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Sale 73
The Manuscript, Space & Collectibles Auction
| Statesmen & U.S. Supreme Court |
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Description |
Realized |
Lot 142 |
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[Bank of the United States] 1855 Thomas Ewing Letter to Nicholas Biddle, Autograph letter signed ("T. Ewing") as U.S. senator from Ohio, 1 page plus free-franked holograph address leaf, 8 x 10 in., Lancaster, Ohio, 16 March 1833. To Nicholas Biddle, President of the Bank of the U.S., regarding a note of $6,000 which Ewing was sending to the bank with the expectation that it would be discounted and the proceeds applied to the credit of "HS", as well as a blank check which Biddle was authorized to "fill up". Ewing (1789-1871) served in the U.S. Senate (1830-37 and 1850-51), as Secretary of the Treasury (1841--he resigned in protest at Tyler's veto of the Banking Act) and as first Secretary of the Interior (1949-50). Biddle (1786-1844) was a lawyer, banker, and financier who served as president of the Second Bank of the United States (1822-39).
Estimated Value $75 - 100
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| Realized
$54 |
Lot 143 |
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Spinner, Francis E (1802-90) American politican appointed by President Lincoln as Treasurer of the United States (1861-75); he was the first federal administrator to hire women. Two autograph letters signed ("F.E. Spinner"), 1 page each, 8 x 5 in., Jacksonville, Florida, 1875 and 1876. Responding to requests for Spinner's inimitable autograph, which he developed to prevent counterfeiting. Minor ink brushing in one letter, else fine.
Estimated Value $100 - 150
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| Realized
$300 |
Lot 144 |
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[Supreme Court Justices], First Day Cover honoring Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, signed by the following: Thurgood Marshall, Lewis Powell, Byron R. White, Samuel A. Alito, John Paul Stevens, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Stephen Breyer. The cover is cancelled 14 June 1978 at Boston, MA. Very fine.
Estimated Value $400 - 500
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| Realized
$246 |
Lot 145 |
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[Supreme Court] Sir William Blackstone - Major Influence on U.S. Jurisprudence (1723-1780) English jurist; author of Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765-69), the definitive pre-Revolutionary War source of common law and extremely influential on jurisprudence in the United States; often quoted by the U.S. Supreme Court. Exceedingly rare autograph letter signed ("W Blackstone"), 1½ pages (recto/verso), 7¾ x 9 in., Priory Place, 13 Sept. 13 1779. Written to an unidentified person about prison reform, possibly to William Eden, first Lord Auckland (1744-1814), for both he and Blackstone were deeply involved in this issue. Fine; mounting remnants at right margin of verso. Boldly penned and signed. Accompanied by an engraved portrait of Sir William. Only two Blackstone autograph letters signed have ever appeared on the market that we know of.
In his Commentaries, Blackstone established that English law was a system of justice comparable to Roman law and the civil law of Europe. At about the same time, 1764, modern penology -- the school which assumes that criminal acts are deliberate choices -- was launched with the publication of Crimes and Punishments by Beccaria. In this letter, written the year before his death, Blackstone is setting up the English penal system: "It is with Pleasure that I acquaint you that I think I have prevailed on Mr. Howard to act as a Supervisor. He writes to me, that Sir Charles Banbury had mentioned Dr. Fothergill as One who would Take a part in such a Business, & adds that he would cheerfully act with such a Collegue. I write to Sir Charles by this Post, to learn Dr. Fothergill's Resolutions, which I hope will be as we could wish. If he accedes, the Commission will then be full; & Dr. Fothergill, Mr. Gerard, & Mr. Gayler may immediately be nominated in Council, & perhaps make some Progress this Autumn. I like some of Mr. Milne's Hints exceedingly, & understand Your Sketch of them perfectly well: I am particularly pleased with the artificial Island in which he would build the Penitentiaries. I say Islands…for I think the Inconvenience of building the Houses so as to adjoin, would overbalance the Saving made by having only one Chapel & one Set of Officers. But this consideration is at present rather premature. If we cannot engage Dr. Fothergill, perhaps Dr. Smith may serve. He has some Knowlege & Merit, & has been particularly attentive to this Subject. But I think his Powers are very limited, & that he is too apt to [be] opinionated. When once the men are fixed, the Form of the Nomination may be easily supplied."
Estimated Value $10,000 - 15,000
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| Unsold |
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