ADVERTISEMENT. TH HE late Editor of the Admiralty Reports, Dr. DODSON, having declined the continuance of them beyond an early period of the year 1822, the Editor of the present volume has, with the approbation of the distinguished Judge of that Court, undertaken to communicate to the public a selection of cases that have since received its decision. Few of them are cases connected with the rights or duties of war: they are cases, generally, determined in what is called the INSTANCE COURT OF ADMIRALTY - that is, in its civil jurisdiction; upon points of a general maritime and commercial nature; such as present themselves to the adjudication of that Court in times of peace, and which require its consideration upon principles of a maritime and commercial nature. The Editor, who employed himself in the publication of cases that occurred in the Consistory Court of London, during the time in which the same learned judge presided in that Ecclesiastical Court, has undertaken his present task in the hope that the communication of these judgments will be received with indulgence; and will find a ready acceptance, not only among those members of the profession whose attention is frequently turned to questions of maritime jurisprudence, but likewise among many individuals of his own country, and perhaps among persons of a similar description in other countries, who are intimately engaged in maritime and commercial concerns. The Editor avails himself of this opportunity to acknowledge the kind assistance with which he has been encouraged by the illustrious Judge himself, as well as by the brethren of his profession; -which he hopes will be considered as a guarantee of the general accuracy of the following pages. DOCTORS' COMMONS, |