第13章
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  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。

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