Page:Halsbury Laws of England v1 1907.pdf/216

 ;

Introduction.

ccxii

which may

upon each magistrates under Government,

to the detail of all questions

particular topic.

It is for

arise

penetrated by the general spirit of the law, to direct this application."

Mr.

speaking of

Best,

the

expositions

the code,

of

complains that they had already, in his time, run to a considerable length.

That

of

Locr(3

in thirty-one volumes,

that of Toullier and Troplong in nearly

on the

Civil Code, those of Pailliet

"France," he

"may

said,

volumes, and,

and Teulet and

own

Bulletin des Lois, bid fair to rival our bulk.

fifty

well

of the

statute

book in

tremble

for the

future."

With us the

a commission

was issued

November, 1866, to following distinguished persons Lord Cranworth in



Hugh

Lord Westbury James Wilde, afterwards Lord Penzance Kobert Lowe, Sir William Page Wood, afterwards Lord Sherbrooke Sir George Bowyer Sir afterwards Lord Hatherley Sir John Koundell Palmer, afterwards Earl of Selborne Shaw-Lefevre Sir Thomas Erskine May, afterwards Lord Farnborough Mr. Daniel, Q.C. Henry Thring, afterwards Lord Thring and Sir Francis Reilly. The commission was to inquire into the exposition of a digest of the law and the best means of accomplishing the object, and other ways of exhibiting in a compendious and classical form the law as embodied in judicial decisions. Sir

Cairns, afterwards Earl Cairns





Sir



















After pointing out that the law of England, as they under-

stood

it,

comprised the whole

administered, the

civil law, in

whatever Courts

criminal law, the law relating to the

constitution, the jurisdiction,

and procedure

of the Courts,

including the law of evidence and constitutional law, the com-

missioners proceeded to point out the extent and variety of the sources from which the existing law

Speaking of the bulk

of the statutes

is to

be ascertained.

and the amount

of