Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-09-01
"A Law sGEsesbE.

4
asHds Aerstofors been Graoancel ia short notice IN
seeerd! % shs nsnspapsrs, ,riU be opened in Fred
| sr,eks0urg, on Monday, The 3lst Of October nert
lhs session soiH terminate OF, The 23d of March
! VIZ experience OF several years, as Law
! IL Professor in he University of Viroinia.
! has saewn the decided ADVANTAGES Of jns,rncti,o
by tsaf 6oofs, 'rnt esdminatios and srp Lannti,:s
! ana that lectures, orally delivered, are n mos
| itleHcc'uAl anu unsatisfactory mode of instruc-
ton, IN science so extensive and go sbstruse
as the Law. The Lecturer is compelled 70
measure his exercises, not bv the sze and d..
mands of lis subject, but by what he NAV phy
sicdEy he able to say within the reasonable re
Rod Of Lecture According to the l.:ss
which will be fonnd In tiG address 10 The reader
| pr"hXed to Mr.. Prestons valuable Lectures Oh
abstracts, the employment OF an hour in Lectur
| ing would be commensurate with the contents
OF about SIX octave pages and third, printed in
ordinary type. Upon this Computation, three
hundred featuring day, at an hour each dav.
would supply class with volume of annual in
structIon, not exceeding the compass Of Black
stones Commentaries. The increased labuur,
OF the professor, and the diminished products OF
oil MS toils, are not the least of the incunveni
onces of this method of instruction.
| 1t is impossible that the apprehension of 8
student, however gifted IN intellect can distinct
| ~ gather from the lips ofthc cearest s. most In,
prcsslve lecturer, those absruse PRINCIPLES which
are found SO difficult 10 be understood even
wheii submitted, IN the pcrspicuous trcatacs of
| the pest Law writers, 10 the mast Intense cor.
sidcration of the student in his cInse, In nab
ing allowance for this inirmity ofthe student tho
lecturer Is compelled to seize only upon the most
oroad ana prominent principles 0fti.e Law such
as cnn most easily and readily be apprehenaed as
they hit upon the ear. The consequence is, tina,
the principles OF science the most extensive
ditlcult and profound, are epitomiscd into a
mere summary, imperfect and supcrficial-
L hese considerations should induce a Professor
OF Law to rely as little as possible upon a.
lectures, and only to resort TO them l,Ien he
Iaciles OF written instruction arc-.:0t TO bn had
Inc aim OF the school, uccr presented for pnb
lie patronage, WI! be principally to fac,ITtate
the acquisition OF a knowledge Of forensck Law
Nc ptectlsedln America, and principally in Vir
gihia- w thin the short period to WHICH this
course OF instruction is confined, it will not be
pretended to form complete Lawyer Ii is II
| most pernicious ds!usion to encourage a student
TO oeiieve,that he can be comnccnty qualified for
admission to the bar by less than three wears ap
plIca'lon to the study ofihe law; and, with this
preparation, his studies must be unremttinriy
prosecuted, after he is admitted, if he would
| faithfully discharge the duties of his station.
But the course here proposed viii not be too
| snort, 10 enable the student, with proper dill
| gence, to acquire valuable fund of inforIna-
ton upon the subjects of our own Jurisprudence
and to supply himself with facilities for making
father advances. The most important doctrines
OF the English Courts, modified and lus;ra-
TED by the statutes and decisions OF Virginia
with references to cases ofthc other States viii
be brought tn his notice the course Of his ex-
ercises. For sOme years past my abours ma We
been employed when not Interrupted by other
duties, IN collecting and arranging references TO
American cases, especially those ofVrgiDia, pre-
paratory to the publication (f sufficiently encou-
raged,) Of editions Of English Law Books. adam
ted TO OF own Jurisprudence, or a series of trea-
ties upon some OF the most important branch
es OF our Law. These preparations are still
incomplete, but are continued with undated
yea and industry. 1t is hoped that some of the
fruits OF these abours will be readyto be put into
the hands % the students, at the session ensuing
| the next.
| For the present, the Texts Books which will
be employed, and which students will be re-
CURED to provide themselves with. will be Black
| stones Commentaries, (Chtty's edition will he
preferred and IS The chea pGst,) Cruises Digest
| tthe New York edition of 827, the bcs, y Tuck
/ rr's Commentaries, and Kents Commentaries
! The exercises will be daily, during the session
Each day, portions Of the English text books
| with opposite parts OF the American COmmen,a-
| ries will be marked out fer the exercises of The
students on the ensuing day; when they will be
rigidly examined upon the matter which has
been thus assigned for their studIes-and in the
course Of the examination, such additional REL
| erences, AID explanations will he supplied, as
will best illustrate the subject in hand
| 1t is believed, that the term will not be too
short, TO review all the subjects, in Blackstone
nnd Cruise, that may be applicable TO our own
Country, with the corresponding Commentaries
! OF Tucker and Kent-provIded the assiduI,y of
the student shall correspond in any degree with
| the zeal Of the Professor. The exercises. with
VIII Oh The students will be iaskod, will no, much
exceed the exercises, which in anoiher situation.
| was in the habit of appointing for tie class,
when the attention RI many Gifts members was
! wont to be dylAed between the Law a,el orc
or more studies besides.-The price Of inffruc-
ton will be $50 the session. to be paid in cash
before the student can be admitted 10 the school
Accommodations may be md in very geniccl.
private boarding houses, as well ps AT the Ia
yerns, upon very reasonable tcrms-say froa1
81 to St2 80 per month, exclusive ONLY of fiicj
and washing-whch may be procured for We
ry moderate price. The whole cx9Cnce Of l:v
ing. the most comfortable shat could be expect.
ed or asked will probably be less than SIS the
session. No situation could be moro 9avorab.y
recommended for a Law School, by the con-
sidcrations ofsalubrity, and society than Fred
ericksburg. Persons desl5ous OF becoming stu
dents will be pleased to apprise me ~ earT as
convenient of their intention. Letters may be
directed 10 Fredcrcksburn--po postage PAID.
JOHN TAYLOE LCMAx.
August 2, 1881. c In
The National Intelligence L. s. Telegraph Rich
mond Enquirer and Wing, will phrase insert the above
week for mon,h-and forward their accounts
70 ,lils ol1ce for payment
NOTICE.
A LII persons hnvlUg claims against the Ec-
fuf, - Int,v, 1,t,. ,EfFb o-fs, C,1I