"Words having a distinct meaning must bear their primary legal import."

"We can judge of the intent of the parties only by their words."

"Nothing can be more mischievous than the attempt to wrest words from their proper and legal meaning only because thos…"

"One would wonder, when a word was in use two hundred years ago, that there should remain now any doubt what it is."

"An enactment for the favour and liberty of the subject ought to have a liberal construction."

"No Court ought to depart from the plain meaning of plain English words, unless coerced to do so by some very serious …"

"Wherever a law is productive of tyranny, I shall ever give my consent to narrow the construction."

"I confess a law clearly penned shall have its force in cases it does reach, though it does not reach all cases; but w…"

"If in the vast majority of possible cases—in all of ordinary occurrence—the law is in no degree inconsistent or unrea…"

"One of the most sacred principles of law is, that a written instrument must be construed upon the face of it, and tha…"