Westminster Hall: Its History and the Characteristics of the System of Law developed and perfected therein; Our Law in its New Home-America: Its Expansion, Our Law in its New Home America: Its Expansion, Our Law in its New Home-America: Its Expansion, Development, and Characteristics in the Political and Judicial Systems of the United States, and herein of Our Law: Its Uncertainty and Enormous Bulk. - Sugges- tions as to the Scope and True Methods of Amending Our Law. — The Vast Size and Rapid Accumulation of Case-law considered specially with Reference to the Practicability of Limiting its Growth by Legislative Action restricting the Publication of the Reports of Adjudged Cases. Remedies Proposed by Lord Bacon and Lord Westbury for the Overgrown Bulk of our Stat- ute and Case-law. The Doctrine of Judicial Precedent and its Effects.-Judgment of the American Bar Asso- ciation concerning the Publication of the Law Reports 264-292 Our Law: Blackstone and Bentham as Types and Expo- nents of the Conservative and the Radical Forces, to whose Free Play it owes its Progress, as well as its Distinctive Form and Character. The Literary, Insti- tutional, and Historical Value of Blackstone's Commen- Our Law: Blackstone and Bentham as Types and Expo- nents of its Conservative and Radical Forces, to whose Free Play it owes its Progress, as well as its Distinctive Form and Character. Bentham's Place in our Legal History. Character and Influence of his Writings Our Law: A Century's Progress and Development. - Im- portant Contributions to our Laws made by the United States. Specific Changes in the Laws of both Coun- tries upon Subjects of Great and Permanent Interest. 348-389 YALE LECTURES ON ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LAWS LECTURE I. OUR LAW IN ITS OLD HOME. JURISPRUDENCE. -LAW MORE MANDS. DEFINITION OF LAW AND - ETHICAL NATURE AND FOUNDATION OF LAW.RESPECTIVE FIELDS OF LAW AND MORALITY. - GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENGLISH SYSTEM OF LAW.. MAINLY THE WORK OF THE LAWYERS AND JUDGES OF ENGLAND. A I. FEW months since, I received from the author- Lecture ities of Yale University a letter stating that its Law School had a WILLIAM L. STORRS LECTURESHIP, which provided for the appointment each year of a different professor to give a course of about twelve lectures on legal topics, and asking me to occupy the place for the current college year, 1891-1892. My appreciation of this honor was such as to tempt me, in spite of my many engagements, to accept the appointment. The subject matter of the lectures being left to Introduc my judgment, I have been not a little embarrassed tion. I. Lecture in determining the character and scope of this brief course. The object of lectures upon the law may be twofold: First, with the primary view to impart instruction; second, not primarily for the purpose of instruction, but rather to awaken and stimulate a real interest, -to set, if happily it may be, the hearer thinking, and to inspire enthusiasm in the study of the law, to the end that the hearer may be incited afterwards to pursue the subject on his own motion, and for the very love of it, by personal recourse to the appropriate and authentic sources of knowledge. Were I to select some single topic with a view to expository, technical treatment, I should run the risk of repeating more or less what has been already taught, and taught by lecturers who by constant use keep their equipment bright; whereas mine has so long hung idle upon the wall that it has become rusty, and its use unfamiliar. On the whole, I have determined, wisely or otherwise, to pursue the latter plan, thinking that in the long run some observations on subjects which lie beyond the marches of the ordinary legal curriculum, yet relating to matters of living and vital interest to the student of our laws, might be quite as fruitful in results as technical and didactic lectures. Course of lectures The course proposed may be thus outlined: A consideration of Our Law in its Old Home, its outlined. definition, and distinctive character; the education and discipline of the English bar, and herein of the Inns of Court, their history, character, and purposes; of Westminster Hall and the characteristic qualities of the English system of law which is in |