The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-03-08
A sTATEMENT.

u Ahsse BOOKS IN existence The baTs at pre-
ent' numbers more than TIVE thousand. and q
eoent Investigation shsWs less than twenty
i've complete sets Of the Reports in the entire
State.
The demand occasioned by this desidsratum
became SO universal and urgent. that some
prominent members ofthe profession recently /
induced Hon. VIM 2, Cooper to consent to /
sdIt republication Of the Reports, which, /
prior to 1851, are cut Of print. After. issuing
nine volumes OF the reprint. the publishers /
incurred loss which forced t6em to stor.
1t Is now proposed TO present the matter to
the eall-sessiOn of the Legislature. and en- |
deaVor to pass q bill with these leading fea-
lures:
lst- To have the State take sufficient nun
Der OF Reports to furnish each Court eompIste
set giving them to the clerk placing them
upon the exact footing Ofths records, and re-
curing the Clerk to give q separate bond in
double their value. conditioned for safe keep
ing and preservation from less. injury, &c.
I'd To take also enough to exchange for three
complete sets Of State. Federal and English
Reports, for libraries at jackson, Nashville
and Knoxville.
Should the State do this. the publishers viii
continue and complete the republication in
the same manner and style down to 1851, in
elusive. and will sell the books at three dol
lars per volume.
The two volumes of Heiskel's Reports al
ready issued, with less than the average
amount Of printed matter in the Reports from
LIST OVertOn to LIST CoIdWeII, inclusive, cost the
State over six dollars per volume, exclusive of
editorial work.
In material. typography. finish, ETC., the
Cooper edition" is much superior to the
Heisksll books and is offered at less than one
half the price.
In the future volumes, which will. in every
respect, surpass those already published. the
editor will re-Writs tbs hsad-notes TO each
opinion, and make
LIST. A new and complete synopsis of the
decision.
I'd. Cite the dicta. if any, under sspsrats
heading.
Sd. Place, also. under separate heading.
the author tiles cited.
In fOOt-nots to each opinion. he will m
dertske to cite .-... .H -.
LIST. Each case in which the one in hand
has been cited by name. -
I'd. Each case in which the principle de-
cided has been passed upon by the Court.
with its notifications and changes, and If
oVerrulsd. when and where.
Thereby making each opinion q complete
digest Of the principle therein decided.
New and thorough indexes will be made,
which. combined with other improvements
contemplated, will make the Reports the most
valuable published, and establish the juris-
prudence Of Tennessee upon permanent
basis. ~
The singular and wonderful fitness Of Judge
Cooper for this undertaking needs no con-
mendation to the profession. He offers his
editorial labOrs to the State gratis. And when
the large diseOunt on State warrants and the
cost of copyright are deducted from the low
price at which the books are offered, it is Oh
vious the publishers have left themselves an
insufficient margin for full compensation in
the enterprise.
As the books win Only be paid for when de-
livered, and the republication exte ndsd
through period Of several years, the COS t
will be Insignificant and imperseptible.
The Decisions Of the Supreme Court are im>
portan as the Statues; they are the law in
its last analysis. And the early Decision en-.
body the pith Of the law and practice In
consequence ofinability to get the Decisions.
the profession. as = rule. are more familiar
with those Of other States (some with one,
Some another, as Is most practicable to OBJ.
tain them) than their own; and the jurispru-
dence of Tennessee is rapidly becoming q
mere mosaic. The attempt to eobbIs such
composite, chaotic material into an enduring
system ofjurisprudenee- ia q scandal to the
tate.
It is, perhaps mot disloyalto say that in Ten
nessee there is sufficient native ability to
maintain distinct system Of Jurisprudence
Independent ofthe adjudications of Massaehu-
sets. Pennsylvania. New York, etc., which,
printed in cheap FORM" are haWked and
huekstered as the proper source of all legal
| reasoning and analOgies. while our own Re-
ports, out of print. and objects daily Of specu
lation. and bought and sold at fabulous prie es.
The law requires each Court to be equipped
with records of the State Decisions; yet net a
Court in the State is supplied with a set of Re.
ports. The confusion, Inconvenience. delays
errors. needless litigation, ETC.. etc.. daily
arising from this cause. are fearful. Our
Judges, absent nine in the twelve months
from home, are compelled to'pay from stinted
salaries the cost of transporting their Hbrar lei
wherever they go, or guess at the law in at
tempting to decide it. It may. With safety. be
alleged that the State would, one year. in Iiti.
cations alone, save twice the cost Of repub,
fishing its Reports.
No sensible and truthful man can assert
that this is project for the benefit of lawyers
On the contrary. it addresses itself to inteIIi-
gence IN every caste. and is one which the hun
bIest citizen is as deeply concerned SIS the ia.
rist; for the Decisions Of the Supreme Court
| are public records and property of the State
| And the government that refuses to perpetu-
ate records is derelict and reckless indeed in
its administration. It would be unworthy the
great commonwealth of Tennessee to force her
citizens into Court. and have their rights OF
person and property interpreted and deter
- = -
sachusetts OF some PARKWAY State, most con-
venient to the Court and counsel trying the
cause, while those of Overton, CatrOn, Green,
Turlsy, Mckinney, and her other eminent
sons, exist.
The IMPERATIVE NECESSITY" for rspublica-
ton Of thsss records to the existence, and in
telligent administration Of one Of the co-erdi-
nate branches Of the State government has
been attested By hundreds Of the most trusted,
worthy. and distinguished citizens Of the
State. No paItry, dsmagoEic elamor Of econ
omy should be permitted to defeat measure
of such vital concern to the dignity. indepen-
dencs, and sovereignty Of Tennessee.
NoTE.-This measure was introduced about
the close of the last session Of the Legislature.
ThebiIl passed the Senate, and Wss transmitted
to the Houss.four days before theifnal adjourn
ment. On its third and last reading-the day
Of adjournment-there were thirty-tWO votes
for it and twenty-five against it. Many Of the
members having left for their homes, it failed
for want Of g constitutional majority.
Fr0m The Supreme Of Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, TENN, DC. ATE, $50.
Having carefully examined the volumes al
ready published OF the republication Of Ten
nessoe Reports, edited by william Z. Cooper
the undersigned, Judges Of the Supreme
Court, take pleasure in commencing the ex-
eeIIence and tkoroughness OF the editorial
matter, and the superior style in which the
books are printed. We shall accept them as
authority in the Courts, and cordially recon-
mend them to the profession.
A.O.P. NICHOLSON, c. J.,