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The Green Bag.

U. S. 355, to salvage (Cope v. Vallette Dry in the mode of enforcing them. Especially is Dock Company, 119 ib. 625), to liens (The this the case on the outside boundaries of Lattowanna, 21 Wall. 558), and particularly the law, where it comes in contact with or with respect to the limited liability of ship shades off into the local or municipal law owners (Norwich Company v. Wright, 13 ib. of the particular country and affects only its 104; Place v. Norwich Company, 118 U. S. own merchants or people in their relations 468; The North Star, 106 ib. 17; The Scotland, to each other. Whereas, in matters affect ing the stranger or foreigner, the com 105 ib. 24; Butler v. Boston Steamship Com pany, 130 ib. 527; The Great Western, 118 ib. monly received law of the whole com mercial world is more assiduously ob 526), he rendered contributions of perma nent value. His admirable method in the served — as, in justice, it should be. ... But no nation regards itself as precluded discussion of admiralty questions may be il lustrated by his exposition of the general from making occasional modifications suited maritime law, in The Lattowanna 21 Wall. to its locality and the genius of its own people and institutions, especially in matters 5S8: "It is hardly necessary to argue that the that are of merely local and municipal con maritime law is only so far operative as law sequence, and do not affect other na in any country as it is adopted by the laws tions. . . . Each State adopts the maritime and usages of that country. In this respect law, not as a code having any independent it is like international law or the laws of war, or inherent force, proprio vigors, but as its which have the effect of law in no country own law, with such modifications and quali any further than they are accepted and re fications as it sees fit. Thus adopted and ceived as such; or, like the case of the civil thus qualified in each case, it becomes the law, which forms the basis of most European maritime law of the particular nation that laws, but which has the force of law in each adopts it, and without such voluntary adop State only so far as it is adopted therein, tion it would not be law. And thus it hap and with such modifications as are deemed pens that, from the general practice of com expedient. The adoption of the common mercial nations in making the same general law by the several States of this Union also law the basis and groundwork of their re presents an analagous case. It is the basis spective maritime systems, the great mass of of all the State laws; but it is modified as maritime law which is thus received by these each sees fit. Perhaps the maritime law is nations in common, comes to be the com more uniformly followed by commercial na mon maritime law of the world." tions than the civil and common laws are by; Limited space precludes an adequate no those who use them. But, like those laws, tice of Justice Bradley's work in the ordi however fixed, definite, and beneficial the nary civil jurisdiction of the court. Mention theoretical code of maritime law may be, it of his faultless opinion in Railroad Company can have only so far the effect of law in any i'. Lock wood, 17 Wall. 357, on limitation of country as it is permitted to have. But the liability by common carriers; Baeder v. Jen actual maritime law can hardly be said to nings, 40 Fed. Rep. 199, on ejectment; Patch have a fixed and definite form as to all the v. White, 117 U. S. 210, and Bowen v. Chase, subjects which may be embraced within its 94 ib. 813, on wills; Casey T'. Cavaroc, 06 ib. scope. Whilst it is true that the great mass 469, on bailments; and Harkness v. Russell, of maritime law is the same in all commer 118 U. S. 663, on sales, will suffice to indi cial countries, yet, in each country-, peculiar cate the variety and extent of his distin ities exist either as to some of the rules, or guished labors.