The Yearly Abridgment of Reports, 1897. By A. T. MURRAY, Barrister-at-Law. London: Butterworth & Co. 1898. Pp. 382. The Canadian Annual Digest, 1897. By C. H. MASTERS and C. MORSE. Toronto: Canada Law Journal Company. 1898. Pp. 398.

Canadian Criminal Cases Annotated. Edited by W. J. TREMEEAR. Vol. I. Part I. Toronto Canada Law Journal Company.

1898. Pp. 128.

We have not space to say much in praise of these digests, but none the less we appreciate the industry of those who have compiled them. The careful labours of those, who for centuries have been in the old country tabulating the results of judicial decisions, and the no less praiseworthy energy of which these fresh examples reach us from far off Canada, are fruitful in results which are much more worth attaining than many books which make a greater show. All these digests are works of great and permanent value.

Prisoners on Oath-present and future. By Sir HERBERT STEPHEN, Bart. London: William Heinemann. 1898. Pp. 64. Price

IS. nett.

We cannot in the space at our disposal examine critically the arguments advanced by the author upon this controversial subject. We can only say that they are admirably stated and appear to us most cogent.

The History of the Temple. By G. PITT-LEWIS, Q.C. London: John Long. 1898. Pp. 95.

This is a lecture delivered by the author in the Hall of the Middle Temple in January last. It will be read with great interest by the profession as being the history of their home; and a large sale is heartily to be wished it if only on account of the Barristers' Benevolent Society, which is to reap the profits. This sale, however, it fully deserves upon its own account: The author has taken the opportunity à propos of Edward III.'s "School of English Law," which naturally finds a place in his history, to advocate the establishment of a legal university.

LordCochrane's Trial before Lord Ellenborough. By J. B. ATLAY, Barrister-at-Law; with a preface by EDWARD DOWNES Law,

Commander R.N.
Pp. 529.

London Smith, Elder & Co. 1897.

"The lives of the Lord Chief Justices of England," by Lord Campbell, and "The Autobiography of a Seaman," by Lord Dundonald, both contain many statements about this celebrated trial, seriously reflecting upon Lord Ellenborough. Mr. Atlay's book is a scholarly work, full of convincing argument to the effect that these statements are misrepresentations of the actual facts.

2nd Edition. The Law of Trusts and Trustees. By ARTHUR R. RUDALL, and J. W. GREIG, Barrister-at-Law. London: Jordan and Sons, Limited. 1898. Pp. 366.

There are five enactments, which deserve the special attention of trustees. These are the Trustee Act, 1888, the Trust Investment Act, 1889, the very important Trustee Act, 1893, the Trustee Act 1893 Amendment Act, 1894, and the Judicial Trustees Act, 1896. Besides these there is now the Land Transfer Act, 1897, dealing with the appointment of what is called a "real representative." The authors have compiled a useful annotated edition of the five first named statutes, and have added some observations upon the Act of 1897. Of course the greater part of the main body of case-law upon the subject of trusts is outside the scope of the work; but this annotated edition of the principal statutes has been found useful in the past, and the present edition quite conforms to the previous standard of the work.

3rd Edition. The Employers' Liability Act, 1880, and the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897. By A. H. RUEGG, Q.C. London Butterworth & Co. 1898. Pp. 369.

There are already a great number of legal "hand-books" on this subject in the field. Mr. Ruegg's book seems neither better nor worse than those which we have already reviewed; it is a lawyer-like statement of the effect of the present Act, and the author has a special title to be listened to upon the subject as the author of a previous work on Employers' Liability-of which this purports to be merely a new edition. No author, however, can yet tell us much more about the new statute than what a careful perusal of the Queen's Printer's copy will inform us.

6th Edition. A Guide to Ecclesiastical Law. By HENRY MILLER. London: John F. Shaw, J. Kensit, and the Church Association. 1898. Pp. 107.

This little book is a useful work to initiate the student into a mysterious realm of law, where the questions raised are strange and difficult to understand. Though the publication of one party, it is a fair enunciation of the law which governs all parties. The casual observer may often wonder why some vestments are legal and some illegal: and only a specialist can distinguish the one from the other. The pictures of the vestments help greatly to elucidate the propositions of the text. Litigation in these matters may be of little use to any persons but the professional lawyers who profit thereby: but whatever can be made the subject of litigation always calls for experts who understand the law.

8th Edition. The Indian Contract Act, together with an introduction and explanatory notes, table of contents, appendix and index. By SIR HENRY CUNNINGHAM, late one of the judges of Her Majesty's High Court at Calcutta, and H. H. SHEPHARD, one of the judges of Her Majesty's High Court at Madras. Madras: Lawrence Asylum Press. 1897.

This work, composed by high authority, has long since taken an important place in Indian law-libraries. The statute is fully illustrated by decided cases, and English enactments which can throw any further light upon it are added in the appendix. It is clear that the Indian Act is of the greatest importance: and there has been no lack of concrete instances to give rise to complete explanation of its various provisions. We make no doubt that the present edition will meet with as favourable an acceptance as its predecessors.

8th Edition. Principles of the Common Law. By JOHN INDERMAUR. London: Stevens and Haynes. 1898. Pp. 578. Mr. Indermaur has brought this book, which has a large following among students, completely up to date, including a notice of the decision of the House of Lords in Allen v. Flood. The common law cannot be adequately discussed without frequent reference to statute law as well: and in this department also the author has kept pace with the times.

12th Edition. The Principles of Equity, intended for the use of Students and the Profession. By EDMUND H. T. SNELL. This edition by ARCHIBALD BROWN. London: Stevens and Haynes. Pp. 874. Price 21s.

This work continues to be the standard text-book for students upon the subjects with which it deals. The arrangement of the book is extremely good: and the information given is just exactly what is required. The language used however is not always of the clearest and the subject being a peculiarly difficult one, this is unfortunate. See, for instance, page 78, where we read:"A very factitious and artificial species of fraud has been introduced for the protection primarily of the general creditors of the grantor and secondarily (since 1882) for the protection of the grantor himself, by the Bills of Sale Acts, 1878 and 1882." At first we were inclined to wonder why a new species of fraud was introduced by Act of Parliament for the protection of anyone; and the passage is one which must be carefully considered before its real meaning appears.

16th Edition. Woodfall's "Law of Landlord and Tenant." This edition by J. M. LELY, Barrister-at-Law. London : Sweet & Maxwell, Limd., and Stevens & Sons, Limd. 1898.

It is superfluous to recommend this book to lawyers. It has held the pre-eminent position upon the department of law with which it is concerned for very nearly a century. Every statute, every case, and every inference which ought to be made from either since the date of the last edition seems to have been included by Mr. Lely, the editor. And the table of contents and full lists of statutes and cases are invaluable in their present shape. There is nothing in it which we should desire to see omitted.

17th Edition. A handy book on the Law of Master and Servant. By J. W. SMITH, Esq., LL.D. This edition by G. F. EMERY, Esq., LL.M. London: Effingham Wilson. 1898.

The only important feature of this new edition of a favourite popular statement of the law upon this particular subject is the summary which Mr. Emery has made of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1896. We think that this summary is the

best part of the little book, and ought to increase its popularity. A short summary of a statute is of more value than a short summary of the common law, as the latter always loses clearness by being stated with too much brevity.

CONTEMPORARY FOREIGN LITERATURE. Cuestiones de Derecho Internacional sobre la Letra de Cambio. By JERÓNIMO GALLARDO Y DE FONT. Pp. 214. Toledo: Menor Hermanos. 1897.

The writer of this convenient little work is unusually well. qualified for his task. He is at once advocate of the College of Ciudad Real and manager of the Bank of Spain at Toledo. It appears to be the rule in Spain to subject branch managers of the Bank to an examination in the comparative jurisprudence of bills of exchange, and Señor Jerónimo Gallardo's very well written book is intended as a guide to candidates for this examination. English law is duly noted and compared with the law of most civilised States in Europe and America. The English reader will be surprised to find how exceptional the law of England is. In several points the Bills of Exchange Act, 1882, clashes with what one may call the general law on the subject. The following peculiarities of English law are worth notice. A bill of exchange need not be made payable at a place other than that where it is drawn. Days of grace are allowed. Acceptance may be qualified. There is no limitation of action other than that obtaining in other cases of simple contract. There is no statutory disqualification of married women and several other classes of persons usually disqualified by foreign codes. The capacity of drawing and accepting is sometimes confined by such codes to mercantile persons. In few or none would the English rule be found, that the capacity of parties is co-extensive with the capacity to contract.

Istituzioni di Diritto Civile Italiano. By ATTILIO TADdei, Professore Pareggiato nella R. Università di Bologna. Vol. I., PP. 324. Florence: Bernardo Seeber. 1897.

This learned work, prima facie intended for students of law at the Italian Universities, is by no means without interest for English lawyers. It gives in a clear and compendious form the history of the Italian Codes and the modern law of Italy, not in the order of any of the Codes, but in the more scientific arrange