Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/272

 256 corruption of blood, thus ariing from feodal principles, but perhaps extended farther than even thoe principles will warrant, has been long looked upon as a peculiar hardhip: becaue, the oppreive parts of the feodal tenures being now in general abolihed, it eems unreaonable to reerve one of their mot inequitable conequences; namely, that the children hould not only be reduced to preent poverty, (which, however evere, is ufficiently jutified upon reaons of public policy) but alo be laid under future difficulties of inheritance, on account of the guilt of their ancetors. And therefore in mot (if not all) of the new felonies, created by parliament ince the reign of Henry the eighth, it is declared that they hall not extend to any corruption of blood: and by the tatute 7 Ann. c. 21. (the operation of which is potponed by the tatute 17 Geo. II. c. 39.) it is enacted, that, after the death of the pretender, and his ons, no attainder for treaon hall extend to the diinheriting any heir, nor the prejudice of any peron, other than the offender himelf: which proviions have indeed carried the remedy farther, than was required by the hardhip above complained of; which is only the future obtruction of decents, where the pedigree happens to be deduced through the blood of an attainted ancetor.

I conclude this head, of echeat, I mut mention one ingular intance in which lands held in fee-imple are not liable to echeat to the lord, even when their owner is no more, and hath left no heirs to inherit them. And this is the cae of a corporation: for if that comes by any accident to be diolved, the donor or his heirs hall have the land again in reverion, and not the lord by echeat: which is perhaps the only intance where a reverion can be expectant on a grant in fee-imple abolute. But the law, we are told, doth tacitly annex a condition to every uch gift or grant, that if the corporation be diolved, the donor or grantor hall re-enter; for the caue of the gift or grant Rh