Ut in flumine publico navigare liceat
(Concerning the interdict which has reference to the use of a public river for navigation.)
1 Ulpianus libro sexagensimo octavo ad edictum. Praetor ait: ‘Quo minus illi in flumine publico navem ratem agere quove minus per ripam onerare exonerare liceat, vim fieri veto. item ut per lacum fossam stagnum publicum navigare liceat, interdicam’. 1Hoc interdicto prospicitur, ne quis flumine publico navigare prohibeatur: sicuti enim ei, qui via publica uti prohibeatur, interdictum supra propositum est, ita hoc quoque proponendum praetor putavit. 2Si privata sunt supra scripta, interdictum cessat. 3Lacus est, quod perpetuam habet aquam. 4Stagnum est, quod temporalem contineat aquam ibidem stagnantem, quae quidem aqua plerumque hieme cogitur. 5Fossa est receptaculum aquae manu facta. 6Possunt autem etiam haec esse publica. 7Publicano plane, qui lacum vel stagnum conduxit, si piscari prohibeatur, utile interdictum competere Sabinus consentit: et ita Labeo. ergo et si a municipibus conductum habeat, aequissimum erit ob vectigalis favorem interdicto eum tueri. 8Si quis velit interdictum tale movere, ut locus deprimatur pecoris appellendi gratia, non debet audiri: et ita Mela scribit. 9Idem ait tale interdictum competere, ne cui vis fiat, quo minus pecus ad flumen publicum ripamve fluminis publici appellatur.
1 Ulpianus, On the Edict, Book LXVIII. The Prætor says: “I forbid violence to be used to prevent anyone from conducting a vessel or a boat upon a public river, or to hinder him from loading or unloading the same, on the bank of said river. I also forbid any interference with navigation on any lake, canal, or public body of water.” 1It is provided by this interdict that no one shall be prevented from using a public stream for the purpose of navigation. For, just as an interdict was promulgated in the case of a person prevented from making use of the public highways; so, also, the Prætor thought that this interdict should be published. 2If the above-mentioned places belong to private individuals, the interdict will not be applicable. 3A lake is a body of water which has a perpetual supply. 4A pond is a body of water which, for a time, is stagnant, and which ordinarily increases in size during the winter. 5A ditch is a receptacle for water made by human hands. 6All of these may be public. 7Sabinus, as well as Labeo, is of the opinion that an interdict will lie where anyone is forbidden to fish in a lake or pond, which he has leased from a farmer of the revenue. Therefore, if he has leased it from a municipality, it will be perfectly just for his rights to be protected by an interdict on account of the revenue to be obtained. 8Where anyone desires to make use of an interdict of this description for the purpose of lowering ground to water his cattle, he should not be heard; and this was stated by Mela. 9He also says that this interdict will lie to prevent anyone from employing force to keep the cattle of another from approaching a public river, or the bank of the same.