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Lecture　X





The　Primitive　Forms　of　Legal　Remedies









　　　　　　　　　　　　II





　　　　I　pass　from　the　early　law　of　procedure　in　the　roman　and


Teutonic　societies　to　the　corresponding　branch　of　another。


ancient　legal　system　which　has　been　only　just　revealed　to　us；　and


which；　so　far　as　its　existence　was　suspected；　was　supposed　until


lately　to　be　separated　by　peculiarly　sharp　distinctions　from　all


Germanic　bodies　of　usage。


　　　　Rather　more　than　half　of　the　Senchus　Mor　is　taken　up　with　the


Law　of　Distress。　The　Senchus　Mor；　as　I　told　you；　pretends　to　be　a


Code　of　Irish　law；　and　indeed　to　be　that　very　Code　which　was


prepared　under　the　influence　of　St。　Patrick　upon　the　introduction


of　Christianity　into　Ireland。　I　added　that　in　the　present　state


of　our　knowledge；　no　theory　can　be　very　confidently　advanced　as


to　the　date　of　this　Brehon　compendium。　It　may　be　that　some　such


revision　of　the　pre…Christian　law　did　take　place；　it　may　be　that


the　Brehon　lawyers　only　conjectured　that　it　must　have　taken


place；　it　may　be　that　a　tract　of　unusual　dimensions　and


proportionately　valued　by　the　Brehon　law…school　which　happened　to


possess　it；　came　gradually　to　be　associated　with　a　name　held　in


pre…eminent　honour　or　pre…eminently　sacred；　a　process　of　which


there　are　believed　to　be　several　examples　in　the　history　of


eastern　jurisprudence；　These　doubts；　however；　as　to　the　true　date


of　the　Senchus　Mor　do　not　take　away　from　the　significance　and


instructiveness　of　the　fact　that　in　a　volume　of　great　antiquity；


of　undoubted　genuineness；　and　evidently　thought　by　its　possessors


to　contain　all　that　was　important　in　the　law；　the　Law　of


Distress；　now　an　extremely　subordinate　branch　of　our　legal


system；　occupies　a　space　so　extraordinarily　large。


　　　　I　borrow　from　the　Editor　of　the　First　Volume　of　'Ancient　Laws


of　Ireland；'　the　following　epitome　of　the　old　Irish　law　of


distress　as　laid　down　in　the　Senchus　Mor：　


　　　　'The　plaintiff　or　creditor；　having　first　given　the　proper


notice；　proceeded；　in　the　case　of　a　defendant　or　debtor；　not　of


chieftain　grade；　to　distrain。　If　the　defendant　or　debtor　were　a


person　of　chieftain　grade；　it　was　necessary　not　only　to　give


notice；　but　also　to　〃fast　upon　him。〃　The　fasting　upon　him


consisted　in　going　to　his　residence　and　waiting　there　for　a


certain　time　without　food。　If　the　plaintiff　did　not　within　a


certain　time　receive　satisfaction　for　his　claim；　or　a　pledge


therefor；　he　forthwith；　accompanied　by　a　law…agent；　witnesses；


and　others；　seized　his　distress。　The　distress；　when　seized；　was


in　certain　cases　liable　to　a　Stay；　which　was　a　period　varying。


according　to　fixed　rules；　during　which　the　debtor　received　back


the　distress；　and　retained　it　in　his　own　keeping；　the　creditor


having　a　lien　upon　it。　Such　a　distress　is　a　〃distress　with　time；〃


but　under　certain　circumstances　and　in　particular　cases　an


〃immediate　distress〃　was　made；　the　peculiarity　of　which　was　that


during　the　fixed　period　of　the　Stay　the　distress　was　not　allowed


to　remain　in　the　debtor's　possession；　but　in　that　of　the


creditor；　or　in　one　of　the　recognised　greens　or　pounds。


　　　　'If　the　debt　was　not　paid　by　the　end　of　the　Stay；　the


creditor　took　away　the　distress；　and　put　it　in　a　pound。　He　then


served　notice　of　the　distress　on　the　debtor　whom　he　had


distrained；　letting　him　know　where　what　was　distrained　was


impounded。　The　distress　remained　in　the　pound　a　certain　period；


fixed　according　to　its　nature　（dithim；　translated　〃delay　in


pound；〃　is　the　name　of　this　period）。　At　the　end　of　the　delay　in


pound；　the　Forfeiting　Time　began　to　run；　during　which　the


distress　became　forfeited　at　the　rate　of　three　〃seds〃　per　day；


until　entirely　forfeited。　If　the　entire　value　of　the　distress


thus　forfeited　was　exactly　equal　to　the　original　debt　and　the


subsequent　expenses；　the　debt　was　liquidated；　if　it　was　less　than


this；　a　second　distress　was　taken　for　the　difference；　and；　if


more；　the　overplus　was　returned。　All　this　proceeding　was　managed


by　the　party　himself；　or　his　law…agent；　with　the　several


witnesses　of　the　various　steps；　and　other　necessary　parties。


　　　　'But　if；　instead　of　allowing　his　cattle　to　go　to　pound；　the


debtor　gave　a　sufficient　pledge；　e。g。；　his　son；　or　some　article


of　value；　to　the　creditor；　that　he　would　within　a　certain　time


try　the　right　to　the　distress　by　law；　the　creditor　was　bound　to


receive　such　pledge。　If　he　did　not　go　to　law；　as　he　so　undertook；


the　pledge　became　forfeited　for　the　original　debt。　At　any　time；


up　to　the　end　of　the　〃dithim；〃　the　debtor　could　recover　his


cattle　by　paying　the　debt　and　such　expenses　as　had　been　incurred。


But；　if　he　neglected　to　redeem　them　until　the　〃dithim〃　had


expired；　then　he　could　only　redeem　such　as　were　still


unforfeited。'


　　　　The　very　existence　in　ancient　Ireland　of　the　law　thus


summarised　is　almost　enough　by　itself　to　destroy　those　reckless


theories　of　race　which　assert　an　original；　inherent　difference　of


idea　and　usage　between　Teuton　and　Celt。　The　Irish　system　of


Distress　is　obviously；　in　all　essential　features；　the　Germanic


system。　It　wears；　on　its　face；　a　very　strong　general　resemblance


to　the　corresponding　branch　of　Our　Common　Law；　and　I　have　seen


some　very　ingenious　attempts　to　account　for　the　differences


between　the　two　by　suggestions　that　the　primitive　contour　of　the


English　law　of　Distress　has　been　impaired。　The　object　of　such


speculations　is　to　argue　for　the　direct　derivation　of　the　English


set　of　rules　from　the　Celtic；　but　it　does　not　appear　to　the


necessary　to　resort　to　a　supposition　which　has　great　and　special


difficulties　of　its　own。　The　virtual　identity　of　the　Irish　law　of


Distress　with　the　Teutonic　law　is　best　brought　out　by　comparing


it　with　the　Teutonic　systems　of　procedure　collectively。　Thus　the


Distress　of　the　Senchus　Mor　is　not；　like　the　Distress　of　the


English　Common　Law；　a　remedy　confined　in　the　main　to　demands　of


the　lord　on　his　tenants；　as　in　the　Salic　and　other　Continental


Germanic　Codes；　it　extends　to　breaches　of　contract；　and　indeed；


so　far　as　the　Brehon　law　is　already　known；　it　would　appear　to　be


the　universal　method　of　prosecuting　claims　of　all　kinds。　The


Notice　again　to　the　person　whose　goods　are　to　be　distrained　which


it　strenuously　insists　upon；　though　not　found　in　the　surviving


English　Common　law；　fills　an　important　place；　as　I　stated；　in


other　Teutonic　collections　of　rules。　So　too　the　attendance　of


witnesses　is　required　by　the　Continental　Codes；　and；　though　the


presence　of　the　Brehon　law　agent　is　peculiar　to　the　Irish　system


and　very　characteristic　of　it；　certain　persons　having　much　the


same　duties　are　required　by　some　of　the　Teutonic　systems　to　be


present　during　the　process　of　distraint。　Further；　the　Stay　of


proceedings；　which　has　been　compared　to　an　A