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affairs of the day, all of which put in a strong light the high and disinterested character of the man. The index is not as full as could be desired, only including names of persons, and not subjects.

The Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890. BY CHARLES E. ALLAN, M.A., LL.B., assisted as to the practice by FRANCIS J. ALLAN, M.D., D.P.H. London Butterworth & Co. and Shaw & Sons. 1898. Pp. 213. Price 7s. 6d.

The question of improving the housing of the working classes is a very important one, and one that is increasing in importance every day, and now that the London County Council has undertaken the building of working-class lodging-houses under Part III. of the Act of 1890, the consideration of the Act is likely to become imperative on a large number of persons. As the Act is a complicated one, and not only repeals and consolidates a long series of earlier enactments, dating from 1881, each attempting to deal with the same subject, but also applies and modifies the Lands Clauses Acts, and requires on the part of the reader thorough acquaintance with numerous provisions in the Public Health Acts, it will be obvious that a good book on the subject is of great value to all concerned with this branch of the law. This we think is supplied by the work under reference. One of the authors is thoroughly acquainted with the Lands Clauses Acts, being one of the joint authors of Browne and Allan's Law of Compensation, and the other possesses the practical experience of the subject which is so useful to the author of law books, through his official practice as Medical Officer of Health to the Strand District Board of Works. The result of their labours is a carefully prepared and useful book. It does not pretend to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject with all its cognate branches, but it carefully considers all the points likely to arise under the Act, and shortly refers to the statutes or cases which regulate or throw light on the subject. The general principles and provisions of the Act are well analyzed in the introduction.

Accidents to Workmen: being a Treatise on the Employers' Liability Act, 1880, Lord Campbell's Act, the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897, and matters relating thereto. By R. M. Minton-Senhouse and G. F. EMERY, LL.M. London: Effingham Wilson and Sweet & Maxwell. 1898. Pp. 378. Price 15s.

This is one of a number of books on the subject, but it has the advantage of including the recently published Rules of Procedure.

Mr. Senhouse's work on the Employers' Liability Act is well known. Parts I. and II. of this work are, as they profess to be, a revised and re-written edition thereof, and Part III. contains The Workmen's Compensation Act, 1897, with notes. The Acts are carefully compared, and the differences between them marked and commented upon. The Act of 1897 is very minutely examined, and the various difficulties likely to arise in its interpretation and administration pointed out, and very fully considered. The authors evidently think that cases of arbitration by a Committee will be few and far between, as there are no rules for the creation or constitution of such Committee, and its jurisdiction is excluded if either party objects to it. The difficulties in procedure, which seem to them most serious, are when a claim for compensation outside the Act is liable to be turned into one under the Act by sec. 1 (4), where the procedure seems to be very doubtful and inconvenient, and the difficult question as to who is to institute proceedings in the case of a workman's death, when there is a personal representative, and there are also dependants. Both these questions are fully discussed, and substantial reasons given for the conclusions arrived at, but they cannot be said to be free from doubt. All who have cause to consider this new and troublesome Act will find in this work great assistance.

Political Crime. By LOUIS PROAL. London: T. Fisher Unwin1898. The Criminology Series. Pp. 355.

This is a very comprehensive title, and that M. Proal understands it in its most comprehensive sense, will at once be seen by a glance at the table of contents. It includes chapters on Machiavelism, Anarchism, Political Hatreds, Political Spoliation, Corruption amongst Politicians, Electoral Corruption, The Corruption of Law and Justice by Politics, and the Corruption of Public Morals by Politics. No definition or limitation of the term "political crime" is given, but in his preface the author declares his intention to be, to combat the false maxims which have disfigured the art of governing, and to study the passions of the politicians who have only sought in the exercise of authority the satisfaction of their passions. M. Proal is well versed both in Classical and French History and Literature, and illustrates and supports his contentions with numerous examples drawn mainly, but not exclusively, from these sources. One of the most interesting portions of the book is the chapter in which he deals with the subject of Anarchism; he has studied the

theories and motives of Anarchists and Socialists from the French Revolution to the present day, and his judicial experience has made him acquainted with their practices. There is also much interesting information taken mainly from French History, in the chapters on Corruption. The only remedy, in M. Proal's opinion, for political crime is a return on the part of both nations and individuals to morality. "Politics without morality are the ruin of society."

Auditing. By LAWRENCE R. DICKSEE, F.C.A. Third Edition. London: Gee & Co. 1898. Pp. 737. Price 215.

This book is written by an Auditor for Auditors. It contains a great deal of information and many suggestions which should render it valuable as a work of reference to all who are connected with companies, or have occasion to deal much with questions of accounts. The most interesting part to a lawyer is the discussion on the liabilities of auditors. Mr. Dicksee does not consider of high value the decisions of the Courts, the opinions of lawyers, or even the enactments of the legislature. As he remarks on the case of Wilmer v. Macnamara & Co., Limited, " the truth of the position seems to be that this case-and, for that matter, many other similar caseshas not been properly understood either by counsel or by the Courts, and it is very doubtful whether the principles that have been laid down in these two cases would be upheld if the direct consequences of these decisions were properly represented to the Court." He considers that questions as to whether an auditor has done all that could reasonably have been required of him should be tried before auditors, as assessors if not as actual judges, and he comments very adversely on the procedure under a misfeasance summons. Mr. Dicksee inculcates on auditors a very high standard of professional conscientiousness, and characterizes in strong language the conduct of an auditor who tries to evade responsibility by issuing a carefully modified certificate.

Roman Canon Law in the Church of England. Six Essays by FREDERICK WILLIAM MAITLAND, M.A., LL.D. London: Methuen & Co. 1898. Pp. 179. Price 7s. 6d.

The main object to which Professor Maitland devotes himself in these essays is to dispute the conclusion come to by the Royal Commission on the Ecclesiastical Courts that "the Canon Law of Rome, although always regarded as of great authority in England, was not

held to be binding on the Courts." Professor Maitland has examined the writings of the most eminent of the pre-reformation Canonists, such as John of Ayton, and William Lyndwood, more particularly of the latter, and argues that they admitted in their writings, both directly and indirectly, that not only the Decretals and other authoritative Law Books of the Popes were binding on all Ecclesiastical Courts, but even the Legatine Constitutions. He admits that the Civil Power interfered with the Roman Canon Law being enforced in its entirety in England, but urges that this is no proof that the English Courts Christian did not consider themselves absolutely bound by it, though they were unable to enforce it in all particulars. There seems great weight in Professor Maitland's contentions; but it is possible that further light may be thrown on the subject by the discovery of more of the proceedings of the Church Courts. It need scarcely be said that these essays are marked by the author's usual learning and fairness.

Encyclopædia of the Laws of England. RENTON, M.A., LL.B. Vols. VII.-XIII. well; Edinburgh: Wm. Green & Sons. per vol.

Edited by A. WOOD London: Sweet & Max1898. Price 20s. net

We must congratulate Mr. Wood Renton on the completion of his arduous undertaking, and also on the expedition with which it has been carried out. The seventh volume is revised as at 16th March, 1898, and the twelfth as at 1st September, 1898. It is impossible to enter into the details of such a work; but when we mention that the articles on international law are by Mr. T. Barclay, the practice of the High Court by Master Burney, Mr. Snow, and Mr. Stringer, Specific Performance by Mr. Rawlins, Q.C., and the Right Hon. Sir E. Fry, to mention only a few of the authors, we have said enough to show that the contributors are recognized authorities on the subjects of which they treat. Mr. T. Raleigh, the Registrar of the Privy Council, gives accounts of the constitutions and laws of most of our colonies, and there is a vast amount of information put into an accessible form which would take persons requiring it great time and labour to collect for themselves.

Code of Criminal Procedure: being Act V. of 1898, together with the Evidence, Extradition, Reformatory, Cattle Trespass, Breach of Contract, Whipping, Police Acts, and Upper Burma Regulations. By CHENTAMAN H. SOHONI. Fourth Edition. The Deccan Book Agency. Pp. 614. Price Rs. 13.

The importance of this work will easily be appreciated when it is seen that in the Code of Criminal Procedure alone there are 556 sections, and that it also repeals a series of Acts on procedure starting from 1875. The whole of this Act is annotated and illustrated by numerous cases. The procedure is so different from ours in England that it is impossible to compare them usefully, though it is interesting to observe some of the differences, such as the large number of provisions concerning the powers and conduct of the police and magistrates, the number required for a jury, and the effect of a verdict by the majority, and many others. The Indian Evidence Act, and other Acts included in the book, are also annotated with much care and learning, and the whole work must be very valuable to those practising at the various bars in India.

Ruling Cases. Arranged, annotated, and edited by ROBERT CAMPBELL, assisted by other Members of the Bar, with American Notes by Irving Browne. Vol. XVI. Larceny Act-Mandate. London: Stevens & Sons. 1898. Pp. 806. Price 255.

The most important headings treated in this volume are Limitation and Local Government. The former of these is treated under three sections (1) Actions arising out of Tort or Simple Contract; (2) Actions upon Specialty Debts; (3) Relating to Land, which divisions, though not exhaustive, comprise a large number of the most important cases. Local Government occupies more than three hundred pages, and is well treated. Local Government being so largely the creation of Statute, is probably the reason that the American notes, which are so marked a feature of this work, are absent in regard to several of the sections; but the notes on Nuisance by Local Authority are particularly interesting. Lunacy is also well treated.

Paul Beck: The Rule of Thumb Detective. By M. MCDONNELL BODKIN, Q.C. London: C. Arthur Pearson, Limited. 1898. Pp. 284. Price 3s. 6d.

This is a collection of clever and amusing stories. We hardly consider the description of the hero Paul Beck as a rule of thumb

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