great Statute of Westminster III, _Quia
Emptores_, affecting land tenures, still of importance to the
conveyancers. In 1295 we have the famous Model Parliament; that is to
say, the first one where kings, lords, and commons were joined, the
legislative branches sitting separately and the Commons represented.
Two years later Edward I, carrying on the war in Flanders, was
compelled to grant that great confirmation of the charters already
referred to, that no aid or tax should be taken but by the common
consent of the realm and for the common profit; restoring thus into
the recognized charter that important provision of the original
Charter of John; and it provides that the great charter shall be read
twice a year in every cathedral in England. In our country I am aware
of no provision for reading the Constitution, though the Declaration
of Independence, an obsolete document, is occasionally read upon the
Fourth of July.

In 1305 the Anglo-Norman law reports begin, the Year Books. From then
to now, at least, we have continuous written reports of all important
cases decided in England. This is not to say that we do not have them
before (our people, first in the world's history, has the records of
all its cases in high courts for nigh a thousand years), but they are
now for the first time systematic.

(1309) On the accession of Edward II came the Summary of Grievances,
recited in the Statute of Stamford as recognized by Edward I at the
close of his reign. The seizure of supplies by the king without due
payment; the maintenance of courts at the gates of the king's castles
in derogation of the common-law courts; the taking of "new customs,"
two shillings per tun of wine, two shillings for cloth and other
imports, "_whereby the price to the people is enhanced"_; the
debasement of current coin; that petitions of the Commons to
Parliament were not received, etc., etc. All duties were then
suspended, in order to know and be advised "what Profit and Advantage
will accrue to him and his People by ceasing the taking of those
Customs"--a precedent it were to be wished we might have the
intelligence to follow to-day--surely better than a tariff commission!

Two years later came the New Ordinances, which contain a most
interesting precedent, hitherto almost unnoted, of the American
principle of having the courts construe the Constitution. Section VI:
"It is Ordained, That the Great Charter be kept in all its points in
such manner, t