Difference between revisions of "Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia (1803)"

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Collection of All Such Acts, 1803:
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''A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia'' was published in 1803 and authorized by a 1792 act of the General Assembly.<ref>''A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, of a Public and Permanent Nature, as are Now in Force: to Which are Prefixed the Declaration of Rights, and Constitution, or Form of Government'' (Richmond: Samuel Pleasants, Jr. & Henry Pace, 1803) i.</ref> The ''Collection'' starts with a few of Virginia’s historical milestones, including the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Virginia Constitution, and a 1748 act confirming grants made by the King.<ref>Ibid., 1-10.</ref> The laws reflect the need for set standards in the Commonwealth and include acts creating property rights for authors of literary works, defining the law regarding shipwrecks, and establishing a Virginia Statute of Frauds.<ref>Ibid., 14-15.</ref><br />
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''A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia'' was published in 1803 and authorized by a 1792 act of the General Assembly.<ref>''A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, of a Public and Permanent Nature, as are Now in Force: to Which are Prefixed the Declaration of Rights, and Constitution, or Form of Government'' (Richmond: Samuel Pleasants, Jr. & Henry Pace, 1803) i.</ref> The ''Collection'' builds upon the 1794 edition, a work that had become “extremely scarce” and, although it costed eight dollars when it was published, had become “almost impossible to obtain . . . at any price whatever.”<ref>Ibid.</ref> Aside from being rare, the 1794 edition had also become obsolete; many of the laws contained within it had been revised and repealed.<ref>Ibid.</ref> This meant that the practicing lawyer needed to have the yearly-published folios containing the amendments to the 1794 edition in order to know the law.<ref>Ibid.</ref> It was partially in the interest of preventing practitioners from having to carry a “portmanteau large enough to contain such masses of print and paper.”<ref>Ibid. ii-iii</ref> In order to prevent the scarcity that occurred for the 1794 edition, the legislature passed an act that ensured the printing of enough copies.<ref>Ibid. 430.</ref><br />
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The laws also reflect the increasing importance of commerce in the Commonwealth. An important 1786 Act ratified an agreement made between Maryland and Virginia concerning commerce on the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River.<ref>Ibid., 23-26.</ref> Other laws dealt with circulation of private bank notes, creation of roads, regulation of food, conveyance of land to the United States for the purpose of building a light house, and navigation of the James River.<ref>Ibid., 16, 26, 30-31, 44, 54.</ref><br />
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The 1803 edition contains seven additional years of cases and covers the period from 1782-1802. The laws passed in these years, however, number 126 and comprise about 2/5 of the volume.<ref>Ibid. ii</ref> Important for George Wythe, the ''Collection'' contains laws setting the salary of the Judge of the High Court of Chancery at $1,556.67.<ref>Ibid. 353.</ref> In 1802, this amount was reduced to $1,500 when the legislature dissolved the High Court of Chancery and created the Superior Courts of Chancery.<ref>Ibid. 428-429.</ref> In addition, the ''Collection'' includes acts for regulating the militia, inspecting food, inspecting tobacco, and establishing public schools.<ref>Ibid. 331, 352, 365, 354.</ref><br />
 
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After independence, Virginia became increasingly concerned with the competency and virtue of its public officers and the ''Collection'' contains numerous laws about public officials. One law, in particular dealt with the practice of bribery and the sale of public office.<ref>Ibid., 56-57.</ref> In particular, the General Assembly directed its focus on reforming and standardizing the court system: the ''Collection'' contains rules on the general, district, and county courts.<ref>Ibid., 69, 72, 83.</ref> Importantly for George Wythe, a 1792 law concerned the High Court of Chancery and, in addition to providing the boundaries of its jurisdiction and procedure, required that the Court “shall consist of one Judge, to be chosen and commissioned in the manner as directed by the Constitution of this Commonwealth.”<ref>Ibid., 63-69.</ref> One 1792 act provided guidelines for counsel and attorneys at law.<ref>Ibid., 96.</ref> These laws may have their origin in Thomas Jefferson’s concern, reflected in earlier laws passed in 1776-1779, that “swarms of petty lawyers would corrupt the grand designs for republican law that he had in mind for Virginia.”<ref>A.G. Roeber, ''Faithful Magistrates and Republican Lawyers'', (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1981) 167.</ref><br />
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The ''Collection'' also deals with slavery and freed slaves. One act required a yearly tax to be paid on slaves of 44 cents for every hundred dollars in value.<ref>Ibid. 395.</ref> Another act outlined proceedings for persons believed to be illegally detained in slavery.<ref>Ibid 346.</ref><br />
 
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The ''Collection'' also deals with slavery and freed slaves. One act required a yearly tax to be paid on slaves of 44 cents for every hundred dollars in value.<ref>''A Collection of All Such Acts'', 395.</ref> Another act banned the importation of slaves from West Africa and the importation of freed slaves from neighboring states.<ref>Ibid., 315-16.</ref> The same act required triennial registration of all freed slaves.<ref>Ibid.</ref> Freed men and women were required to carry a certificate confirming registration status at all times and needed the document in order to gain employment.<ref>Ibid</ref><br />
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Overall, the laws contained in the ''Collection'' reveal the increasing importance of the legislative body. The significant problems posed by the scarcity of the older volume demonstrate the pressing need for accurate and up to date editions in the early Commonwealth.  
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Overall, the laws contained in the ''Collection'' reveal the concerns of lawmakers in the early years of independence and reflect the desire to regulate government, society, and commerce.  
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==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
 
==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==

Revision as of 14:58, 13 November 2014

A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, of a Public and Permanent Nature, as are Now in Force: to Which are Prefixed the Declaration of Rights, and Constitution, or Form of Government

Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia (1803)

[[File:|center|border|300px]] Title page from A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, of a Public and Permanent Nature, George Wythe Collection, Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary.

Author {{{author}}}
Editor {{{editor}}}
Translator {{{trans}}}
Published Richmond: Printed by S. Pleasants, Jun. and H. Pace
Date 1803
Edition {{{edition}}}
Language English
Volumes {{{set}}} volume set
Pages v, 454, 72
Desc. 4to. (26 cm.)
Location [[Shelf {{{shelf}}}]]
  [[Shelf {{{shelf2}}}]]


Collection of All Such Acts, 1803: A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia was published in 1803 and authorized by a 1792 act of the General Assembly.[1] The Collection builds upon the 1794 edition, a work that had become “extremely scarce” and, although it costed eight dollars when it was published, had become “almost impossible to obtain . . . at any price whatever.”[2] Aside from being rare, the 1794 edition had also become obsolete; many of the laws contained within it had been revised and repealed.[3] This meant that the practicing lawyer needed to have the yearly-published folios containing the amendments to the 1794 edition in order to know the law.[4] It was partially in the interest of preventing practitioners from having to carry a “portmanteau large enough to contain such masses of print and paper.”[5] In order to prevent the scarcity that occurred for the 1794 edition, the legislature passed an act that ensured the printing of enough copies.[6]

The 1803 edition contains seven additional years of cases and covers the period from 1782-1802. The laws passed in these years, however, number 126 and comprise about 2/5 of the volume.[7] Important for George Wythe, the Collection contains laws setting the salary of the Judge of the High Court of Chancery at $1,556.67.[8] In 1802, this amount was reduced to $1,500 when the legislature dissolved the High Court of Chancery and created the Superior Courts of Chancery.[9] In addition, the Collection includes acts for regulating the militia, inspecting food, inspecting tobacco, and establishing public schools.[10]

The Collection also deals with slavery and freed slaves. One act required a yearly tax to be paid on slaves of 44 cents for every hundred dollars in value.[11] Another act outlined proceedings for persons believed to be illegally detained in slavery.[12]

Overall, the laws contained in the Collection reveal the increasing importance of the legislative body. The significant problems posed by the scarcity of the older volume demonstrate the pressing need for accurate and up to date editions in the early Commonwealth.


Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library

Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy

View this book in William & Mary's online catalog.

References

  1. ↑ A Collection of All Such Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, of a Public and Permanent Nature, as are Now in Force: to Which are Prefixed the Declaration of Rights, and Constitution, or Form of Government (Richmond: Samuel Pleasants, Jr. & Henry Pace, 1803) i.
  2. ↑ Ibid.
  3. ↑ Ibid.
  4. ↑ Ibid.
  5. ↑ Ibid. ii-iii
  6. ↑ Ibid. 430.
  7. ↑ Ibid. ii
  8. ↑ Ibid. 353.
  9. ↑ Ibid. 428-429.
  10. ↑ Ibid. 331, 352, 365, 354.
  11. ↑ Ibid. 395.
  12. ↑ Ibid 346.
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