112

Hon.

The Green Bag William P.

Potter, justice of the

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.'—— I am very much interested in the outline which you gave me of your proposed publica tion of a complete system or body of American Law. I know of no one who would be better able to outline and carry to a successful finish such a monumental work than your self, and the eminent gentlemen with whom you are associated.

At first blush, the task

you propose seemed to me discouraging in its proportions; but as I reflect upon it, the possibility of reducing the problem to the statement of fundamental principles, grows upon me. . . . I have the fullest faith in the capacity and untiring patience of yourself, Mr. Andrews and Dean Kirchwey. Any plan of procedure upon which you may de termine will be practicable and efiicient. Of that, I am sure. I wish you the fullest success in the great work which you have outlined.

Hon. Marcus P. Knowlton, Chief justice of M assachusetts:—

The importance of the successful comple tion of such a work as you propose is un questionable. Nothing that I could write could add to the weight of opinion contained in these letters.

Hon. D. B. Morgan, Chief justice of the Supreme Court of North Dakota: I think your plan feasible and I have no doubt of its ultimate success. When per fected, and carried out, it will be a boon to lawyers and judges and materially reduce the perplexities now existing in the practice of law.

Hon. Mlcajah Woods, President of the State Bar Association of Virginia:— I am greatly interested in and impressed by the plan and scheme suggested for the compilation of a great work, embodying the fundamental principles of the law, applicable to all the people, courts and states of the American Union. It will be a colossal under taking, and I would indeed like to see its accomplishment in my day and generation. The man or set of men who would furnish the means to engage the talent necessary for such an undertaking would be immor talized.

Hon. Joseph A. Broaux, Chief justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana: The Memorandum sets forth clearly the necessity of reconciling incongruous laws. . . . There is unquestionably a decided demand for uniformity in our laws. Simple life plain

and

precise

laws,

well

within

the

understanding of all, are the desiderata. The expression is becoming frequent everywhere that there is a. precedent for almost any proposition of law, however erroneous. I am heartily in accord with the project clearly explained in the Memorandum. The cost, whatever it may be, would be

limited as compared to the value of the thorough analysis and classification. I am somewhat concerned in regard to the system of law which prevails here, to which our people are devoted. It is satisfactory to us as a system, although it also would be im proved by some revision. . . . There is no necessity of one system supple menting the other. They can be reconciled in our state sufficiently to be considered with the laws of other states.

Hon. John H. Stiness, Chief justice of Rhode Island:—

Some treatise which will give a statement of the body of the law in this country is greatly to be desired and it would be a boon to judges as well as to members of the bar. This is one country and it should have one law. Every step which tends to that end is both valuable and patriotic. I have long felt that a general unification of our law is needed and to that end I spent considerable time as a member of the Commission on Uniform State Laws. . . . A treatise on the entire body of American law would be the most valuable contribution to systematic and unified law that can be made. It would compare in value with the Institutes of Justinian.

Hon. J. B. Whitfield, Chief justice of the Supreme Court of Florida: As under our system of government every one is presumed to know the law, and as at

present there is in fact no single publication containing a comprehensive and accurate statement of all the principles of law that are or should be applied to secure uniform justice in the administration of human aliairs, it is of the greatest importance that competent persons freed from all commercial spirit should