session will not pass without some measure to remedy the pressing defects of the past, and place these societies in a position to profit by any future measure for their regulation that the wisdom of Parliament may devise. Few persons are aware of the extent of the transactions of these societies, or of the amount of real good which has been effected through their instrumentality. The amount annually distributed by them in the form of advances for building, may be measured by tens of millions of pounds, and the number of persons who owe their independence as houseowners to these societies, by hundreds of thousands. While the benefit building societies established under 27 Will. IV. c. 32, have failed to receive the protection they require; all the privileges they seek have been given to societies with precisely the same object, and with much wider scope of operation, under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act of 1871. We believe that already a great number of societies have been incorporated under this Act, and these societies possess power to buy and sell land, to borrow money, and to act as corporate bodies, and have all the privileges of the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts. As this movement developes, it will become more and more evident that the same privileges must be granted to benefit building societies.

The writer of "A Plea for a New Print of Bracton," in our last number, accidentally omitted, from the list of MSS. of Bracton in England, one in the Middle Temple library. Through the courtesy of the librarian he has been able to see this MS., which tells its own story thus:-A transcriber of the fourteenth century began his transcript of Bracton with the pious invocation, "Assis principio sancta Maria meo." In course of transcription the pages containing the second and part of the third tracts of the fourth book were passed over. Another person noted the defect of the transcript on its margin, and prefixed a title, a preface, and a table of contents. The title implies its own date to be earlier than the accession of Henry IV., and its own author to be an officer of the Exchequer. The preface is the same as the preface to Glanville. Its occurrence as a preface to Bracton is, so far as the writer knows, unique, and raises suspicion that some transcribers of both treatises used a 66 common form" of preface. The table of contents notes the defect in the text, and differs somewhat from the printed table. Subsequently its paragraphs were numbered, and the corresponding numbers were written on the margin of the text. On the book are written, besides, some old legal forms, and two names"Gilbertus Anwyll," and (in a much later hand) "Johes Trystram, possessor." The MS. is clearly written and in good

preservation, and would be a valuable authority for the text of a "new print."

*

The work of the extension of Lincoln's Inn Library, although seriously interfered with by the strikes in the building trade, has progressed considerably; the external roof is completed, and the building is weather-tight; nearly all the materials for completing the interior are on the ground, and only await the settlement of the disputes between the masters and operatives, to be formed into appropriate and faithfully executed extensions of the fittings and decorations of one of the most handsome and conveniently designed libraries in the kingdom. Now that the exterior approaches nearer completion, we see no reason to alter the opinion we formerly expressed, that "the mode of extension was correctly conceived, and was being ably carried out." We observe that the noble royal arms, designed and executed by Willement, have been removed from the window opposite the library door; and we have been informed that all the windows on the northern side of the library, now so richly furnished with circular quarries, with amber fillets running round the stone mullions, and with well-executed arms of members of the Bench, are to be removed, and to be replaced with plain cathedral glass; we have serious misgivings as to the effect of this alteration on the present fine appearance of the room. The object of the alteration is to give more light; that will be fully effected, but it is by no means clear that more light would be required when the extension is brought into use. The extension will form nearly half the entire length of the library; and being provided with windows on both sides, and on both floors, will be abundantly lighted from the north, east, and south, and will certainly have great effect in giving more light to the original part of the room. When the effective and beautiful windows on the north, before noticed, are removed, and replaced by the plain cathedral glass, there will be a powerful glare of white light through windows devoid of character; the grand coup d'œil that at present exists will be utterly destroyed for the purpose of providing additional light that, we believe, will not be required.

The Bench of the Hon. Society of Lincoln's Inn has resolved to rebuild the Old Buildings; an appropriate and wellconsidered plan and style of architecture have been adopted. The new "Old Buildings" will be built in divisions, and the first division on unoccupied ground, thereby avoiding the displacement of tenants before the new chambers are ready to

* Law Magazine and Review, May, 1872, p. 350.

receive them. In the plan adopted, special arrangements have been made to render each suite of chambers complete and adapted to the requirements of the practising counsel. The ground is already enclosed for the first division of the building, and the work will proceed forthwith. The occupiers of the present inconvenient chambers in Old Buildings will have reason to thank the Bench when the new chambers are finished.

Sir Roundell Palmer has given the sum of 107. to Professor Cutler, to award as a prize, next winter, for law, to the best student in that branch of the evening classes, at King's College, London. The course for the prize involves attendance at two classes on two evenings in the week, and giving in an essay upon a legal topic. It is not generally known that King's College offers a law diploma to students who attend certain courses for two sessions, and pass certain examinations. This diploma was recently awarded to Mr. J. Goode, student of Lincoln's Inn.

The arrangements for the forthcoming Social Science Congress, at Plymouth, are so far complete that we are enabled to announce the names of the whole of the presidents. The Attorney-General, Sir J. D. Coleridge, will preside over that of Jurisprudence and Amendment of the Law, and will deliver his address on the second morning of the meeting; Mr. G. W. Hastings, Barrister-at-Law, and Chairman of the Worcester School Board, will take the Education Department; Dr. Acland, F.R.S., Regius Professor of Medicine, Oxford, that of Health; and the Earl of Lichfield, that of Economy; while Lord Napier and Ettrick, formerly Ambassador at St. Petersburgh and at Washington, and subsequently Governor of Madras, since which he has been made a Peer of the realm, will be President of the whole Congress, and will deliver his address at the opening meeting, on the 11th of September. The following are the special questions to be discussed:Municipal Law Section.-(1.) Is it desirable that defendants in criminal proceedings, and their wives or husbands, should be competent or compellable to give evidence in their own behalf, and, if so, in what cases? (2.) Can a Court of International Arbitration be formed with a view to avoid a war, and, if so, in what way? (3.) Ought railway companies and other carriers of passengers be liable to an unlimited extent for the acts of their servants? Repression of Crime Section.

(1.) Is it desirable to adopt the principle of cumulative punishment? (2.) What ought to be the primary aim of punishment to deter, or to reform? Is it desirable that in

dustrial day schools should be established? Education Department. (1.) How far does recent legislation render new regulations necessary for the training of teachers in elementary schools? (2.) Why are the results of our present elementary schools so unsatisfactory? (3.) What public provision ought to be made for the secondary education of girls? Health Department.-(1.) What are the principles on which a comprehensive measure for the improvement of the sanitary laws should be based? (2.) What steps should be taken to guard against sewage poisoning? (3.) What means can be adopted to prevent the pollution of rivers? Economy and Trade Department.-(1.) How far ought taxation to be direct or indirect? (2.) What principles ought to regulate local taxation and administration? (3.) How may the condition of the agricultural labourer be improved?

The Commons session, which has just now closed, had 240 public Bills before it. Of this number, 116 became law, viz., 90 which were introduced into the House of Commons, and 26 which were introduced into the House of Lords. The remaining 124 had the following fate:-109, introduced into the House of Commons, were not passed by that House; 8, brought from the Lords, were not passed by the Commons; 6, passed by the Commons, were not passed by the Lords; and 1, passed by both Houses, was laid aside by the Commons on consideration of the Lords' amendments. Of the 116 Bills which received the Royal Assent, 87 were Government Bills and 29 were not. Of the 124 Bills which came before the House of Commons, but did not become law, 33 were Government Bills and 91 were not. With two exceptions, these 33 Government Bills are described in the list as withdrawn, the order for proceeding with them being discharged. The exceptions are the Thames Embankment Bill, the motion for going into committee (in the House of Commons) being negatived, and the Municipal Corporations (Wards) Bill, which was passed by the Commons, but in the Lords the second reading was put off for six months.

IRELAND.

The Right Hon. John Richards, P.C., late a Baron of the Exchequer, died on the 14th ult., in the 82nd year of his age. Mr. Richards was the second son of John Nunn Richards, Esq., of Hermitage, county Wexford, and was born in the year 1790. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and called to the Irish Bar in 1811. He was subsequently appointed one of the judges of the Supreme Court at Madras.

He resigned this office in 1835, and was appointed SolicitorGeneral for Ireland. The next year he became AttorneyGeneral in succession to Sir Michael O'Loghlen, and in 1837 was appointed a Baron of the Exchequer, which position he held until 1859, when he retired, and was succeeded by Baron Hughes. In 1849 he was appointed Chief Commissioner under the Irish Incumbered Estates Act, and upon him devolved the principal labour of bringing that most important measure into operation. Mr. Richards was twice married, first, in 1812, to Catheriné, second daughter of the late Henry Goone Molony, Esq.; and secondly, in 1832, to Christina, only daughter of the late Christopher James O'Brien, Esq.

An Act passed last session provides for the appointment of Commissioners of Affidavits for the county of the city and for the county of Dublin. It would seem, from the wording of the Act, that the appointment of each Commissioner must be a joint one for both city and county. Following the precedent of the English Act, the statute requires that the persons appointed should be attorneys of one of the superior courts of common law, and residing and practising within ten miles of the four courts. The appointments are to be made by the Queen's Bench. Under a comparatively recent statute that court exercises the exclusive power of appointing commissioners for all the law courts. The same Act gives power to the Queen's Bench to appoint Commissioners in the Channel Islands. The English courts have for some time possessed this power. The Irish Law Times says: "We have heard of cases in which great inconvenience has arisen from the want of any person in these islands with authority to take affidavits for the Irish courts. The new statute remedies this defect. It seems to place the Irish courts, with reference to the power of appointing commissioners for taking affidavits, in the saine position in all respects as the English courts. The only difference will be that created by a previous statute. In Ireland the Queen's Bench nominates one set of commissioners to act for all the courts. In England each court nominates its own commissioners for itself. The Act remedies a small defect, and in doing so accomplishes a small but useful reform."

The Irish Law Times says: "The public will remember the general lamentation which followed the death of Colonel Brewster, son of our ex-Lord Chancellor. Colonel Brewster commanded the Inns of Court Rifle Volunteers. He died in the prime of life, universally regretted. His regiment subscribed a very considerable sum of money to erect memorial gates at the south end of the gardens of Lincoln's Inn Hall.