Description
From the library of Founding Father and Anti-Federalist John Lansing, Jr., this is the first edition of Reports of Cases Ruled and Adjudged in the Courts of Pennsylvania, Before and Since the Revolution. This set by Alexander J. Dallas is the first published reports of the rulings of the United States Supreme Court.
Thick octavo, [four volumes], x, 494pp; iv, 480pp; 519pp; 472pp; each with indexes at rear. Bound in full tan buckram, title in gilt on red and black morocco labels affixed to spines. Solid text blocks, some wear to corners, partial losses to labels on spines. Some foxing to edges of endpapers, occasional creasing to some leaves, text remains legible. An incredibly unique set with numerous connections to early American legal history.
(Evans 22445) (Evans 33598) (Evans 35374) (Sabin 18313) (Shaw and Shoemaker 12384)
Includes the bookplate of Frank H. Platt affixed to the front endpaper of each volume. Inscribed by John Lansing Jr. on the title page of Volume II and Volume III. Previous ownership inscription on title page of Volume IV. Includes an ink stamp from Lansing’s grandson, John L. Sutherland, on Page 200 in Volume I and Volume IV.
Provenance: Lot 24, Freeman’s Auctions, February 2024.
John Lansing Jr. (1754-1829) was a prominent American statesman and Founding Father who played a crucial role in the early years of the United States. Born in Albany, New York, Lansing served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1785 to 1786, contributing to the drafting of the Articles of Confederation. He later attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but ultimately refused to sign the Constitution due to concerns about the centralization of power. Lansing went on to become a leading figure in New York politics, serving as Chancellor of the State of New York from 1801 to 1814. His dedication to preserving individual liberties and limiting government power left a lasting impact on the shaping of American constitutional principles.
The author, Alexander James Dallas (1759-1817) was a prominent American lawyer, politician, and naval officer. He notably served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1814 to 1816, during a critical period that included the final stages of the War of 1812.Notable cases in these volumes include: Georgia v. Brailsford, Glass v. Sloop Betsy, Hylton v. United States, Chisholm v. George, and many more.
