OF THE LAW OF INSURANCE. COMPRISING MARINE, FIRE, AND LIFE INSURANCE. BY THOMAS S. PATON, ESQ., ADVOCATE. EDINBURGH: T. AND T. CLARK, LAW-BOOKSELLERS. MDCCCLXII. TO THE DEAN AND FACULTY OF ADVOCATES, THIS WORK IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, BY THEIR MOST HUMBLE AND OBLIGED SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. INTRODUCTION. In a historical point of view, it does not appear to be certain that the ancient States of Greece and Rome enjoyed the benefits of our system of Insurance, now so generally diffused throughout the countries of Europe. Empires keenly alive to the wealth which commerce conferred, seem at least to have left no evidence that such a system had existed' among them. Jurists, however, differ in their speculations on this subject. Some say that the silence of the Roman Code and Digest, which have only come down to us in a fragmentary form, is not positive evidence that such a system had not existed; and they trace something analogous to it among these laws.-(Emerigon, Traite des Assurance; Duer.) Others deny this proposition; among whom are Pardessus, De Lois Mari 1 Puffendorff, Droit de la Nature et de Gens, lib. 5, c. 9; Grotius, De Jure Belli et Pacis. |