The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-02-07
A Book for Rnslness Mon,

/ A Book for Business Mon,
Many years ago Sir Edward Sugder
wrote for an English law journal series
Letters to a'Man of Property" These
letters were written in an attractive and
popular style, ard embraced such lega
subjects as would be of the greatest inter
est and use to a country gentleman remote
from town, who had often to act, from
want of advice, on his own Judgment. The
journal in which they were published was
much sought after. both in England and
in this country. So we'll did they cover
the ground and so popular did they le-
come, that they were subsequently col
lected and published in book form. The
book met with az extensive circulation,
and after Sir Edward became Lord Saint
Leonard. was re- written and new edition
given to the public, called we think. Lord
Saint Leonard S Laws of Property" which
became still more popular with the legal
profession and with busin SIS men.
A few years later, Theophilus Parsons.
LII. D then in the zenith of his power as
a lawyer, published work on The Laws
of Business" modelled after Lord Saint
Leonard 8 book. That first edition became
quite as popular as the English work. and
many of the clearest. headed business men
of the country pronounced it book they
could not afford to be without. It's popu
larty was not, however. so remarkable,
when we consider that Judge Parsons is
so we'll known in our courts as to need no
introduction to lawyer. He was long
time on the bench as Chief Justice of his
native State, which position he resigned
to accept the chair of Dean Professor in
the Law School of Harvard University.
His former works were with the one
exception. written for lawyers exclusively.
But he has now prepared an edition of
The Laws Of Business" of broader and
more practical scope, of great use not only
to lawyers and justices, bat also to bankers
and business men. To the first edition,
published nearly twenty years ago, he had
given only such leisure as the duties of
law professor left him, and compiled it
mainly from the law books lie had already
made fer The profession. He determined
therefore to make at some future day
new edition of the work, which in course
of time he commenced. but became salts
fed it would not suffice. and that nothing
would cover all the ground the profession
and practical business community bad
right to expect but a new copyright, and
under it q new book.
This new book has happily been brought
to perfection. 1t is distinguished from
the old as John Bells standard edition of
The Laws of BusiEess," 10y Theophilus
Parsons. IL. D. 1t entirely supersedes
the edition modelled after Lord st. Leon
ards book, by Il OF only covering every i'm
aginable position in which a business man
can be placed. but also an entirely new set
of Statutory and Common Law Forms.
These forms are not in any sense to be
characterized with the old antiquated
copies usually found in the so called
Manuals ''Compendiums. i" Home Liz
braries,' and Every Man His Own Law
~ PNoiiOoeiObSf OuV OlC cuCu Co iidFC
stood the test of judicial criticism, have
been approved, and are therefore to be
trusted. The author well says: He must
be bold lawyer who would undertake to
prefer forms of his own make to those
which the courts and common use have
sanctioned.' A critical examination of
them satisfies the writer that they COM
prise the CITY complete and safe collec-
tion of the kind he has ever seen. But, as
above stated. this new Standard Edition"
is not designed as a mere Form Book"
but as work embracing all the principles
of that vast system of Commercial Law
and the Laws of Property which must
necessarily guide business men and prop
erty holders in their daily transactions
and every day relations, and magistrates
in their decisions. The hundreds of legal
questions it answers and explains are of
such diversity of application that one
must examine the prospectus to form a
correct idea of the many valuable features
Of the work. 1t covers all those legal
problems constantly arising in the jus
tees court. and in connection with real
and personal property and with negotiable
paper, and the transaction of every kind Of
business, and every principle discussed is
concisely drawn from the most recent de
cisions of the courts.
1t thus not only supersedes the edition
modelled after Lord ST. Leonard's book,
but is the only book of its kind so far
reaching in its scope and practical useful
ness as 10 deserve the endorsement of the
Chief Justice of the United States, and
Associate Justices of the Supreme Bench,
the Chief Judges Courts of Appeals. and