Ertered according to act of Congress, in the year 1846, by CHARLES C. LITTLE & JAMES BROWN, In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Margachusetts Ꮮ Ꭼ Ꭲ Ꭲ Ꭼ Ꭱ Ꮪ . "To the Hon. J. Y. MASON, Attorney-General of the United States. "SIR: "THE undersigned, the Joint Committee of the last Congress upon the Library, having had an opportunity of examining the first volume of the new edition of the Laws and Treaties of the United States, published by Messrs. Little & Brown, under the Resolve of the last session, passed in pursuance of the Report of that Committee, have thought it might not be improper to express an opinion upon this specimen of the work. And we have great satisfaction in saying, that it most fully answers the expectations with which we recommended, and with which, as we think, Congress invited, the publication of this edition. It conforms substantially to the plan which the Resolve instructed, improving upon it where it differs at all; is executed with great mechanical neatness; and, if the whole shall be completed as it is here begun, the Government, the Profession, and the Country, will have the entire series of all our Public and Private Legislation, in force or obsolete, and of all our Diplomacy, in a natural, easy arrangement, for consultation and reference; with very perfect indices, with references in the margin, and notes to all the other Statutes, Resolves, or Treaties, relating to the matter of the text, and to all Judicial Decisions of all the Federal Courts applicable to the same matter; constituting an absolutely authoritative national work. We learn that every law and treaty has been carefully collated with the originals in the Department of State. "It was deemed of much importance that the judgment of the Attorney-General should be pronounced upon the successive volumes of the edition, as they should appear, and before they should be accepted, and we think the Publishers may with great confidence hope for your approval of this first of the series. "To the Hon. RUFUS CHOATE, Hon. BENJ. TAPPAN, Hon. J. A. PEARCE ; EDMUND BURKE, W. B. MACLAY, GEORGE P. MARSH. "GENTLEMEN : "ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OFFICE, April 1st, 1846. "I HAVE had the honor to receive your communication, accompanying the first volume of the new edition of the Laws of the United States, published by Messrs. Little & Brown, of Boston. The Publishers have now delivered five volumes, containing all the general Laws; and it has given me great pleasure to have it in my power to certify the highly satisfactory character of this portion of the work. It is, in the highest degree, creditable to the Publishers. "Although, by the terms of the Joint Resolution of Congress, my duty was limited to making a contract for one thousand copies, and to certifying that its conditions were complied with, I have been consulted, unreservedly, by the Publishers, in every stage of their work, and have found them at all times ready to adopt any suggestion to secure accuracy in the publication, regardless of personal trouble or of expense. "So far as the original Rolls exist, they have been examined and carefully compared by competent persons with the sheets of this edition of the Laws; and if any trivial errors shall be found, in the publication, they can be readily corrected in the stereotyped plates, and thus a perfect edition of the Laws of the United States will be obtained. "I am gratified to find that the order and arrangement prescribed by Congress, in this edition, will greatly facilitate reference, and, I doubt not, will be highly satisfactory to the Profession and to the Public. "My own experience in a judicial office has impressed me with the great value of such a publication, and I am happy to have contributed in any degree, in the preparation of so creditable a work. "I have the honor to be, "With the highest respect, "J. Y. MASON." TREATIES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND FOREIGN NATIONS, FROM THE DECLARATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1815: WITH NOTES. EDITED BY RICHARD PETERS, ESQ. COUNSELLOR AT LAW. |