Itfrequentlyhappensthatwhenseveralshipsarecruisingincompany,awhalemaybestruckbyonevessel,thenescape,andbefinallykilledandcapturedbyanothervessel;andhereinareindirectlycomprisedmanyminorcontingencies,allpartakingofthisonegrandfeature.
Forexample,-afterawearyandperilouschaseandcaptureofawhale,thebodymaygetloosefromtheshipbyreasonofaviolentstorm;anddriftingfarawaytoleeward,beretakenbyasecondwhaler,who,inacalm,snuglytowsitalongside,withoutriskoflifeorline.
Thusthemostvexatiousandviolentdisputeswouldoftenarisebetweenthefishermen,weretherenotsomewrittenorunwritten,universal,undisputedlawapplicabletoallcases.
Butthoughnoothernationhaseverhadanywrittenwhalinglaw,yettheAmericanfishermenhavebeentheirownlegislatorsandlawyersinthismatter.
TheyhaveprovidedasystemwhichfortersecomprehensivenesssurpassesJustinian’sPandectsandtheBy-lawsoftheChineseSocietyfortheSuppressionofMeddlingwithotherPeople’sBusiness.
Yes;theselawsmightbeengravenonaQueenAnne’sforthing,orthebarbofaharpoon,andwornroundtheneck,sosmallarethey.
Butwhatplaysthemischiefwiththismasterlycodeistheadmirablebrevityofit,whichnecessitatesavastvolumeofcommentariestoexpoundit.
First:WhatisaFast-Fish?Aliveordeadafishistechnicallyfast,whenitisconnectedwithanoccupiedshiporboat,byanymediumatallcontrollablebytheoccupantoroccupants,-amast,anoar,anine-inchcable,atelegraphwire,orastrandofcobweb,itisallthesame.
Likewiseafishistechnicallyfastwhenitbearsawaif,oranyotherrecognizedsymbolofpossession;solongasthepartywailingitplainlyevincetheirabilityatanytimetotakeitalongside,aswellastheirintentionsotodo.
Thesearescientificcommentaries;butthecommentariesofthewhalementhemselvessometimesconsistinhardwordsandharderknocks-theCoke-upon-Littletonofthefist.
True,amongthemoreuprightandhonorablewhalemenallowancesarealwaysmadeforpeculiarcases,whereitwouldbeanoutrageousmoralinjusticeforonepartytoclaimpossessionofawhalepreviouslychasedorkilledbyanotherparty.
Somefiftyyearsagotherewasacuriouscaseofwhale-troverlitigatedinEngland,whereintheplaintiffssetforththatafterahardchaseofawhaleintheNorthernseas;andwhenindeedthey(theplaintiffs)hadsucceededinharpooningthefish;theywereatlast,throughperiloftheirlives,obligedtoforsakenotonlytheirlines,buttheirboatitself.
Ultimatelythedefendants(thecrewofanothership)cameupwiththewhale,struck,killed,seized,andfinallyappropriateditbeforetheveryeyesoftheplaintiffs.
Andwhenthosedefendantswereremonstratedwith,theircaptainsnappedhisfingersintheplaintiffs’teeth,andassuredthemthatbywayofdoxologytothedeedhehaddone,hewouldnowretaintheirline,harpoons,andboat,whichhadremainedattachedtothewhaleatthetimeoftheseizure.
case,whereinagentleman,afterinvaintryingtobridlehiswife’sviciousness,hadatlastabandonedherupontheseasoflife;butinthecourseofyears,repentingofthatstep,heinstitutedanactiontorecoverpossessionofher.
Erskinewasontheotherside;andhethensupporteditbysaying,thatthoughthegentlemanhadoriginallyharpoonedthelady,andhadoncehadherfast,andonlybyreasonofthegreatstressofherplungingviciousness,hadatlastabandonedher;yetabandonherhedid,sothatshebecamealoose-fish;andthereforewhenasubsequentgentlemanre-harpoonedher,theladythenbecamethatsubsequentgentleman’sproperty,alongwithwhateverharpoonmighthavebeenfoundstickinginher.
NowinthepresentcaseErskinecontendedthattheexamplesofthewhaleandtheladywerereciprocallyillustrativetoeachother.
Thesepleadings,andthecounterpleadings,beingdulyheard,theverylearnedJudgeinsettermsdecided,towit,-Thatasfortheboat,heawardedittotheplaintiffs,becausetheyhadmerelyabandonedittosavetheirlives;butthatwithregardtothecontrovertedwhale,harpoons,andline,theybelongedtothedefendants;thewhale,becauseitwasaLoose-Fishatthetimeofthefinalcapture;andtheharpoonsandlinebecausewhenthefishmadeoffwiththem,it(thefish)acquiredapropertyinthosearticles;andhenceanybodywhoafterwardstookthefishhadarighttothem.
Butplougheduptotheprimaryrockofthematter,thetwogreatprincipleslaiddowninthetwinwhalinglawspreviouslyquoted,andappliedandelucidatedbyLordEllenboroughintheabovecitedcase;thesetwolawstouchingFast-FishandLoose-Fish,Isay,willonreflection,befoundthefundamentalsofallhumanjurisprudence;fornotwithstandingitscomplicatedtraceryofsculpture,theTempleoftheLaw,liketheTempleofthePhilistines,hasbuttwopropstostandon.
Isitnotasayingineveryone’smouth,Possessionishalfofthelaw:thatis,regardlessofhowthethingcameintopossession?
WhatarethesinewsandsoulsofRussianserfsandRepublicanslavesbutFast-Fish,whereofpossessionisthewholeofthelaw?
WhatistheruinousdiscountwhichMordecai,thebroker,getsfromthepoorWoebegone,thebankrupt,onaloantokeepWoebegone’sfamilyfromstarvation;whatisthatruinousdiscountbutaFast-Fish?
WhatistheArchbishopofSavesoul’sincomeofL100,000seizedfromthescantbreadandcheeseofhundredsofthousandsofbroken-backedlaborers(allsureofheavenwithoutanyofSavesoul’shelp)whatisthatglobular100,000butaFast-Fish.
ButifthedoctrineofFast-Fishbeprettygenerallyapplicable,thekindreddoctrineofLoose-Fishisstillmorewidelyso.Thatisinternationallyanduniversallyapplicable.
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