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            Copy of Letter from Hon. Judge Cranch to R. Peters Jr.
                                                Washington D.C. July 18th 1828.

D[ear] Sir,
            "I have been informed that you propose to publish a
new edition of my Reports - It is with great reluctance that I
deem it my duty to others to inform you that I have not yet
been reimbursed the actual expense of publishing my 3 last
volumes by one thousand dollars and that I must insist
upon all my legal rights"

- Answer -
                                                Philad[elphi]a August 14th 1828.
Hon. Mr. Cranch.
                        Washington.
D[ear] Sir,
            I have been absent from this City since the 18th of
July, and this moment have your letter of that date.
            I do assure you, in the kindest spirit, I shall not object
to your insisting on your legal rights in reference to your reports, and
should I invade them I must submit to the consequences. I
do not, nor have I ever desired to, propose to publish a new Edition
of your Reports - My plan is to publish [in] a condensed form, the de-
cisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, and as the
opinions of the Court cannot be the subject of Copyright, neither
can the facts of the Cases be the property of any one, my work
will not be obnoxious to the Laws protecting literary property.
These are opinions which have had high professional sanction
and by which I am willing to abide - I have issued a Pros-
pectus of my books, a Copy of which I take the liberty to enclose.
From every part of the United states I have received expressions of
the highest approbation of my plan, and the beneficial influence
in our Country, of placing the decisions of the Court, within the pow-
er of many who cannot purchase the reports at their present price
is admitted by all - I have not adopted the opinion, that my

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Work will injure the sale of your or Mr. Wheaton's Reports - On
the contrary, I think they will be more in demand as their more
valuable contents shall by my means be made more known. All
Booksellers say 'digests' promote the sale of original works - My
Works will be a 'digest' of the facts of the Cases and the opinions of
the Court - no more - I beg you will not consider this as in-
tended to extract from you any observations on my plan - I
assure you I am desirous to have our relations upon this matter
on the grounds they rest in connection with your letter of the 18th July.

            Mr Robert Donaldson
                        N[ew] York.

Sir,

            In reply to your letter of the 25th I have
forwarded you a copy of my correspondence with
Judge Cranch, to which I refer for my views and
determinations upon the matters, which are the
subject of your communication -
                                                            I am your obedient Servant.

Philad[elphi]a Sept 26th 1828.                        Rich[ard] Peters.

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1828
Richard Peters


Mr Robert Donaldson
Bookseller
New York



Transcription by: Megan Wren