How are the laws—­legislative enactments and decisions of the Supreme
Court—­made public?  Why are they thus published?

Tell whether the following agreements are valid contracts or not, and why: 

1.  An agreement to print a libel.  A lease of a house for gambling purposes.  A contract executed on Sunday.  A contract for work to be done for five consecutive days, beginning on Friday.  How would it affect the case if the work were the removing of goods from a building in imminent danger of falling?  The agreement of a tinsmith never again to work at his trade.  His agreement not to work at it within a specified time or in a certain town.

2.  An agreement to swim across the ocean.  To pay for a horse at the rate of one kernel for the first nail in the horse’s shoes, two for the second, four for the third, eight for the fourth, and so on.  To deliver goods at a certain time, though the delivery at the proper time may be prevented by some accident.  Is a person released from responsibility by sickness?

3.  An agreement by an orphan to pay for necessaries at some future time.  If the price charged is exorbitant, is he bound to pay it or only a fair market price?  A man while drunk buys a horse for which he has no use, but after becoming sober continues to use the horse.  If the price is excessive, how much must he pay?  When a married women buys goods on credit, is she acting as the principal or as her husband’s agent?

4.  An order for goods to be sent to a man’s house, nothing being said about payment.  An offer retracted before acceptance.  An offer for a certain horse; an acceptance under the impression that a different horse is meant.  A service permitted though uninvited; give an example.  A man in St. Paul offers by letter a certain piece of property at a certain price to a man in Chicago; an hour after mailing the letter he changes his mind; how can he prevent a contract?

5.  A agrees to give B $25 for a silver dime.  But if this particular dime were of a rare kind and desired by A, a wealthy coin collector, to complete a set, would the consideration be sufficient?  An offer shouted from a fourth story window just as the roof is about to fall, in consequence of which offer a fireman at unusual personal risk successfully attempts the rescue.  An offer and acceptance for a horse which is afterwards discovered to have been dead at time of sale.  A promise made under threat of spreading an infamous report.  An agreement for the purpose of securing the postponement of the payment of a debt.  How many “considerations” are there in a valid contract?

6.  The sale of an unfashionable “ready-made” suit of clothes, nothing being said about the style.  The sale of a plated watch chain, the dealer permitting the purchaser to suppose it solid gold.  The sale of a blind horse, nothing being said about its sight, no effort being made to conceal its blindness, and full opportunity for examination being given to the purchaser.  The sale of a house and lot at a certain price, greater than the purchaser had at first intended to give, upon the representation of the seller that he had “been offered” such a sum.  The purchase of a piece of land which unknown to the vendor contains a valuable mine, nothing being said to mislead said vendor.