. . . totum testamentum ruptum est: nam tol- The necessity of formal disinherison is suspended in the case of a testamentum militis." Inst. ii. 13, 6: Sed si expeditione occupatus miles testamentum faciat et liberos suos iam natos vel postumos . . . silentio praeterierit, non ignorans an habeat liberos, silentium eius pro exheredatione nominatim facta valere constitutionibus principum cautum est. § 168. ACCORDING TO PRAETORIAN LAW (BONORUM POSSESSIO CONTRA TABULAS). BOOK III. a D. 29. 1, 29. 3. The Praetorian Edict generally gave bonorum possessio contra tabulas' not merely to the 'sui,' but to liberi praeteriti' entitled by intestacy, upon the death Ulp. xxviii. 8 of the testator, and moreover required express disinherison in the case of all liberi of the male sex. 1 Ulp. xxii. 23: Emancipatos liberos utriusque sexus, quamvis iure civili neque heredes instituere neque exheredare necesse sit, tamen praetor iubet, si non instituantur heredes, exheredari, masculos omnes nominatim, feminas vel inter ceteros : By upsetting the testament an after-born descendant generally procures a position, although the disinherison of a son (already born and passed over) by the nomination of the second degree admits of the validity of the latter. If a posthumous child be born who in respect of the first degree was passed over, I.e., institu in respect of the second" disinherited, the whole testament has tion. been avoided; for by displacing the first degree he procures a position. ... с 2 But if a soldier whilst on a march makes a testament and . . . in silence passes over his children already born or posthumous, although not in doubt as to whether he has children, it is provided by imperial constitutions that his silence shall be equivalent to his having expressly disinherited them. d I.e., substitution. BOOK III. Part III. alioquin contra tabulas bonorum possessionem eis pollicetur.' Inst. ii. 13, § ult. Mater vel avus maternus necesse non habent liberos suos aut heredes instituere aut exheredare, sed possunt eos omittere; . . . sive de iure civili quaeramus sive de edicto praetoris, quo praeteritis liberis contra tabulas bonorum possessionem promittit. Praeteritio, according to Praetorian Law, does not involve avoidance of the testament and the letting in of intestate succession, but rather (1) if no one claims the bonorum possessio contra tabulas, the bonorum possessio secundum tabulas is given to the instituted heirs; and the grant of bonorum possessio contra tabulas only results in the displacement of the testamentary heirs by the praeteritus. Ulp. Exspectandi igitur liberi erunt, quamdiu bonorum possessionem petere possunt ; quodsi tempus fuerit finitum, aut ante decesserint vel repudiaverint vel ius petendae bonorum possessionis amiserint, tunc revertitur bonorum possessio ad scriptos.-D. 37, 11, 2 pr.3 1 Although by the Civil Law it is not necessary either to institute or to disinherit emancipated children of either sex, yet the Praetor orders that, if not instituted, they shall be disinherited, if males all by name, but if females in a general clause; otherwise he promises them possession of the goods in opposition to the testament. 2 It is unnecessary for either a woman or a maternal grandfather either to institute their children heirs or to disinherit them, but they can omit mention of them; . . . whether we have regard to the Civil Law or the edict of the Praetor, by which he promises to those children who have been passed over possession of the effects in opposition to the testament. 3 One must therefore wait upon the children as long as they are able to claim the bon. poss.; but if the period has elapsed, or they have previously died, or have renounced or lost the right of claiming bon. poss., then the bon. poss. reverts to the persons designated. (2) If, however, liberi (even being in adoptiva familia) have been instituted heirs in the testament, upon bonorum possessio contra tabulas being allowed, they can also claim it for the praeteritus. Id. Si quis ex liberis heres scriptus est, ad contra tabulas bonorum possessionem vocari non debet: cum enim possit secundum tabulas habere possessionem, quo bonum est ci contra tabulas dari? Plane si alius committat edictum, et ipse ad contra tabulas bonorum possessionem admittitur. -1. 3, § 11, D. h. t. (de B. P. contra tab. 37, 4).' Id. Non est novum, ut emancipatus praeteritus plus iuris scriptis heredibus fratribus suis tribuat, quam habituri essent, si soli fuissent: quippe si filius qui in potestate patris est ex duodecima parte heres scribatur emancipato praeterito, dimidiam partem beneficio emancipati occupat, qui si emancipatum fratrem non haberet, duodecimam partem habiturus esset.—1. 8, § 14 eod.2 In adoptionem datos filios non summoveri praetor voluit, si modo heredes instituti sint: ergo si fuerint heredes scripti, accipient contra tabulas bonorum possessionem; sed ipsi 1 If any one of the children has been designated heir, he must not be called to the possession of the goods as against the testament; for since he can have possession in keeping with the testament, what is the good of its being granted to him in opposition to the testament? If it is clear that another can apply the Edict, he is also himself admitted to the bon. poss. contra tabulas. 2 It is nothing new that an emancipated son who has been pretermitted makes over to his brothers, designated heirs, more rights than they would have had if they had been alone; because a son under paternal power, who is instituted heir to the twelfth part, if an emancipated son has been passed over, by the prerogative of the emancipated brother gains possession of one half part, who but for his having an emancipated brother, would have had a twelfth part. BOOK III. Part III. BOOK III. soli non committent edictum, nisi fuerit alius praeteritus ex liberis, qui solent committere edictum.-Ib. § 11. 'Rite exheredati,' on the other hand, remain always entirely excluded from bonorum possessio. Id.: Exheredati liberi quemadmodum edictum non committunt, ita nec commisso per alios edicto cum illis venient ad bonorum possessionem.1. 10, 5 eod. Even pupillary substitutions and legacies to certain near kinsmen (exceptae personae) are upheld. Collatio bonorum also obtains here, as in § 163. Afric. Etiamsi contra patris tabulas bonorum possessio petita sit, substitutio tamen pupillaris valet, et legata omnimodo praestanda sunt, quae substitutione data sunt.-D. 28, 6, 34, 2.3 Ulp. Hic titulus aequitatem quandam habet naturalem, . . . ut qui iudicium patris rescindunt, ex iudicio eius quibusdam personis legata et fideicommissa praestarent, hoc est liberis et parentibus, uxori nuruique dotis nomine legatum. -1. 1 pr., D. de legatis praestandis,' 37, 5.* The Praetor gave to the Patron (or Father) the 1 Sons given in adoption the Praetor has willed should not be rejected, provided they have been instituted heirs : . . . consequently when they have been designated heirs, they will receive bon. poss. contra tab.; but by themselves alone they will not apply the Edict unless another has been passed over of the children who generally give the Edict application. 2 Just as disinherited children do not give effect to the Edict, neither will they, when the Edict has been put in operation by others, come in with such for bon. poss. Even if bon. poss. was claimed in opposition to the father's testament, pupillary substitution nevertheless avails, and in all cases the legacies given by the substitution must be discharged. 4 This title has a certain natural equity, . . . that those who make the will of their father of no effect should, in pursuance of his will, account to certain persons for the legacies and bequests in trust, that is to say, to the children and the parents, to the wife and daughter-in-law for a legacy in lieu of dos. 'partis dimidiae bonorum possessio' against the testament of a libertus (or emancipatus), in which such person had left nothing at all to the Patron (or parens manumissor), or less than the half of his property, and this if in the testament children of the body (in the case of emancipatus, also adoptive children) were not instituted as heirs, or were passed over." . . . Ulp. xxix. 1 Civis Romani liberti hereditatem lex XII tabularum patrono defert, si intestato sine suo herede libertus decesserit : ideoque si testamento facto decedat, licet suus heres ei non sit, lex patrono nihil praestat. Sed ex edicto praetoris, (si) testato libertus moriatur, ut tamen aut nihil aut minus quam partem dimidiam bonorum patrono relinquat, contra tabulas testamenti partis dimidiae bonorum possessio illi datur, nisi libertus aliquem ex naturalibus liberis successorem sibi relinquat.' Id. Emancipatus a parente in ea causa est, . . ut parens exemplo patroni ad contra tabulas bonorum possessionem admittatur.-D. 37, 12, I pr.2 Patri eius, qui in emancipatione ipse manumissor exstitisset, contra tabulas testamenti dandam bonorum possessionem partis debitae placet exceptis his rebus, quas in castris adquisisset, quarum liberam testamenti factionem habet:-nam 1 A law of the Twelve Tables confers the inheritance of a Roman citizen who was a freedman upon the patron, when the freedman has died intestate without a suus heres; and therefore if he die after making a testament, although he have no suus heres, ... the law gives nothing to the patron. By virtue of the Praetor's Edict if the freedman die with a testament, but so as to bequeath to the patron either nothing or less than a moiety of his property, bon. poss. contra tab. of a moiety is granted to him, unless the freedman leave some one of his actual children as his successor. 2 A child emancipated by the parent is in this position . . that the parent by the analogy of a patron is admitted to bon. poss. contra tab. |