South Carolina | First edition of an important compendium of laws and statutes

South Carolina

John Faucheraud Grimke. The Public Laws of the State of South Carolina, from its First Establishment as a British Province, Down to the Year 1790, Inclusive; in which is Comprehended such of the Statutes of Great Britain as were made of Force by the Act of Assembly of 1712 … to which is added the Titles of all the Laws ... which have been Passed in South-Carolina down to the Present Time, also the Constitution of the United States with the Amendments Thereto, and likewise the Newly Adopted Constitution of the State of South-Carolina. Philadelphia: Printed by R. Aitken & Son, 1790

4to (248 x 222 mm). A few holes on the title-page partially costing the "U" and "L" in "Public," text browning throughout, occasionally strong, some soiling and scattered foxing or spotting, dampstaining in outer corners of quires L–R, Ii–Ll, 3D–3E, and last 14 leaves of index. Contemporary calf; numerous scrapes to boards, rebacked in light tan calf, red morocco label.

First edition of this important compendium of laws and statutes from South Carolina's colonial period to the inception of the federal government. Its compiler, John Grimke, was one of the Superior Court judges of South Carolina. The full Constitution is given in the appendix, with the addition of the twelve proposed amendments comprising the Bill of Rights as ratified by South Carolina in January 1790. The South Carolina state constitution, adopted 3 June 1790, appears in the appendix on pages 37–43.

There are two rare editions of the 1790 constitution published in Charleston that year, each located in only three copies. It appears here in the appendix, and is effectively the earliest edition available.

REFERENCES

ESTC W14091; Evans 22897