Smith Francis Ormond Jonathan Compiler (1 results)

Set of 1834 Maine Statutes Compiled by Morse Telegraph Partner Francis O.J. Smith in a Handsome Contemporary Binding [Maine]. Smith, Francis O[rmond] J[onathan] [1806-1876], Compiler. Laws of the State of Maine, Volumes 1 and 2; With the Constitution of the U. States and of Said State, Prefixed. Also, Notes and References, Delineating the Additions and Modifications Thereof, Which have Been Enacted by the Legislature of the State, From 1821 to 1834. To Which are Appended, In Notes and Comments, A Full Synopsis of the Decisions Relating Thereto, Contained in the 17 Volumes of Massachusetts Reports, 10 Volumes Pickering's Reports, And 7 Volumes of Greenleaf's Reports. Portland: Thomas Todd and Colman, Holden & Co., 1834. Two volumes. [iv], 546, [2], civ, [2]; [iv], [547]-1048, [2] pp. Octavo (9-1/2" x 5-3/4"; 24.1 x 14.6 cm). Contemporary sheep, blind rules to boards, blind fillets and red and black lettering pieces to spines. Minor stains and scuffs to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities. Light toning to interiors, negligible light foxing in places, minor tears to edges of a few leaves. A very good set in a handsome contemporary binding. $450. * This comprehensive 1834 compilation consolidates Maine's statutory laws alongside detailed cross-references to contemporary judicial interpretations. In an ambitious effort to democratize legal access, the publisher's advertisement notes that this edition was: ".designed for the use of all classes of citizens, and not for those exclusively who are engaged in the practice of Law." The volumes were meticulously designed to synthesize an entire legal library, aiming to serve as a reliable, single-source substitute for the thirty-four separate volumes of Law Reports from which its extensive notes were abstracted. The compiler, Francis O.J. Smith, was a prominent Maine attorney and politician who would later secure a unique place in American history as an early business partner of Samuel Morse, helping to develop and promote the magnetic telegraph. An exceptional, well-preserved copy of early New England legal history in a handsome contemporary binding. Williamson, A Bibliography of Maine 9231. Babbitt, Hand-List of Legislative Sessions and Session Laws 160.