8.6

NEW ENGLAND REPORTER.

VOLUME I.

ALL CASES DETERMINED

IN THE

COURTS OF LAST RESORT,

AS FOLLOWS:

MAINE, SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.

NEW HAMPSHIRE, SUPREME COURT.

VERMONT, SUPREME COURT.

MASSACHUSETTS, SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT.

RHODE ISLAND, SUPREME COURT.

CONNECTICUT, SUPREME COURT OF ERRORS.

From September, 1885.

JAMES E. BRIGGS,

EDITOR.

ROCHESTER, N. Y.

THE LAWYERS' CO-OPERATIVE PUBLISHING COMPANY.

1885.

80

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-five, by

THE LAWYERS' CO-OPERATIVE PUBLISHING CO.,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.

Rec. May 17, 1894

E. R. Andrews, Printer, Rochester, N. Y.

THE object of the publication of the NEW ENGLAND, CENTRAL and WESTERN REPORTERS is to make series of harmonious and homogeneous State Reports, showing concurrent decisions as promptly as possible, so arranged as to contain the maximum amount of matter within the minimum space, and to accompany these with the most complete, conveniently arranged and compact indexes that can be devised; thus bringing within the reach of every practicing lawyer all the case law he can require.

Briefs of counsel, which generally constitute the best annotation or amplification of the subject of any given case, have been fully reported; and a generous amount of space has been devoted to additional matter, of similar value, in the form of editorial foot notes.

The index to this volume constitutes a complete digest of the contents, which aggregates more than five times the amount of an ordinary volume of law reports. The main index refers not only to the decision or judgment in each case, but also to every principle affirmed, denied, criticised or commented upon; thus including the premises, argument and collateral matter in each opinion.

Dissenting opinions, which are also reported, are referred to and distinguished in the main index. Each proposition is repeated, with appropriate changes in phraseology, under every appropriate head or subject, thus avoiding the use of specific cross-references, and confining the office of cross-references to a full exposition of the system of classification.

A table of statutes has been embodied in the index, arranged chronologically by States, and giving the subject of each citation.

The supplemental index refers to editorial notes and to briefs of counsel. The general subject of briefs on either side has been given, and also the more specific points of each. When a point or subject is extended over several pages, the reference is made to the first page, and in each case the State is indicated.

The aim has been to prepare complete indexed digests of everything deemed worthy of being in the books, and to prompt others to (1) abandon the cheap form of mere compilation of syllabi, which, while too full for such use, is yet only a partial index, and (2) to index the valuable matter so generally buried and lost, for want of any indexing whatever.

While in many particulars the editor's ideal is far from realized in this volume, he hopes that his professional brethren will, upon critical examination and comparison of all its distinguishing features, be pleased with the general result. At all events, that no one volume can be found in the library containing so rich a mine of reference to law on almost any subject, he feels confident. This is doubtless due to the exhaustive study and consideration given by the New England bar and bench to the subject in hand. To the carefully organized plan of cooperation of both members and friends-too many for enumeration here—of this association of lawyers, is due the result so fully realized to the profession in so many directions, viz: more promptness, better books and cheaper