidence.--Circuit Court, U. S. Pennsylvania District. Obstruction of Process.---Court of General Sessions, New-York. Dr. Little's Case.-Biography. Lord Keeper Coventry.

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No. III. Supreme Court, U. S. Forfeiture. Wreck. Collection of Duties. Salvage. Peisch vs. Ware.--United States vs. Cargo. Circuit Court. U. S. Maryland District. Exoneretur on Bail Piece. Bankrupt, Wilkinson's case.--Circuit Court, Georgia. Jurisdiction. Bank United States vs. Deveaux.--High Court of Frrors and Appeals, Pennsylvania.-Letters of Marque. Capture. Admiralty. Jurisdiction. Appeal. Talbot vs. Commanders of brigs Achilles, &c.-Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Debt on recognizance for good behaviour, Cobbett's case.---Court of Oyer and Terminer, Baltimore. Baptist Irvine's case.---In Chancery. Scott vs. Scott.--Court of King's Bench. Notice, Anderson vs. Royal Ex. Assurance Company. Libel, Carr vs. Wood.-French Court of Prizes. Case of the Horizon.---Attachment law of South Carolina.--Court of Common Pleas, Charleston, S. C. Attachments, Callahan vs. Hallowell. Lenox vs. Same.--Laws of Maryland relative to Bonds, Insurance, Neutral Trade. Opinion by William Pinkney, Esq. on the right of a wife to part of the personal estate of her deceased husband. Observations on the law of Treason in the United States. Review of Tyng's Reports, and the Honest Politician. The Adversaria.

No. IV. Supreme Court of the United States. Insurance, Abandonment. D. Alexander vs. Baltimore Insurance Company.--Attachment law of New-York, and of North Carolina.-Historical Examination of the Civil Jurisdiction of Courts of Admiralty. Limitation of actions in Maryland.---Circuit Court of the United States, South Carolina. Mandamus. Instructions from the Secretary of the Treasury. Collectors. Gilchrist et al. vs. The Collector--The case of the Honorable John Smith, expelled from the Senate of the United States, with Mr. Harper's defence.-New-York, Libel. Van Vechten vs. Hopkins.-District Court, Pennsylvania, Embargo. Case of Hopkins et al.--Rules of the

Circuit Court, U. S. Maryland.-Baltimore County Court. Bill of Exchange. Acceptance. M'Kim vs. Smith et al.---Translations from the Civil Law; on the responsibility of mariners, innkeepers and stable keepers.-American State Papers. Review. Literary Intelligence.

No. V. American State Papers. Report of the Judges of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania of the English statutes, which are in force in that State, and of those which might be introduced.--District Court, United States, Virginia. Construction of an act of Congress.---Pennsylvania. Habeas Corpus, Dumas's case.-Court of Common Pleas. Turnpike Company, Trespass.--Georgia Superior Court. Construction of an act of the Legislature.---Habeas Corpus.-Massachusetts Common Pleas. Gilbert and Dean vs. the Nantucket Bank.-Decision by the Court of Cassation in France.---English Court of Chancery. Church endowments.---Court of King's Bench. False Return. North vs. Niles et al. Baron Smith's Charge in a Duel case.---Vice Admiralty Court of Antigua, Case of the schooner Derne.-Halifax. Rights and Powers of Captors and Prize Agents.--Principles in the Laws of Nations.--Character of an Honest Lawyer.--Review of Day's Reports.

No. VI, Baltimore County Court. Replevin, Haskins vs. Latour.---Insolvent: Stewart's case-Insurance: Carrere vs. The Union Insurance Company.--Circuit Court, U. S. Pennsylvania District. Insurance. Embargo. Odlin vs. The Insurance Company of Pennsylvania.--Dauphin Common Pleas. Turnpike Stock. -South Carolina. Damages on protested Bills of Exchange.-, District Court of Pennsylvania. Contributions from Seaman's wages for negligence in discharging a vessel.---Insolvent laws of Pennsylvania.---Civil law, on the responsibility of Mariners, Inn and Stable keepers.

No. VII. District court of Massachusetts. Constitutionality of the embargo laws. U. S. vs. brig William--Mariners wages. Natterstrom vs. the ship Hazard.----The Batture case at NewOrleans, with the opinions of M. Derbigny, Messrs. Du Ponceau, Rawle, Tilghman, Lewis and Ingersoll.

No. VIII. Translations from the Consolato del Mare.--The Batture case, continued.--New-York District court. Decisions under the embargo acts.--Manner of proving deeds in New York. --Civil law. Responsibility of ship owners for the acts of the master.---Review of the French civil code.--Biography of Lord Chancellor Eldon, (Sir John Scott.)

No. IX. Translations from the Consolato del Mare-from the civil law, the Rhodian law concerning Jettison--Supreme court of Appeals of Virginia. Judge Roane's decision on the law of anti and post nati in that state, Lessee of Reed vs. Reed.---The Attachment law of Maryland.-Bills of Exeharge in New-Or

leans. Judicial Establishment in New-Orleans.---The manner of authenticating foreign deeds, records, &c. in order to entitle them to be admitted in evidence in Virginia. An act for regulating conveyances in that state. Of the Registry of lands in Virginia.--Review of the French civil code, continued.--Review of Hillhouse's Amendment of the constitution of the United States-Characters of Lord Ch. J. Hales, Lord Ch. J. Scroggs, Sergeant Maynard, Thomas Syderfin and M. de Lolme.

No. X. Pennsylvania Common Pleas. Jurisdiction of Justices. --North Carolina, Superior court. Freight. Responsibility of owners. Flury vs. Nalts.---New-York District court. Marshal. Jurors. Construction of an act of Congress.--Maryland District court. Indictment for stopping the Mail, Barney's case. ---Case of the deserters from the British frigate, l'Africane, Judge Scott's decision.---British court of sessions. Seamen's wages.Middlesex Common Pleas. Sinclair vs. Louis Stanislaus Xavier, king of France and his brother Monsieur.--Virginia Legislature. Report of a committee on a proposed amendment of the consti tution of the United States-Pennsylvania, Mr. Hopkins's opinion on the operation of an act of the Legislature concerning Banking Institutions.--Translations from the civil law respecting Bottomry and Hypothecation--and from the French ordinance on the same subject. Pennslyvania. An act for taxing dogs. An act concerning arbitrations. District court of Pennsylvania. Duties. Forfeiture. Construction of an act of Congress. U. S. vs. Cave.--Circuit court U. S. Penns. Dist. Patent Right Oliver Evans, vs. Weiss.--New-York. Libel on Gen. Hamilton. -Judge Winchester's opinion on the operation of an act of Congress.---Opinion by A. Macdonald on a question of Alienage.-Court of King's Bench. Charge in a duel case.---Review of Ölmstead's case in Pennsylvania.---Characters of Lord Ch. J. Jeffries, Sir Edmund Saunders, Sir Leoline Jenkins, and Sidney Godolphin.

XI. and XII, Contain a treatise on the law of war; translated from the Latin of Bynkershoek, by Peter Stephen Du Ponceau, Esq. Counsellor at Law in the Supreme Court of the United States. Ne fortior omnia possit―OVID.

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