On the Interpretation of Statutes

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W. Maxwell & Son, 1875 - 458 pages

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Page 30 - ... of the person in charge of the deck of the ship at the time, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the Court that the circumstances of the case made a departure from the regulation necessary.
Page 290 - Ships navigating within the limits of the port to which they belong: (6.) Ships passing through the limits of any pilotage district on their voyages between two places both situate out of such limits, and not being bound to any place within such limits nor anchoring therein.
Page 334 - But when a public duty is imposed, and the statute requires that it shall be performed in a certain manner, or within a certain time, or under other specified conditions, such prescriptions may well be regarded as intended to be directory only, when injustice or inconvenience to others who have no control over those exercising the duty, would result, if such requirements were essential and -Imperative.
Page 192 - Every statute, it has been said, which takes away or impairs vested rights acquired under existing laws, or creates a new obligation, or imposes a new duty, or attaches a new disability in respect of transactions or considerations already past, must be presumed, out of respect to the Legislature, to be intended not to have a retrospective operation.
Page 204 - shall include every description of vessel used in navigation not propelled by oars...
Page 209 - Where the language of a statute, in its ordinary meaning and grammatical construction, leads to a manifest contradiction of the apparent purpose of the enactment, or to some inconvenience or absurdity, hardship or injustice, presumably not intended, a construction may be put upon it which modifies the meaning of the words, and even the structure of the sentence.
Page 331 - A provision in a statute, rule of procedure, or the like, is said to be directory when it is to be considered as a mere direction or instruction of no obligatory force, and involving no invalidating consequence for its disregard, as opposed to an imperative or mandatory provision which must be followed.
Page 236 - They will not readily presume, out of respect and duty to the lawgiver, that any very unjust or absurd consequence was within the contemplation of the law. But if it should happen to be too palpable in its direction to admit of but one construction, there is no doubt in the English law, as to the binding efficacy of the statute. The will of the legislature is the supreme law of the land, and demands perfect obedience.
Page 120 - The measure of damages for breach of a contract is determined by the law of the place of performance; Restatement, Conflict of Laws § 413.

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