Bail law originated from British common law. The American Constitution guarantees, in the Eighth Amendment, that excessive bail shall not be required. This statement of law comes directly from English statutes. The Supreme Court ruling cited in Taylor vs. Taintor, 16 Wall, 366, defined the bondsman's authority to arrest their principal. It reads, ''When bail is given, the principal is regarded as delivered to the custody of his sureties. Their dominion is a continuation of the original imprisonment.