Itisinthecensoriallinethatthereisthegreatestroomfordisquisitionsthatapplytothecircumstancesofallnationsalike:andinthislinewhatregardsthesubstanceofthelawsinquestionisassusceptibleofanuniversalapplication,aswhatregardsthewords。Thatthelawsofallnations,orevenofanytwonations,shouldcoincideinallpoints,wouldbeasineligibleasitisimpossible:someleadingpoints,however,thereseemtobe,inrespectofwhichthelawsofallcivilizednationsmight,withoutinconvenience,bethesame。Tomarkoutsomeofthesepointswill,asfarasitgoes,bethebusinessofthebodyofthiswork。
XXV。Inthesecondplace,withregardtothepoliticalqualityofthepersonswhoseconductistheobjectofthelaw。Thesemay,onanygivenoccasion,beconsideredeitherasmembersofthesamestate,orasmembersofdifferentstates:inthefirstease,thelawmaybereferredtotheheadofinternal,inthesecondcase,tothatofinternationaljurisprudence。
Nowastoanytransactionswhichmaytakeplacebetweenindividualswhoaresubjectsofdifferentstates,theseareregulatedbytheinternallaws,anddecideduponbytheinternaltribunals,oftheoneortheotherofthosestates:thecaseisthesamewherethesovereignoftheonehasanyimmediatetransactionswithaprivatememberoftheother:thesovereignreducinghimself,prorenatâ;,totheconditionofaprivateperson,asoftenashesubmitshiscausetoeithertribunal;whetherbyclaimingabenefit,ordefendinghimselfagainstaburthen。Thereremainthenthemutualtransactionsbetweensovereigns,assuch,forthesubjectofthatbranchofjurisprudencewhichmaybeproperlyandexclusivelytermedinternational。
Withwhatdegreeofproprietyrulesfortheconductofpersonsofthisdescriptioncancomeundertheappellationoflaws,isaquestionthatmustresttillthenatureofthethingcalledalawshallhavebeenmoreparticularlyunfolded。
Itisevidentenough,thatinternationaljurisprudencemay,aswellasinternal,becensorialaswellasexpository,unauthoritativeaswellasauthoritative。
XXVI。Internaljurisprudence,again,mayeitherconcernallthemembersofastateindiscriminately,orsuchofthemonlyasareconnectedinthewayofresidence,orotherwise,withaparticulardistrict。Jurisprudenceisaccordinglysometimesdistinguishedintonationalandprovincial。Butastheepithetprovincialishardlyapplicabletodistrictssosmallasmanyofthosewhichhavelawsoftheirownarewonttobe,suchastowns,parishes,andmanors;thetermlocalwhereuniversaljurisprudenceisplainlyoutofthequestionorthetermparticular,thoughthislatterisnotverycharacteristic,mighteitherofthembemorecommodious。
XXVII。Thirdly,withrespecttotime。Inaworkoftheexpositorykind,thelawsthatareinquestionmayeitherbesuchasarestillinforceatthetimewhenthebookiswriting,orsuchashaveceasedtobeinforce。Inthelattercasethesubjectofitmightbetermedancient;intheformer,presentorlivingjurisprudence:
thatis,ifthesubstantivejurisprudence,andnoother,mustatanyratebeemployed,andthatwithanepithetinbothcases。Butthetruthis,thatabookoftheformerkindisratherabookofhistorythanabookofjurisprudence;and,ifthewordjurisprudencebeexpressiveofthesubject,itisonlywithsomesuchwordsashistoryorantiquitiesprefixed。Andasthelawswhichareanywhereinquestionaresupposed,ifnothingappearstothecontrary,tobethosewhichareinforce,nosuchepithetasthatofpresentorlivingcommonlyappears。
Whereabookissocircumstanced,thatthelawswhichformthesubjectofit,thoughinforceatthetimeofitsbeingwritten,areinforcenolonger,thatbookisneitherabookoflivingjurisprudence,norabookonthehistoryofjurisprudence:itisnolongertheformer,anditneverwasthelatter。Itisevidentthat,owingtothechangeswhichfromtimetotimemusttakeplace,inagreaterorlessdegree,ineverybodyoflaws,everybookofjurisprudence,whichisofanexpositorynature,mustinthecourseofafewyears,cometopartakemoreorlessofthiscondition。
Themostcommonandmostusefulobjectofahistoryofjurisprudence,istoexhibitthecircumstancesthathaveattendedtheestablishmentoflawsactuallyinforce。Buttheexpositionofthedeadlawswhichhavebeensuperseded,isinseparablyinterwovenwiththatofthelivingoneswhichhavesupersededthem。
Thegreatuseofboththesebranchesofscience,istofurnishexamplesfortheartoflegislation。
XXVIII。Fourthly,inpointofexpression,thelawsinquestionmaysubsisteitherintheformofstatuteorinthatofcustomarylaw。
Astothedifferencebetweenthesetwobrancheswhichrespectsonlythearticleofformorexpressionitcannotproperlybemadeappeartillsomeprogresshasbeenmadeinthedefinitionofalaw。
XXIX。Lastly,Themostintricatedistinctionofall,andthatwhichcomesmostfrequentlyonthecarpet,isthatwhichismadebetweenthecivilbranchofjurisprudenceandthepenal,whichlatteriswont,incertaincircumstances,toreceivethenameofcriminal。
Whatisapenalcodeoflaws?Whatacivilcode?Ofwhatnaturearetheircontents?Isitthattherearetwosortsoflaws,theonepenaltheothercivil,sothatthelawsinapenalcodeareallpenallaws,whilethelawsinacivilcodeareallcivillaws?Orisit,thatineverylawthereissomematterwhichisofapenalnature,andwhichthereforebelongstothepenalcode;andatthesametimeothermatterwhichisofacivilnature,andwhichthereforebelongstothecivilcode?Orisit,thatsomelawsbelongtoonecodeortheotherexclusively,whileothersaredividedbetweenthetwo?Toanswerthesequestionsinanymannerthatshallbetolerablysatisfactory,itwillbenecessarytoascertainwhatalawis;meaningoneentirebutsinglelaw:andwhatarethepartsintowhichalaw,assuch,iscapableofbeingdistinguished:
or,inotherwords,toascertainwhatthepropertiesarethataretobefoundineveryobjectwhichcanwithproprietyreceivetheappellationofalaw。Thisthenwillbethebusinessofthethirdandfourthsections:whatconcernstheimportofthewordcriminal,asappliedtolaw,willbediscussedseparatelyinthefifth。