The Civil Law of Spain and Mexico, Arranged on the Principles of...
A Rare 1851 New Orleans Legal Imprint on Spanish and Mexican Civil Law, with Notable California Provenance Schmidt, Gustavus [1795-1877]. The Civil Law of Spain and Mexico: Arranged on the Principles of the Modern Codes, with Notes and References. Preceded by a Historical Introduction to the Spanish and Mexican Law; And Embodying in an Appendix Some of the Most Important Acts of the Mexican Congress. New Orleans: Printed for the Author by T. Rea, 1851. Octavo (8-3/4" x 5-1/2"; 22.2 x 14 cm). [xvi], 102, 376 pp. Contemporary sheep, blind rules to boards, rebacked in calf retaining existing lettering pieces, traces of hand-lettered shelf location to foot of spine. Hinges mended, later cracked. Light rubbing and a few shallow scuffs to boards, moderate rubbing to extremities, corners bumped. Early signature covered by later bookplate; ownership stamps and inscriptions of "Wm A Gaines jan 2297/ Compton Cal" to front endleaves. Bookplate of the Henry E. Huntington Library (with two small duplicate stamps) to rear pastedown. Early owner name ("John Roberts") to inside margin of p. 151. Text block with a few cracks, moderate toning, and sections of browning; faint dampstaining and offsetting to margins at front and rear. A very good copy of a scarce title. $2,500. * Only edition. Written for American lawyers and lawmakers dealing with territories gained after the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), this path-breaking work stands as one of the earliest American treatises on comparative law. It remained an indispensable practical reference for decades. Today, it survives as a vital historical source for the study of nineteenth-century legal development in Mexico and Latin America. The text is split into two parts: a deeply researched overview of Spanish legal history, and a structured civil code synthesized from the laws of Spain and Mexico. The author, Gustavus Schmidt, was a Swedish-born attorney who practiced in Maryland and Virginia before moving to New Orleans in 1829. Fluent in Spanish, French, and English, he specialized in complex civil cases involving Spanish and Mexican law. He also established the Louisiana Law Journal in 1841 and founded the Louisiana Law School in 1844. This copy boasts a notable California provenance. Early owner William A. Gaines (1861-1939) was a prominent early settler, justice of th.
Price: $2,500.00
Book number 86619