The Modern Justice: Containing the Business of a Justice of Peace..

1720. London, 1720. third & final edition. London, 1720. third & final edition. Best Edition of Jacob's JP Manual Jacob, Giles [1686-1744]. The Modern Justice: Containing the Business of a Justice of Peace, In All its Parts. As an Abridgment of the Common Law, And of All the Acts of Parliament Relating to Justices of Peace, Constables, and Other Parish Officers Under Them, Compleat Down to this Time; And Some Special Law-Cases to Illustrate the Same. With Great Variety of the Most Authentick Precedents of Precepts, Summons, Warrants, Examinations, Commitments, Indictments, &c. Regularly Interspersed, Fitting all Occasions for Putting of the Laws in Force. Also the Chairman's Charge in the Quarter-Sessions; Proceedings in Trying of Criminals, Motions and Trials of Causes Relating to Settlements, &c. And the Particular Power of Mayors, Given by Statute, with Precedents of Warrants, &c. in all Cases. To Which are Added, A Concise Account of the Constitution and Government of a Considerable Workhouse for Employing of the Poor Within the City of Bristol. An Alphabetical Table Shewing what Acts of Parliament do Concern the Business of a Justice. And a Compleat Table to the Whole. Corrected, Improv'd, and Continued to this Present Year, 1720. [London]: Printed by Eliz. Nutt and R. Gosling, 1720. [viii], 502, [42] pp. Octavo (7-1/2" x 4-1/2"). Contemporary paneled calf, rebacked in period style, raised bands and lettering piece to spine, hinges mended. Some rubbing to extremities with some wear to corners, light toning to text. Later owner signature to front free endpaper, brief annotation to rear pastedown, internally clean. $500. * Third edition. This is the final and most complete edition. The first edition appeared in 1717. It was reissued in 1718 with new preliminaries. In the third edition Jacob has "continued the statutes to the present year; added many new entire heads and precedents never before printed; a very great number of references, and variety of cases and resolutions in the superior courts" (preface). He also added about 100 pages of new material. One of the most interesting features is the detailed six-page description of the workhouse at Bristol. It forms part of a full chapter devoted to the Poor Law (pp.324-348). OCLC locates 11 copies of this edition in North American law libraries. English Short-Title Catalogue T136996.