Commentaries On Law Embracing Chapters On The Nature The Source And The History Of Law On International Law Public And Private PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 edition. Excerpt: ...There were two reasons for this. In the first place, it was important that the old state limits should be preserved, since these limits not only had many strong historical associations, but were often, as we have seen, the lines of demarcation between populations with very different social conditions and political habits. In the second place the commitment of local affairs to local governments, one of the essential conditions of a liberal civilization,2 could be in no way so effectually worked as by the placing of local government in the hands of the states, nor could this be done without making the states sovereign in all matters which a sound policy required to be specifically committed to them. The care which the constitutional convention, in this process of reconstruction, took to re-establish the states, is exhibited through the whole document. The apportionment of representatives and of direct taxes is by states. The senate is to be composed of two senators from each state; in the case of the election of president being thrown into the house, the states have each a siugle vote irrespective of the number of members; the states vote for their representatives in the electoral college in a block. By amendments which were adopted soon after the ratification of the constitution, as part of the general understanding attending such ratification (Amendments IX. and X.), Supra, 19. Supra, 363. "the enumeration in the constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;" and " the powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." The...