1799 Watkin's Digest State of Georgia First Compiled Laws YAZOO History & Drama

Description: Offered a rare opportunity to acquire of an unobtainable first compiled laws of the State of Georgia: A digest of the laws of the state of Georgia From its first establishment as a British province down to the year 1798, inclusive, and the principal acts of 1799 : in which is comprehended the Declaration of independence; the state constitutions of 1777 and 1789, with alterations and amendments in 1794. Also the constitution of 1798. It contains as well all the laws in force, as those which are deemed useful and necessary, or which are explanatory of existing laws; together, with the titles of all the obsolete and other acts. And concludes with an appendix containing the original charters and other documents, ascertaining and defining the limits and boundary of the state; all the treaties with the southern tribes of Indians; the Articles of confederation and perpetual union: the Constitution of the United States, and a few acts of congress. Together with a copious index to the whole. By Robert & George Watkins This edition has has extensive and expensive restoration especially noting that the first pages were ordered to be ripped out so there are restoration of extant remaining pages and some full content photocopy along with same extant original pages bound together. Full unrestored text begins on page 18 and more of the same in last few pages, otherwise 837 pp. mostly in very good condition on good paper stock from Philadelphia with a copious Index and list of subscribers (likely every lawyer in 1799-1800 Georgia) and rebound in light brown buckram. This is personal favorite and took decades to acquire. I will list my second unrestored copy of this same work once presumably owned by Governor Joseph E. Brown. A remarkable Offering. A suitable one of a kind addition for the finest law libraries in Georgia. This, the 1st edition, contains on p. 557, act no. 530, which was known as "The Yazoo fraud act". Because of the insertion of this act, although the act rescinding the above act was also printed (p. 577-585, act no. 543) the compilation was refused official approval, by the governor of the state, and the original record of act no. 530 was directed to be burned by act of the General assembly, February 13, 1796. When this 1st edition was revised and printed in Philadelphia by R. Aitken in 1801, the Yazoo fraud act was omitted. Includes indexes. ROBERT WATKINS’ TURBULENT YEARS: The year 1795 was marked by the passage of the YAZOO LAND ACT. When passed by Gov. Mathews and the legislature, the act granted or gave to four land speculating companies 50,000,000 acres of land in its western territories for 1 cent per acre ($500,000). This deal led to the downfall of many popular politicians of the day. The corruption involved politicians who had accepted bribes from the land companies for passage of the bill, or held shares in one of the land companies. Robert Watkins voted for the land act, as a legitimate means of expanding settlement. Robert never owned any shares in the land companies. As stated by Rebecca Latimer Felton, "Augusta was the capital of Georgia, and the record shows that the honor of the state and her greatest public interests were bartered off by traitorous Representatives and the Chief Executive. EXCEPT ONE MAN, ROBERT WATKINS by name, the official record in Washington City shows that every man who voted for the sale was corruptly influenced.” But tempers ran high, and in 1795, Robert challenged Gov. William Few to a duel. Robert Watkins was never shy when responding to attacks, in this case verbal. Their seconds delivered the various messages regarding the duel, with Gov. Few choosing the gun and bayonet... which Robert accepted. Gov. Few apparently reconsidered the wisdom of a duel with Robert, and “finally refused to give Mr. Watkins the satisfaction demanded.” Robert, incensed, called Gov. Few a liar and a coward! But that was apparently the end of it. But that was not the end of Robert’s involvement with dueling. ROBERT WATKINS and HIS DUEL WITH GOV. JAMES JACKSON: The enmity between Robert and Gov. Jackson went back to the Yazoo Land Act. In fact, they met “somewhat unceremoniously on certain occasions and engaged in fisticuff fights.” One of these encounters was on the floor of the legislature, where they had to be forcibly parted. The situation came to a head in 1802 when Gov. James Jackson, in refusing to pay Robert and George Watkins for their work on the “Georgia Digest” fanned those feelings of great bitterness, which developed “into a hostile meeting between Governor Jackson and ROBERT WATKINS, which was conducted in the highest style of punctilio.” They were involved in a fracas at Lewisville, when their pistols had to be wrestled from them. So a duel was arranged, and they met. At the first fire both pistols went off into the ground; the second was a blank shot; at the third Governor Jackson fell, shot 'secundem artem', in the right hip. He insisted on another fire, but the surgeons claimed the right to first examine him; and on the report that the ball might have entered the cavity, hostilities ceased. Mr. Watkins's, with great civility, offered his services to bear the wounded man from the field; and, on being carried off, the governor most affably remarked, "D--n it, Watkins, I thought I could give you another shot." “To which the Col [Watkins] replied, "just as you please General, if it is your wish, you can have it now, or at any time hereafter, when you are better able to defend yourself, it would be far from my inclination to take any advantage by firing at you in a state of agony."

Price: 2695 USD

Location: Jasper, Georgia

End Time: 2024-11-26T18:04:30.000Z

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