part of the land charged with the payment of it, the law formerly was, that a release of any part of the charge would, by implication of law, have liberated the whole of the land (Co. Litt. 148). But there was a mode of effecting the release of part of the land, according to some books, by agreement between the parties, and taking care that the charge should be continued upon the remainder by an express stipulation to that effect, which stipulation would then operate as a new grant (Crabb's Con. by Shelf., 1327; Co. Litt. 147). The usual method adopted was (to apply it to the case we have assumed to have been intended to be put by the Examiners), after reciting a contract for sale of part of the hereditaments charged, to assign the rent-charge to trustees for the party entitled thereto, upon trust to forbear enforcing payment out of the hereditaments contracted to be sold, but to enforce payment out of those portions charged with the rent-charge which have not been contracted to be sold. Another mode was to obtain from the owner of the rent-charge a covenant not to distrain or enter on such portion of the lands as was desired to be virtually freed from the rent. Another mode was for the owner of the rent-charge to release the charge wholly, and take a new grant on the lands intended to be burthened by the rent.

(To be continued in our next.)

ADVICE ON STUDIES.

SIR, -I take the liberty of requesting you to advise me in your next EXAMINATION CHRONICLE What my safest course is to enable me in all reasonable probability to pass the examination at the Law Institution in Trinity Term next. My amount of legal knowledge is as follows:

Real Property. I have read diligently the 4th edition of Williams on Real Property, and could with ease go through it again, but would with much greater pleasure do so in a 6th edition. The 5th edition I have not, thinking that, as there have been so many changes since then, that a 6th edition would be superior to the 4th. Occasionally I look into the 2nd edition of Smith's Compendium of the Law of Real and Personal Property, but I find it an indigestible book to study. I have, too, Burton's Compendium, to which the same objection applies. Very many of the examination questions in Conveyancing I am up in, particularly those on first principles of law, but of the late statutes I know little, only the salient points of them. For a little exercise I attempted answering the questions in Conveyancing of Michaelmas Term of this year, and found on examining the printed answers with my written ones that the latter were correct. I could not answer questions 12 and 14 at all.

ANS.-We would advise our correspondent to try Smith's Com

pendium again, and persevere with it. We fear if he finds it difficult it is a sure sign that he has made little progress in Conveyancing. Burton is, confessedly a difficult book. Either before or after Smith it will be proper, for the full understanding of Lord St. Leonard's late acts, to read Hunter's Acts to Amend the Law of Property, 1859 & 1860, price 3s. 6d. and 2s. separately, or together 5s. 6d.-ED.

Common Law. In this I have seen no practice, and know nothing of the practice of the Courts.

ANS.-We think you cannot do better than read our Common Law Practice, or Smith's or Kerr's Action at Law.-ED.

I have read Smith on Contracts, 3rd ed., and am now going through it a second time. Up to the end of the 4th chapter I am quite familiar with the law therein contained. As, however, it is heavy reading, I have some doubt whether to go on with it or not at present, on account of want of time, particularly as I observe the questions asked on contracts are very scarce, and those put seem easily answered. Should this work be thoroughly mastered under

the circumstances?

ANS.-The book is but a small one, and so good that we would advise a thorough perusal of it.-ED.

With this work I read Selwyn's Nisi Prius, 12th ed., and Smith's Leading Cases, 4th ed.

ANS. Select portions only of these works need be read. In truth they are too large for general purposes, though useful works for the finished lawyer.-ED.

The law of Promissory Notes and Bills I am pretty well acquainted with from your Outlines of Practical Law and Principles of Common Law. These two latter works I have partly read, but not very closely. This I regret. Williams on Personal Property, 3d ed., I have, but have never fairly read it, and therefore know little of its contents. There is a later edition which I would get forthwith if of importance.

ANS.-We would advise a careful study of this work, as it contains a great deal of useful information in a concise and intelligible form.-ED.

Equity. Of this subject I know nothing.

"Out

ANS.-We would advise you to master the chapter of our lines" relating to Equity, and then read Smith's Manual of Equity, of which a 6th ed., price 12s., has recently appeared, and Hunter's Suit in Equity, 1858, price 7s. These works will not occupy much time, and are very readable.-ED.

Bankruptcy.-Similar remark.

ANS.-You had better wait a little until some good elementary work on the new Act appears, as then, probably, some of the doubts

and difficulties on the construction of the act will be cleared up. In the meantime make yourself familiar with the short analysis in our pages, which will be completed in the next number.-ED.

Criminal Law.-This subject I am acquainted with from practice alone, never having read on the subject. I attend the Petty Sessions Court regularly, and before the last Consolidated Statutes could have answered most of the questions under this head. Since then no doubt there will be a great deal of new law smuggled into the Consolidation.

ANS.-Wait a little until some useful compendium appears containing the late Acts. The difficulty is to ascertain what is new and what is but repetition, and there has not yet been time for the issue of a satisfactory work.-ED.

I have now informed you honestly on the amount of my legal knowledge. What otherwise I know has been obtained incidentally, e. g., from practice and from Halliday's Examination Questions, 2nd. ed., &c. &c., and if you should feel disposed to point out my safest course, always considering time the essence of importance, I shall be very much obliged. My articles expire in March next. I never knew the least of law before articles.

Your very obedient servant,

A SUBSCRIBER.

GENERAL REMARKS.-We fear our correspondent has not made the progress he ought to have done, and that there is little prospect of success in Trinity Term, unless, indeed, he should turn to with great industry and determination. Even then so much depends upon his capacity to understand, retain, and apply what he reads that we cannot, without personal experience, give any opinion as to his chance of success. We would advise him not to throw away his money on advertising "crammers," but to apply himself earnestly to his books, and, if necessary, to go for six months into the chambers of a Conveyancing counsel, who would be willing to direct his studies and look to his progress. Money so employed is never thrown away, whether the articled clerk intends at once to commence practice on his own account, or to begin with a managing clerkship. For the latter, indeed, the money will soon be repaid tenfold, as we know in several instances in which clerks have placed themselves in our own chambers.

In conclusion we may mention that we should be glad if others desirous of advice on their studies would follow the example of our correspondent by stating what they have already read, what practice they have seen, their capacity for understanding what they read or see, &c., as then we could advise with more satisfaction to ourselves and benefit to those consulting us.— -ED.

EXAMINATION EXPERIENCES.

WE have been favoured, by an old and esteemed subscriber to our publications, who has lately and successfully passed the ordeal of the examination, with his experiences, and we have great pleasure in giving them insertion as likely to be of great service to those who have yet to make an acquaintance with the examiners. correspondent says:

Should you publish any part, pleasee xplain that the answers I now furnish are taken almost verbatim from the rough draft answers which I, in most instances, sketched out, and afterwards elaborated and corrected, as well in mode of expression as also, in many instances, in matter, in fair copying them for the examiners.

In a few instances, where I was very certain as to the answer, I merely noted down its salient points, which I enlarged upon whilst writing the full answer.

Where I only made short notes, as just mentioned, I have now, of course, drawn upon my memory for the answers; which, however, are I believe correct, at least so far as regards the matter of them, being subjects which I had at my fingers' end.

But, in the bulk of the answers, I have thought it best to adhere to the text, as I could not safely trust to memory to reproduce the subsequent alterations and amendments I may have made.

I leave it to your discretion whether or not to state that I obtained honourable mention. And, should you do so, the fact should be named that I passed my whole period of service in the country, as, I think, the examiners may not have expected me to be so well up in many matters of "practice of the Courts," as a clerk who spent his last six or twelve months in town.

To be candid with your readers, however, I must add that, previously to being articled, I had the advantage of two years' experience in a large London office; but this was solely in the Conveyancing department.

The extent of my reading has not been very wide. I will give you an outline :-Williams' Treatises on Real and Personal Property -twice read; the first three volumes of Stephen's Commentaries, and part of the fourth-the first volume twice read; Hayes' Conveyancing, first volume and part of the second; Wharton's Conveyancing; Greenwood's Manual of Conveyancing; Lord St. Leonards Handy Book-more than once perused, being a very excellent "refresher;" Hunter's Trustees Relief Acts, and the

late Trustees and Mortgagees Act; Dart's Vendors-right through, some of the earlier chapters being re-perused, and making frequent reference to the cited cases reported in the Law Journal; your Treatises on Principles and Practice of Common Law; Smith's Action at Law; Gray's Country Attorney's Practice (last edition)-all twice perused; Smith's Law of Contracts and portions of Smith's Mercantile Law; J. W. Smith's Manual of Equity-three or four times perused, and a written analysis prepared, and many of the cited cases, reported in the Law Journal, being also perused; portions of Story's Equity Jurisprudence, of Ayckbourn's Chancery Practice, and of Roberts' Manual; Hunter's Outline of Suit in Equityread two or three times; the whole of the Consolidated Orders, which, with the subsequent orders, I read about a week before the examination, noting the alterations, which were many, in my edition of Hunter; Powell's Law of Evidence.

I also read twice, and frequently referred to your invaluable epitome, Outlines of Practical Law, noting the changes made by new statutes, &c., and regularly perused the current numbers of the Law Chronicle, from 1858, with the maxims and law propositions.

Throughout my clerkship I perused the Law Times, week by week, noting up changes in the law from statutes, decisions, &c., in my books. For the first two or three years I read many of the reports in extenso, but later on found I could not spare the time, and I should hesitate to recommend a young student to devote much time to the reports, though I do not regret having done so myself.

The bulk of my reading was after eight o'clock or so in the evening, not being an early riser; the office work seldom permitting that quiet perusal which I found necessary in order to acquire any permanent and definite legal knowledge.

I, however, found time in office hours for making references to reports and standard authors, cited in the books I read at home, the office library being fairly extensive.

Mindful of the "viginti annorum lucubrationes," I subscribe myself still AN APPRENTICE IN THE LAW.

PS. On perusing my answers, their great length in comparison with the matter they contain has struck me, and I would counsel others to study a much more condensed style of composition than mine, and only regret I cannot give them example as well as precept. The following are the answers referred to. The questions will be found in vol. i., p. 121.

COMMON LAW.

1. Notice must be given to the immediate endorser, and also to all prior endorsers, whom the endorsee seeks to charge. Notice