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ON THE

LAWS OF ENGLAND:

IN FOUR BOOKS;

WITH

AN ANALYSIS OF THE WORK.

BY

SIR WILLIAM BLACKSTONE, KNT.

ONE OF THE JUSTICES OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.

IN TWO VOLUMES,

FROM THE NINETEENTH LONDON EDITION.

WITH A

LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. AND NOTES:

BY

CHRISTIAN, CHITTY, LEE, HOVENDEN, AND RYLAND:

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K

.B57
1851

302035

Entered according to the Act of Congress in the year 1832, by
WILLIAM E. DEAN,

In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of New-York.

STEREOTYPED BY SMITII & WRIGHT,
216 m. St.

N. Y.

GIFT

PREFACE

BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR.

THE COMMENTARIES OF BLACKSTONE continue to be the text book of the student and of the man of general reading, notwithstanding the alterations in the law since the time of their author. The great principles which they unfold remain the same, and are explained in so simple and clear a style, that, however much the details of the law may be changed, they will always be read with interest. It is no small commendation of Blackstone, that many of the modern improvements adopted in England and in the United States were suggested by him: and that the arrangement which he used in treating the different subjects, has been followed in a great degree by the Revisers of the Statutes of New-York.

This edition shows the late alterations of the law in England, as furnished by the notes of Lee, Hovenden, and Ryland, in the last London edition. Notes have also been added, briefly explaining the difference between the law of England and of New-York. Those not engaged in the practice of law find it difficult, while reading the Commentaries, to make this distinction: this difficulty, it is hoped, is now in some degree removed. It was deemed incon sistent with the original object of the work to introduce any other than brief notes. The American notes are therefore generally short, leaving those who wish an extended knowledge of the subject, to the statutes and authorities. But as the English statutes or authorities may not be accessible to the general reader, the English notes are generally retained without any abbreviation. This is done, because it is considered that the readers of Blackstone generally wish to know, not only what the law of England was, but also what it is.

In the abbreviations and in these volumes, R. S. refers to the Revised Statutes of New-York, of 1830; U. S. is used for an abbreviation of the United States; N. Y. for New-York.

New-York April 8, 1832.

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