FIELD, DAVID DUDLEY (1805-94). An emi nent American lawyer; son of David Dudley Field (q.v.), a Congregational clergyman. He was born at Haddam, Conn., graduated at Wil liams College in 1825, studied law first in Albany. N. Y., and afterwards in New York City. and was admitted to the bar in 1,428. He commenced practice in New York. and speedily acquired a leading position at the bar. This was due quite as much to his extraordinary energy and pub lic spirit, and to his zeal for law reform, as to his unusual learning and skill as a lawyer. Though possessed of a large professional prac tice, he devoted all the time which he could spare from pressing engagements for forty years to the reform of the law. He began the move ment by writing articles in reviews and papers and pamphlets. showing the urgent necessity of a reform in methods of legal procedure. Having been appointed in 1847 a commissioner on prac tice and pleading by the Legislature of New York, he devoted himself first to the preparation of a code of civil procedure which was promptly enacted into law. The design of the new system was to wipe out the distinction between the forms of action and between legal and equitable reme dies. in order that all the rights of the parties in relation to the subject of legislation could be decided in one and the same forum and in a single action. This system has been adopted in most of the American States and is the basis of the reformed procedure established in England by the Judicature Act of 1873 (36 and 37 Vic., c. 66). The same commission framed a code of criminal procedure. which has been adopted by eighteen States and Territories. In 1837 :Mr. Field was placed at the head of a new commission to prepare a political code, a penal code, and a civil code, which were finished and reported in 1875, but which, owing to the bitter opposition of the bar of the State, and especially of New York City. has never been adopted by the State of New York, though the civil and penal codes were passed by the two Houses, almost unanimously.
in 1879, and failed only for want of the Gov ernor's signature to become the law of the State. They have been of great service, however, in the legislation of these States. especially in Cali fornia and Dakota. where they were adopted with a few alterations that were necessary in order to adapt them to local conditions.
But Mr. Field's interest in reform was not confined to the civil or municipal law, but em braced the widest field of international rela tions. In I566 the British Association for the Promotion of Social Science held a meeting at Manchester, at which Mr. Field made a proposal fur a general revision and reform of the law of nations, similar to that aimed at in his labors for the reform of the civil and criminal law. Acting on his proposal, he completed in 1873 a work entitled Outlines of an International Code, which he presented to the social science congress of that year, and which met with very favorable criticism from eminent jurists all over the world. In 1873 he was elected first president of an association for the reform and codification of the law of nations, formed at Brussels in that year.
Mr. Field was a lifelong Democrat in his po litical convictions, but belonged to the 't'ree-Soil' and anti-slavery wing of that party before the Rebellion, and during the war was a stanch sup porter of the Administration of Lincoln. The only party office ever held by him was that of Con gressman, which he occupied by appointment for a short time in 1876 to fill a vacancy. Though distinguished in many ways,, fame rests chiefly on his achievements as a law reformer, in which field of high and disinterested service he occupies a foremost place. Many of his prin cipal papers on law reform are included in his Speeches, ArguMCIlis, aml Miscellaneous Papers New York, 1834-90).