Page:Reports of Cases DC Circuit Court 1840-1863, Volume 2.djvu/10

 PREFACE.

The original design of Hayward and Hazleton to publish, in convenient form, the decisions of the old Circuit Court for the District of Columbia, made during that period of its history which dates from the issue of the last volume of Cranch, in 1840, to the abolition of the Court by the Act of Congress, approved March 3d, 1863, is complete and is concluded in this volume, to be designated 7th U.S. Circuit Court Reports for the District of Columbia and 2d Hayward and Hazleton's Reports of the United States Circuit Court for the District of Columbia.

These two volumes of reported cases have been compiled and printed from manuscripts of the original records of the cases themselves, as found on file in the Court archives in the City Hall, and are, therefore, commended to the public, and to the profession, for their accuracy.

As will be seen by their perusal, we have prefaced each case with a carefully prepared syllabus intended to present an accurate synopsis of the material points therein passed upon by the Court.

Some of these decisions, such as involve important constitutional questions and proceedings in mandamus, may serve the profession and the Courts as precedents in future adjudications.

The organization of this Court consisting of one Chief Judge and two Assistant Judges, followed very closely upon the organization of the Government itself, Congress conferred upon it, by the Act, which created it, a broad and well