much the type as the general crowding up of the lines. Some idea of the amount of labour expended in bringing out the present edition may be conveyed by the fact that five hundred new cases have been added, making a total of nearly six thousand cases in all. Evidence is a branch of law not usually much affected by legislation. Lately, however, several statutes have been passed which do affect it. For instance, the Evidence (Colonial Statutes) Act 1907, the Criminal Appeal Act 1907, the Oaths Act 1909. Then comes the important Children Act 1908, with its machinery for Courts to try cases affecting the very young. The previously-mentioned defect is accentuated when the reader refers to the Index, as the headings are in large, heavily-leaded type, and the sub-heads in small type, crowded together, making the contrast all the more painful to the reader's eyes. Still, the book shows signs of erudition, and careful treatment of a somewhat complex and comprehensive subject, and the learned Author is to be congratulated on the necessity for a new edition.

Sixth Edition. Leake on Contracts. By A. E. RANDALL. London: Stevens & Sons.

1911.

This, the latest issue of a treatise which for a third of a century has maintained a leading position as an expositor of the law of Contract, has qualities which advance it beyond the preceding edition. One of these, subordinate but of much value and convenience, is, that references are supplied to all the reports of the cases quoted. This can have been accomplished only by great labour; and the result is that the Table of these cases occupies no less than 277 pages. In the text itself there has also been much revision; and the effect of decisions of the current year are inserted in their appropriate places. As regards the plan of the work, the old and excellent form of division is maintained, but not to the exclusion of minor variations. For instance, with respect to Revocation, Mr. Randall suggests an interesting reconcilement between certain divergent decisions on the doctrine; and the suggestion was founded on a curious event. He read by chance Kennedy v. Lee (3 Mer. 441). Probably few people have ever referred to it, nor would the one property of importance in it—an almost casual remark of Lord Eldon-have been likely to arrest the attention of a reader not specially prepared. But Mr. Randall had long had an impression that in the days of George III, it was the theory of Offer and Acceptance that they must synchronize;

and this was confirmed by the Lord Chancellor's words with respect to the case, that "the acceptance must be taken to be simultaneous with the offer, and both together as constituting such an agreement as the Court will execute." If this is admitted as the lost clue, Byrne v. Tienhoven may be reconciled, for instance, with Oxley v. Cooke or Dodd v. Dickinson. The case of Cornfoot v. Fowke Mr. Randall consigns to oblivion, probably approving Lord Abinger's dissenting judgment over the governing decision of Barons Rolfe, Alderson and Parke. From some remarks on the doctrine of Mistake, it might be inferred that the Author is not satisfied on some points with the decision in Lewis v. Clay. The work is so well known and esteemed that commendation is almost superfluous. In the relevance and the abundance of its illustrations, and the sound deductions from them, it is unsurpassed.

Sixth Edition.

and Water. & Co. 1911.

Michael and Will on the Law relating to Gas By JOSHUA SCHOLEFIELD. London: Butterworth

This work has long stood as the premier authority on the subject, and the present issue sustains the established reputation. A valuable feature of it is the general Introduction, which furnishes in a condensed form a progressive history of the two great enterprises; and gives also a list of all the statutory and non-statutory companies which have been purchased by local authorities. No other book, as far as we know, affords this information, and it would be a task of great difficulty to acquire it from the original sources. The Gasworks Clauses Acts and the Waterworks Clauses Acts are set out in full, prefaced by a useful abstract of the contents, section by section. The Metropolis Water Acts and so much of other Acts as concern gas and water are also inserted. Full notes of all important decisions on these enactments are appended to the sections to which they relate. The Index is exhaustive and excellently arranged for easy reference; and that very useful production, the Model Bill both of gas and water, as amended last year, is supplied. Scarcely a question bearing on the two subjects could arise which would not be solved or made plainer by this work.

Seventh Edition. Oakley's Divorce Practice. By W. M. F. WATERTON. London: Jordan & Sons. 1911.

Oakley's Divorce Practice is so well known to the Legal Profession that commendation is scarcely necessary. Again under the

able editorship of Mr. Waterton, he leaves the impress of his experience as Clerk in the Divorce Registry upon the text. Without for a moment aspiring to be a treatise on the law of divorce, at the same time none of the necessary authorities are excluded. The main object of this book is to serve as a concise and practical exposition of the ordinary course of procedure in conducting causes in the Registry. All information necessary to achieving this aim is to be found between the covers, together with a lengthy and complete Table of Cases. Such useful information as tables of fees, statutes, authorised forms, forms of pleading, etc., are all carefully collected and tabulated for the benefit of the reader. In fact Mr. Waterton is to be heartily congratulated upon the result of his efforts to bring this edition thoroughly up to date.

A Guide to the Law of Betting, Civil and Criminal. By HERBERT ROWSELL and CLARENCE MORAN. London: Butterworth & Co. 1911.-The Authors believe that there is no contemporary text-book concerned solely with the Law of Betting, and to fill this gap in legal literature they have produced a volume which they trust may be of service to the book-maker and to the man (whom they call the bookmaker's client) who solicits Fortune through the book-maker's expedients. With an impartial spirit quite suitable to a sporting subject, they trust also that their labours may be of use to the inspector of police. But the topics treated of are not confined to such as the police are directly inquisitive about, for consideration is given, for instance, to Stock Exchange differences, wagering contracts, deposits, and mortgages falling within the Statutes 9 Anne and 5 & 6 Wm. IV, c. 41. The work conveys the impression of having been carefully prepared; and safe counsel may be found in it by the persons for whom it is provided.

The German Law of Bills of Exchange and of Cheques. By SYDNEY LEADER. London: Sweet and Maxwell. 1911.-A translation of the text of so much of the German Commercial Code as affects this portion of negotiable instruments is convenient for those natives of this country whose business with Germany is largely financial. The difference in German law between a cheque and a Bill of Exchange should be well understood.

The Legal Position of English Companies in Russia. By L. P. RASTORGOUEFF. London: Jordan & Sons. 1911.-The Author is convinced, from two years' experience in London, that not many secretaries or solicitors of companies having business in Russia are familiar with the regulations affecting the legal position. of English companies in that country. And probably he is right. The material presented is well expressed, and beyond doubt should be valuable to the officials for whose enlightenment it is written.

The Growth of English Law. By E. S. Roscoe. London: Stevens & Sons. 1911.-One purpose of the Author in this little book is to trace the relation between certain portions of legal history and contemporaneous political and social movements. So much light has been cast on that connection in recent years by Pollock, Maitland, Freeman, Stubbs, and many other writers, and by the publications of the learned Societies, that original research is almost exhausted and original views difficult of elaboration. But this work puts forth an excellent account of what has been the result of those original investigations, and is besides a very readable book. The long chapter on Forestal Laws and the forests of the Middle Ages is particularly interesting.

Third Edition. The Criminal Law Amendment Act. By FREDERICK MEAD and A. H. BODKIN. London: Butterworth & Co. 1911.-A new edition of this useful little work was much required, and the present one has been produced by the two experienced criminal lawyers who were the Authors of the work. The present volume is intended to give the Statute and Case law relating to indecent offences against Women and Children, and acts of gross indecency between males. It includes the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885; Parts II, IV and VI of the Children Act 1908; and the Incest Act 1908. All these Acts are very fully annotated, not only with references to other statutes and cases, but also with comments suggested by the Authors' great experience. We might particularly call attention to the long and critical note on the proviso to sect. I of the Incest Act 1908, showing the difficulties and inconsistencies which the proviso may cause. We are rather surprised to find a quotation on Corroboration from so old an edition as the fourth of Best on Evidence, which not many lawyers are likely to have on their shelves; perhaps it is an oversight!

Third Edition. The Stamp Laws. By SIR N. J. HIGH MORE. London: Stevens & Sons. 1911.-It is not given to many people to apply from the wells of memory alone an instant solution to every question that may arise under the Stamp Acts and the numerous subsequent Finance and Revenue Acts; and to the vast majority with incomplete knowledge a reliable reference book up to date will be a welcome support. From the eminent official position of the Author he is warranted in' his trust "that the book will be found a very complete Treatise on the subject "; and from a fair examination of the work he seems to be fully justified in his hope. Two useful Tables are set out in the Appendix: one showing the correspondence between the Stamp Act of 1870 and the antecedent law; and the other showing the correspondence between the Act of 1891 and, mainly, such parts of the antecedent law as have been altered since the Act of 1870. Probably there is no current book on the subject more complete than this one.

By

Fifth Edition. Stevens's Elements of Mercantile Law. HERBERT JACOBS. London: Butterworth & Co. 1911.—This is a book prepared as a text-book for accountancy students, and the first consideration is given to their requirements. As those requirements cannot demand a minute knowledge of the intricate questions of so far-reaching a subject as mercantile law, the treatment is necessarily and wisely in general outline. But though the explanations are condensed, they are, as far as they can go, clearly expressed on such branches as contract, joint stock companies, negotiable instruments, insurance in all its branches, carriage by land and sea, shipping, stock exchange transactions, and the sale of goods.

CONTEMPORARY FOREIGN LITERATURE.

La Recidiva. By GIACOMO MATTEOTTI. Turin, 1910.-This ponderous volume is one of the Biblioteca Antropologico-Giuridica series. It gives with minute thoroughness the statistics of recidivism and the conclusions to be drawn therefrom, of which the main one is that it tends to diminish. Certain crimes tend to be repeated more than others. English authorities are cited, mainly Bentham, Davenport Hill, Howard, Herbert Spencer, Stephen, and Tallack. At p. 121 is the strange hybrid Verbrechercasino.