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bank becoming bankrupt, was what the law would not allow, and those who did so were subject both to civil and criminal proceedings. The next point that we are to consider is, was this representation made to the plaintiffs?" His lordship, after stating that no doubt the directors knew that this report would be read by other brokers, and all persons dealing in shares, and acted on by them, and that such reports are generally published for such purposes, and after commenting on the evidence of Mr. Tinley, said—" Therefore, I have no doubt whatever, that the allegation in the declaration, that the representation was made to the plaintiffs is most completely established."

As to the alleged improper rejection of evidence, his lordship thought it was, looking to the grounds on which it was tendered, properly rejected, and added-"But I do not think, if these reports had been read, they would have weighed a feather in the case."

Mr. Justice Wightman gave his judgment to the same effect on all the points; to the following observation we particularly draw attention:

"Under those circumstances it seems to me that, although in what Mr. Dixon really did, he may not have intended in the ordinary sense of the word to commit a fraud, still there is the fact that there has been a false representation, and that he, knowing it to be false, it was put out by him for the purpose of creating a false credit, and giving a false credit to the bank. He did that, therefore, which is charged as fraudulent in the declaration."

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Mr. Justice Crompton also gave judgment to the same effect on the law of fraudulent misrepresentation; his lordship said :— "There can be no doubt about the law. It is quite established by the cases, that if a party publishes what he knows to be false, if that is to be acted upon by the public, and the public or any individual acts upon it, whatever may be the motive or the publication of the statement so made, the person who is injure l has a right to say— you have defrauded me. In this sense it is morally wrong. As to the rejection of evidence complained of, the learned judge intimated that for certain purposes the evidence would bave been admissible; but that, as the case stood, all that the defendant was charged with, being the knowledge he derived from Mr. Smith, and his access to the books for the few days after he became a managing director, it was immaterial. He further observed, that in his opinion the judge who presided very properly asked for what purpose the evidence was tendered, and having relation to the answer given, very properly rejected it. His lordship further said, I think it would be very unfair and very dangerous, when an offer of evidence is made in that way, so that the counsel on the other side loses the opportunity of objecting to it—which they would have seized if it had been offered on its true and real grounds-to permit parties afterwards to come and say this is admissible in another point of view, and ask us to disturb the verdict on that ground."

Scott v. Dixon.

UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN

241

Mr. Justice Hill entirely concurred as to the representation having been made to the plaintiffs, though addressed to the shareholders of the bank:

Upon the report complained of, his lordship said, "Now can any fair and dispassionate man, looking at this report that was afterwards published, say it conveys the information to an ordinary reader, or to a reader of ordinary understanding, that the dividend was paid out of the capital? On the contrary, it is put in such language as to lead to the conclusion, that in a favourable view, or a favourable construction of the affairs of the bank, nothing more was required to satisfy the losses than the reserved fund; and certainly, looking at it as a whole, no one could fairly say that it would lead to any other conclusion, and that the dividend was not paid out of capital.

"But it appeared in evidence that the report so published was left at the bank, and that the sharebrokers, who were employed to buy and sell shares in that bank, as well as in other matters in Liverpool, whenever they required information with regard to the affairs of the bank, went to the bank, and the reports were handed to the shareholders. The plaintiff in this case having a small sum of money to invest, and being minded to invest that money in the shares of the Borough Bank, goes to his broker and asks his broker to obtain for him one of the reports. The broker goes to the bank, and, in the ordinary course of the practice of the bank, there obtained the report in question, handed the report over to the plaintiff; the plaintiff reads and considers it, and acts on the faith of the contents of that report, and is induced to buy the shares.

"Now there is no doubt on the facts I have stated, that undoubtedly, although the report was primarily a report made to the shareholders, yet it was intended by the directors-who desired that the shares of the bank should maintain a good value in the market—it was intended by the directors for the information of every person who was disposed to deal in the shares, and any person who, according to the ordinary practice of the bank, was so minded, might obtain that report at the bank, and the representation contained in that report was a representation made to the person so obtaining the report."

From the above account of this action, which, because of its value, we have presented thus early to our readers, they will perceive that, as illustrating the important principles ably discussed by the bar, and finally elucidated by the bench, Scott v. Dixon is likely to become a "leading case.'

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VOL. VII. NO. XIII.

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Notices of New Books.

[*.* It should be understood that the notices of new works forwarded to us for review, and which appear in this part of the Magazine, do not preclude our recurring to them at greater length, and in a more elaborate form, in a subsequent number, when their character and importance seem to require it.]

A Hand-book on the Law of Marriage and Divorce. By Robert A. Pritchard, D.C.L., Barrister-at-Law, and W. T. Pritchard, Proctor in Doctors Commons. London: Stevens & Norton, 1859.

FORTUNATELY, the title of the above work is a "Hand-book." Had it been a "handy book," however sweet the critic's temper naturally may be, it could not have been proof in this case against the growing and fashionable nuisance of misnomers, of which Lord St. Leonard's successful work has been the innocent cause. It is called, however, a "hand-book," which, though not a very happy title, shews better taste and more wisdom than many recent godfathers of law books have shewn. If, however, we may remark, titles are to be derived from the members and organs of the body, while it certainly gives a greater scope to our literary nomenclature, what we gain in extent we may lose in perspicuity, unless a common understanding is come to, as to the limits of the meaning of the terms. Thus, an "eye-book" might be held to signify a work which one might just glance at; a "footbook" one of an ephemeral kind, which, having cursorily examined, the reader will kick out of his library. We have seen also, we think, music-book employed for raising very juvenile performers on the piano to an appropriate height; these, though the task would not be graceful, might receive a becoming classification.

Mr. Pritchard's "Hand-book of Marriage and Divorce" is not like Mr. Murray's "Hand-books for Travellers," which chattily shew the tourist how he should proceed when he leaves home. The roads to matrimony, and the modes of escaping from it, are not laid down in this legal publication; the expenses of the journey are not tabulated, nor is advice as to what "couples" are to see, seek, or avoid, tendered. The "Hand-book of Marriage and Divorce " is, in fact, an ample octavo volume, containing an excellent and useful Digest of the Statutes relating to these subjects, and of the cases in the old ecclesiastical and the modern "Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Courts." It further contains a collection of precedents in use, and notes of practice. If we have any quarrel with the title of the book, we have none with the book itself. The arrangement of the matter seems excellent. The index of the subjects, and that to the cases, are full and complete, and adapted, as they ought to be, to the wants of the practitioner. It

is, in our opinion, a work which they who practise in Sir C. Cresswell's court will find a necessary "shelf-book," or "table-book," or "court-book;" or, if Messrs. Pritchard will still have it so, a "Hand-book."

Reports of Cases in the Court of Probate, and in the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes. By M. C. M. Swabey, D.C.L., and T. H. Tristram, D.C.L. London: Butterworths.

RENEWED acquaintance with these reports, since their first publication, enables us to speak favourably of them. Imperfect reports are useless; inaccurate reports are mischievous; unauthorized reports, however carefully and correctly executed, suffer under the disadvantage of not being received in court as conclusive. If the lawyer is misled (as we have known him to be) by the latter, the blame is thrown upon his shoulders, and so he cannot dispense with the costly volumes of the regular reports. The reports by Dr. Swabey and Dr. Tristram being essential under the new régime, alike for the library of the lawyer frequenting the common-law courts, as for him of Lincoln's Inn, it is satisfactory to be able to say, that we perceive, independently of their own proper merits, and having regard to the usual scale of prices in England, the amount of matter rendered for the money seems liberal-for the page is fuller than in some reports.

It is but due to the publishers to mention this, as the impost for reports is found to be not a trifling point with many of our profession. The Practice of the Court of Probate in Common Form Business, &c. By Henry Charles Coote, Proctor in Doctors Commons, and the Practice of the Court in Contentious Business. By T. H. Tristram, D.C.L., Advocate in Doctors Commons and of the Inner Temple. Second Edition. London: Butterworths, 1859.

MR. COOTE was early in the new field of practice opened up by the recent Probate Court Act, and he produced a good treatise, which we reviewed at the time. He has done well to bring out, in conjunction with Dr. Tristram, the second edition, with the additions and alterations, necessitated by the progress of law. Since the publication of the first edition of the above work, two amendment acts have been passed, "The Probate Cause Act, 1858," and the "Confirmation and Probate Act, 1858." A new set of rules has also been issued. References will be found in this edition, we believe, to all the reported decisions of Sir Cresswell Cresswell, upon points of common form, as well as the directions to the officers of the court, given by this distinguished judge, to whose learning and ability the successful working of the new court is mainly attributable.'

This work of Mr. Coote's will be found especially useful in practice, as he has given full directions for obtaining probates and administra

1 The only opinion adverse to this which we have seen, is in a recent pamphlet, equally foolish and scurrilous, and emanating obviously from one who is the victim of excessive vanity.

tions, and for altering and re-sealing them; and a valuable collection of original forms of oaths, affidavits, citations, and other instruments. This description of the present edition must suffice; for the book is one of practice, and affords little opportunity for particular criticism. Our general criticism amounts to-and it is the most favourable we can offer of any book of the kind—a commendation of it as an excellent book of practice.

Dr. Tristram's treatise on the contentious practice of the court, constitutes also a valuable feature of the volume.

The Universal Review of Politics, Literature, and Social Science. London: Allen & Co. March and April 1859.

WE advert to this new monthly periodical, not because it directly concerns matters legal, but because we think, judging from the tone of the two numbers which have already appeared, that it is likely to be a publication interesting to many of our readers. For the most part, the ephemeral monthly literature has, we think, degenerated during the last twenty years; or, it may be, the taste and requirements of readers of periodicals have been elevated, and have outgrown their former food. One never hears of people who read "the monthlies" nowadays, excepting always the two leading publications. The managers of the Universal propose to themselves to emulate the Révue des Deux Mondes in the special cultivation of genuine criticism, extending over fields about which educated men and women of the present day profess to know and care somewhat. Much of the quarterly literature is weighty, without being satisfactory. The interval between the publication of successive numbers is too long for some purposes, and too short for others. The "Universal,” aspires, so far as we can at present judge, to literary qualities not inferior to those of the ancient Quarterlies, while it means to superadd a more lively, rapid, and active vigilance over contemporary doingsliterary, political, and social. The social science attributes of the new undertaking will, we hope, be a strong point in its conduct. To our colonists and expatriated friends, who now can obtain oftentimes bi-monthly," as it is termed, their books and letters, and who retain their interest in what is doing in the social and literary world, we think we can commend the Universal Review, on trial at least.

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1. A Handy Book on the Law of Bills, Cheques, Notes, and I. O. U.s. By James Waller Smith, Esq., LL.D., Barrister-at-Law. London : Effingham Wilson.

2. A Handy Book on the Law of Private Trading, Partnership. By the same Author and Publisher.

64

ONCE for all, we protest against any more " Handy" books. This pirating of titles is at the least in bal taste. It is spreading beyond the book trade. The other day we saw recommended a Handy Foot Bath." But having protested against the title of these little shilling works, we must admit their virtues. The first has reached

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