and Mysore Golds will go stronger, and are good to buy and hold. Moodies Gold have run down a point or two lately, principally because holders are disappointed at the dividend. prospects and because the farm claims are not doing so well as has been anticipated. New Emma Silver and Richmond Consolidated are sure to run up higher. The first-named shares were selling a short time ago at 35., but they are in request now at 75. The Richmond mine is now making a big dividend output, and if it only holds, the mine will be paying the old ro per cent. again.

In the Home Railway Market the late depression is passing away, and I expect to see most of them back to the prices of a month or so ago, always excepting Hull and Barnsley. Chatham, South Eastern, and especially South Westerns will improve, and those who limit their operations to "safe lines" only cannot do better than anticipate better prices.

Mexicans have been having a bad time of it lately, and prices have slipped away tremendously, however, it's the usual cry, bad traffic returns, two of them in succession this time; this is quite enough to account for the fall. We must go in and buy again presently, but not this week; we'll wait a day or two, they are sure to become strong again shortly.

Thursday Evening.

What little is doing to-day has been all in favour of stronger prices. Copper shares are generally higher. Tintos are full of go and seem likely to continue advancing. Mason and Barry, Namaquas and Quebradas also show improvement. In English Rails Metropolitans have gone up and both North British and Midlands look more healthy than they did at the commencement of the week. Chatham and South Easterns are weak. Mexican Rails, too, are still falling and several large bear accounts are opened on the strength of renewed reports of a new opposition being started, which will materially interfere with the old Vera Cruz Railway. American Rails are buoyant, and considerable business is doing in most of them; they seem decidedly the best things now offering any signs in advance. MERCATOR.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Subscriber.-Return to better prices is certain. Buy. W. L. M. (DUDLEY).-No accounts have been rendered nor are likely to be.

T. C.-Cannot tell you. As a shareholder, write to the secretary.

R. WITHERS.-No. I will go better. (2) Get out of it, as it is a rotten investment, though the price will show you a profit if taken

44,

WILLIAM HENRY BUMPUS, STOCKBROKER AND MINING SHARE DEALER, THREADNEEDLE STREET, LONDON, E.C. (Established 20 years at this address), transacts business in Mining Shares of every description. English and Foreign Stocks, Colonial Government Bonds, Railways, Banks, Financial and Miscellaneous Shares, and all Securities dealt in on the London Stock Exchange. Mr. Bumpus devotes Special Attention to Legitimate Mines, and is in a position to afford reliable information and advice to intending investors and others in the selection of Shares either for Investment or Speculation.

The present is a most favourable opportunity for investing in Sound Mining Securities, a judicious purchase of which at the low prices now ruling will, in all probability, result in large profits within the next few months. Cornish Tin Mines-Special Business. Indian Gold Mines, South African Gold and Diamond Mines, Queensland and New Zealand Gold Mines, American Gold Mines, Copper Mines, Lead Mines. Mr. Bumpus has large transactions in the above, and can execute orders at close market prices. for Investment List (free on application). All Business receives Personal Attention. W. H. BUMPUS, 44, Threadneedle Street, London, E.C. (Established 1867). Telegraphic Address :-"Singular, London." THE CENTRAL STOCK EXCHANGE, 57, Charing Cross, S.W.

TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS, "ANTECHAMBER"; TELEPHONE No. 3,235.

Send

SPORT.

NEXT week will be big with the fate of the first of the classic races of the season, as the Two Thousand Guineas is set for decision on Wednesday next. Speculation on the race has only just taken any extensive range, but even now the great favour in which Friar's Balsam is held has fairly checked any great outlay in favour of other candidates. Sir F. Johnstone's colt is without question fully entitled to the position he holds, judged by the form he showed on several occasions last year. He ran in seven races and was never once extended, and at various times beat everything which will oppose him next week, bar his stable companions, Orbit and Ossory, to whom he is known to be superior by the patrons of the stable. Ayrshire, who is second favourite, won five out of seven events, and in the two he failed, defeat came on one occasion from Friar's Balsam, and on the other from Briar-root. The last running need be taken little notice of, seeing that the Duke of Portland's colt ran very green, and was manifestly untrained. When beaten by Friar's Balsam in the New Stakes at Ascot, he was, however, getting into pretty fair condi tion, and seeing that he was beaten pointless in the race there seems little encouragement to expect him to reverse that running. Crowberry, who is owned by that good sportsman, Mr. Vyner, has made a lot of friends lately at Newmarket by his resolute style of galloping, and I rather expect to see him finish in front of Ayrshire in this race, and so wipe out a Goodwood defeat. More interest will be attached to the race than was originally expected, owing to the fact that the Duke of Westminster has decided to slip both his colts. Of the pair I shall expect to see Orbit run far and away the better colt, but do not at all anticipate seeing them make any great bid for victory. Mr. Abington runs his dark colt the Duke of Marlborough, who is by George Frederick-Ma Belle, but if what I hear is true, the colt has very little chance of winning. Indeed, after carefully weighing up the chances held by the various animals engaged, I can come to no other conclusion than that FRIAR'S BALSAM

will win easily, and that he has most to fear from Crowberry and Ayrshire.

Business on the Jubilee Handicap at Kempton has now tak en a much wider range, and though Minting still holds his place as favourite, longer odds are obtainable about him than could be got a week ago. Thunderstorm is also strongly supported, and the people who are backing Mr. Renfrew's colt have evidently every confidence in his winning ability. I drew attention to the chance of this horse immediately after the decision of the Lincoln Handicap, when 20 to I was on offer, so that those who took my advice at the time are now able to obtain good hedging for their money. A change of front in the case of Jewitt's horses is now taking place, Florentine being supported instead of Satiety. This is brought about by a gallop the pair had at Newmarket on Tuesday last, when the four-year-old finished in front of several stable companions in a mile trial. I do not, however, attach much importance to it, as it is very early yet for Jewitt to be able to positively tell his patrons which is the better, Florentine or Satiety. My fancy has all along been for the last-named, and recent proceedings will not disturb that idea. Satiety's form of last season was of a very high order, placing him, as it does, next to Friar's Balsam on public running, and I expect to see this form fully vindicated in the near future.

The Chester Cup remains a dead letter at present, and as far as I can learn not a single bet has been made in connection with it. I expect when books are opened that The Cob will be nearly or quite favourite, and in the actual race he is certain to take a lot of beating. I hear, however, that Kenilworth, trained by l'Anson at Malton, is a greatly improved three-year-old, and is having a special preparation for this event, so I must again repeat my advice of last week that he will be worth backing as soon as books are opened.

My selections at Newmarket must stand as follows: On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales' Plate should fall to MON DROIT; the Visitors' Welter, TOSCANO; the Two Thousand Guineas Trial Stakes, CARDINAL WOLSEY; the Hastings Plate, ANARCH.

DOUBLE ACROSTIC. (No. XVII.)
How will these, when they've got those,
Manage their affairs? Who knows?

1. Three similar initials have we here,

Whether of Court or College is not clear.

II. Son of the Evening Star, when weak and old,
Married tenth daughter of a hunter bold.

III. Sail west from Tutuila sixty miles,

Then look for me 'midst the Samoan Isles. IV. He felt (says Byron) only "like a youth

Picking up shells by the great ocean-Truth." v. Something between a hedgehog and a mole, Which does by night in Madagascar prowl.

VI. How did they keep their Fridays, when they ate
The whole year round the product of the net?

vii. Here did Napoleon a bloody vict'ry gain,
The Austrians fought like heroes, but alas! in vain.

VIII. An insect held in greatest reverence;

"To be" it means in hieroglyphic sense.

Solutions must be posted BEFORE Wednesday.

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S DOUBLE ACROSTIC.

4. A " mug"; the children's Jubilee treat in Hyde Park. 8. "Eyes right, dress!"

Correct answers have been received from Alice, A Merry Family, Anisor, Banco, Beaufort, Bo-Peep, BowStreet-Runner, Busy B., Cactus, Camp, C. C. C., Common Room, Conic, Corisande, Corral, Dalton-le-Dale, Danger Signal, Dickey Sam, Divorçons, Dumaresq, Dum spiro spero, Ediel, Elm, Eversden, Fleur-de-Lys, Forty-eight, Fridoline, Geraldine, Germinal, Go-Bang, Hampton-Courtier, Harley, Here we are again, Hit-or-Miss, Joss, Katydid, Lady-Clara, Lent-Lily, Max, Merrythought, Miss Muffett, Musquash, Muzzy, Notgnisnek, Nox, Oily Gammon, Only Threepence, Pegtop, Prismatic-Compass, Rab, Raree, Reldas, Ryecroft-Hopeville, Sand-Witches, Shaston, South Camp, Suerpo Santo, Syriga, Taltarum, Tenax, Ten-to-Four, The Gables, The Gunner's-Daughter, The Mariner's-Rest, The Missing Link, Thistle, Toucan, Two Heads, Usquebaugh, Wastrel, Wedidit, Westmonastrensis, White Rose, Wimple, Wugs, Yoicks, and Yoko; 77 correct, and 41 incorrect; in all, 118.

Syriga. (Answer received by the second post last Wednesday) is credited to No. XV. in consideration of its being only the second Acrostic of the quarter; but for the Special no allowance can be made.

"The boy" (champagne), now subjected, in common with other wines imported in bottles, to an extra duty of 5s. per dozen. 3. Subsistence on a meagre diet-very suitable to Friday, the day on which PUMP COURT appears!

Correct answers to the above have been received from Eaf, Max, Surbiton, and The Owl; it is still possible that Templar may send a correct answer, in which case he, as well as the four first-named solvers, must try the following. Syriga also sent a correct answer, but as her answer to "Villa-Zirio" did not arrive in time, she is out of the competition.

་

SPECIAL DOUBLE ACROSTIC.
WHEN half my tale on either side is put,
'Tis strange, but it appears more like a foot!
Here there is something elegiac, true-
That is the object to be kept in view.

1. Here, if you come in first, you're sure to win,
Provided that your light is still left in.

II. This is your task in these Acrostic fights;
You've "tied," and must expect some knotty lights.

III. "The Lyon would not leave her desolate,
But with her went along," "a faythfull mate."

VOL. VII.

PUMP COURT. The Temple Newspaper and Review.

PUBLISHER'S NOTICE.

The attention of new Readers is directed to our Subscription Order Form at p. 60.

CURRENTE CALAMO.

De Lege; de Omnibus Rebus et Quibusdam Aliis.

WE hear that Mr. Justice Manisty has become the tenant of Warwick Hall, Carlisle, in succession to Major Howie. The learned judge, who is exceedingly fond of angling, recently visited the mansion, and spent an afternoon in pursuit of his favourite sport.

We are very sorry to learn that Baron Pollock, who has been lying ill for weeks at his house in Montagu Square, is in a very precarious condition, and that his lordship's relations and many friends are seriously alarmed at the state of his health.

It is announced that the following gentlemen will retire by rotation from the Bar Committee on the 9th of June next, viz. :-Sir Horace Davey, Q.C., Mr. R. B. Finlay, Q.C., M.P., Mr. R. A. Bayford, Q.C., Mr. Pitt-Lewis, Q.C., M.P., Mr. H. B. Buckley, Q.C., Mr. W. C. Renshaw, Q.C., Mr. E. W. Byrne, Q.C., and Messrs. H. F. Boyd, G. Farwell, Chadwyck-Healey, Howell Jeffreys, Ingle Joyce, W. W. Knox, E. L. Levett, D. Sturges, and E. P. Wolstenholme. The annual election of members to fill the above vacancies will be held in the week ending the 2nd of June next. Each candidate must be proposed in writing, such writing to be signed by at least ten barristers, and sent not later than the 12th inst. to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. S. H. Lofthouse, at Farrar's Buildings, Temple, where proposal forms may be obtained. If more than sixteen candidates be proposed the election will be by voting papers, to be personally filled up and signed by the electors. Voting papers may be had on application at the chambers of the Hon. Secretary, or at the Common Rooms after the 18th inst. Voting papers, when filled up and signed, must be delivered or sent by post to the Hon. Secretary within the week ending the 2nd of June. Voting papers not so delivered or sent will be void.

IN his charge to the grand jury at the Manchester Assizes, Mr. Justice Charles expressed an opinion that, considering

No. 81.

the frequency of quarter sessions, the holding of three assizes in the year, separated by equal intervals, would satisfy all the requirements of the administration of the criminal' law. The grand jury subsequently submitted a presentment, in which they suggested that the inconvenience of trying trivial and unimportant cases at the assizes might be remedied by the provisions of a bill recently introduced into Parliament, providing that all persons committed for trial at quarter sessions shall be tried at quarter sessions and not elsewhere, except by order of the High Court.

MR. WARMINGTON, Q.C., M.P., has introduced a Bill for the appointment of an "official trustee" to discharge in certain cases the office of trustee, executor, administrator, and other offices of trust. The scheme provides for this officer and a staff of clerks being appointed by the Board of Trade, which would also make regulations for the conduct of business in his office. When anyone desires to appoint this officer to be trustee of any property, the Bill enables him to do so, unless the trust be for some religion or charitable purpose. Where, however, the official trustee's consent is not previously obtained, he need not accept the trust. Under a power of appointing new trustees, the official trustee may also be appointed the sole trustee in place of all the existing, retiring, or deccased trustees, where all the persons beneficially interested assent, or, if they are not of age, where the Chancery Division gives its sanction. With the sanction of the Court also an executor or administrator may transfer the estate to the official trustee for administration. Public property may also be placed by Order in Council under his control. The official trustee is intended to have all the powers, duties, and liaAs to the expenses of his bilities, of an individual trustee. office, the proposal is for them to be defrayed by a certain commission on property received by him in respect of management, collection, and distribution of the trust estate. This commission, however, does not cover costs of litigation and other law costs, &c. With regard to responsibility, the official trustee is made liable to make good all such losses as an individual trustee is now responsible for. The money paid in respect of this liability would, in the first instance, come out of the Consolidated Fund; but, except in cases where the Board of Trade orders otherwise, might be recovered as a debt due to the Crown from the official trustee.

SIR WILLIAM GROVE, known as a conscientious hardworking judge, has returned to his first love, science, off the Bench, and there he is delightful. It was a distinct loss to science that so eminent an experimentalist as the demonstrator of the Convertibility of the Forces should have abstracted himself into the practice of the law; but Sir William has still a considerable reserve of strength, and he evidently returns to science with affectionate sincerity. His recently delivered lecture on "Antagonisms," at the Royal Institution, was charming in its breadth and wealth of illustration. If published in full, it would furnish pabulum and suggestions for an infinity of apologies for things that cross us, and that we do not understand in the sense of harmony and fitness. How often has it occurred to the foolish pate that if omnipotence were a transferable possession "the ravelled sleeve of care" would no longer disturb humanity. But Sir William Grove encompasses in the net of his thought the forces operative in the organic and the inorganic

world; in bacteria and in suns and planets and fathomless spaces of ether; and he illustrates with felicity of comparison how dependent everything in the universe is on antagonism for vitality and change. There is a war in tissues and in currents of blood; there is war between individuals and nations; moral and social forces have their interaction; systems of the stars are related and go on changing by counter pull of forces; even the arrestation of change, due to the death of worlds, may be whirled into potentiality by collisions, in which Sir William beholds an explanation of many phenomena.

WE are very glad to note that Mr. Francis Kerridge Munton, of the firm of Munton and Morris, has, at last, won his stand-up fight against Baron Truro, the Registrar of Middlesex. The judgment, which was delivered by the Lord Chief Justice, the shorthand notes of which, taken by Messrs. Cherer, Bennett and Davis, are now before us, is so important that we publish it in full in another part of this journal. A peremptory writ of mandamus has been awarded, commanding Lord Truro to register Mr. Munton's deed, which his lordship had refused to do.

CONVICTS are notoriously humorous, but the funniest things said by them seldom see daylight. I understand that a recent visitor to a prison remarked to one of the men, "What brought you to this place, my friend?" Convict "Sneezing." Visitor: "Sneezing?" "Yis, sir; Yis, sir; it woke the gentleman up, an' he nabbed me!"

It is rare indeed that fault can be found with the decisions of the Deputy-Judge of the City of London Court, but one which he gave last week certainly calls for comment. A hay-dealer sued for £6 odd, the balance of an account for goods supplied to a customer in the ordinary way of trade. The customer received an account for £87 10s., but because the goods were not packed according to his instructions he deducted an amount, sending a cheque for £81 5s. "in full settlement of the account." The hay merchant, while accepting the cheque (and, of course, the terms imposed upon it), sent a receipt " in part payment on account." Hitherto it has been held that either the creditor must receive the cheque with the conditions imposed upon it, or return it. But the Deputy-Judge thought differently, and found for the plaintiff for the balance of the account, remarking that it was utterly ridiculous to suggest a man could not receive a cheque upon which his customer had imposed terms, pay it into the bank, and entirely disregard the conditions. The defendant, too, was mulcted in costs.

THE law of husband and wife, whether here or abroad, is always a delicate matter, and all decisions bearing on the point call for special notice. Last year the Conference of Lawyers in France gave judgment that a husband has the right to control his wife's correspondence, and that, if he is so minded, he may open any letter she may write or receive. A similar case has just been tried, and now, as then, they have decided against the ladies. The question over which the discussion has waxed hot was, whether a woman may publish a literary work, or have a dramatic work performed, without the consent of her husband. Such a case, it appears, has never been provided for by the French law; But, say the lawyers, our civil code commands that a woman should obey her husband in all things, and in the same document it is written that a woman may not, without having the authorisation of her husband, enter into any contract. Now it is plain that no literary work could be published, nor play performed, without some contract being made with the publisher or the theatrical manager; therefore the husband remains master of the situation. What next? And here are Lamartine's words staring them in the face: "If God, as He has often done before, still puts the torch of genius into the hands of certain women, it would be brutal and barbaric if we forbade them to enlighten and to flash upon their century." And here are a number of cultured

Frenchmen calmly encouraging the extinction of the "torch of genius!" Truly, when the galants par excellence fail thus in their duty, what can be expected of the rest of mankind ?

It is all very well for the Globe to complain that the public appetite for judges appears to grow with indulgence, but we presume the legal business of the country must be properly carried out. It is true that we have a great many judges now, numbering, when the county courts are included, as indeed they must be, nearly seven times as many as were thought enough to deal with the judicial work of England some forty years ago; and it is certainly remarkable that the more we multiply our judges, the faster grows our law business, and, in consequence, their arrears; but the proposal to appoint yet another judge is supported on the special ground that the expected influx of railway business will absorb a good deal more attention than can be spared from other matters.

WE fear, says our respected contemporary, that attempts to keep down the work of the courts by increasing the staff of judges are hopeless by their very nature. It is a phenomenon of humanity that the more men are set to do a given amount of work, the less is done individually. As much work is done as before, only each workman does less of it. We are used to arrears and delays, and do not grumble very much -collectively, at least-unless they become very extravagant indeed; such things are expected, while it is scarcely to be expected that judges should toil like galley slaves. Probably their work would suffer if they did; and it is a truism that the average quality of the bench must necessarily suffer in proportion to its numerical extent. Rearrangement of work has never been fairly tried; and, with an experience which covers well-nigh every possible combination of blunder and bungle, we ought now to be able to devise some system reasonably free from errors.

THE Globe is a reliable mentor as a rule, but it has not hit the gold in this case, nor is it correct to say that the presumption is always against increasing the number of judges; and the larger this is, the stronger such presumption becomes. The public are for ever complaining of the law's delay. They certainly, and logically, should welcome any move in the direction of obviating this most inconvenient fact.

We are more than glad to see that the vexed question of the right of the rowdy Salvation Army to "procesh noisily through the streets is to be settled once for all. Mr. C. C. Macrae, a barrister, residing in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, applied to Mr. d'Eyncourt the other day for a summons against the leader of a Salvation Army band, which nightly disturbed his peace by playing on the Chelsea Embankment outside his house. The Salvationists shouted and played-one of the instruments being a large drum-causing a crowd to assemble, and he asked for a summons for obstructing the Queen's highway, as he thought this was the best way to put an end to the nuisance, which was intolerable. There was a recent decision of the judges of the Queen's Bench Division, upholding the conviction of a member of the "Army" for obstructing the highway, although such obstruction was not sufficient to prevent persons from using the thoroughfare. The Court held that it was sufficient to stand in the highway without proving an obstruction in fact. He could not pretend that there was an actual obstruction of the traffic in this case, for the Embankment was very wide opposite his house. Mr. d'Eyncourt remarked: You say that anyone who prevents the free use of the highway is an offender? Mr. Macrae : Yes. This annoyance goes on nightly, and I ask for a summons against the person who admits the responsibility of it. Mr. d'Eyncourt granted a summons for an obstruction on a specific day, and Mr. Macrae embodied his complaint in a sworn information.

It is well-known that in French journalism all the most important articles in the French newspapers are signed by the writers, which vests the copyright in the author, and he may then either dispose of them or republish as he likes. Some articles there are, however, which are not signed, inter alia law reports, and it was evidently the fact of these not being authenticated by the writer's name which induced a Parisian almanack publisher to believe that he could republish them in his almanack with impunity. He had reprinted from the pages of La Loi reports of some of the most striking cases tried in the police and law courts, and the attention of the proprietors of La Loi having been called to the fact, they instituted proceedings. In his defence the almanack publisher urged that only the authors could obtain redress for any injury done, and as they were anonymous, and did not move, no action against him would lie. The court thought otherwise, and held that a writer for the press, because he is anonymous, does not lose the rights and privileges which the law of copyright bestows on him; he on the contrary delegates or assigns them to his journal, which will protect itself against unauthorised infringements.

A PREFERENCE shareholder who was also an ordinary shareholder, applied recently in Kehol v. Waterford and Limerick Railway Co., to the Master of the Rolls in Ireland for an injunction to restrain payment of a dividend to the preference shareholders until certain necessary repairs in the rolling stock of the Company were effected. The profits of the Company for the half-year would only suffice to pay a dividend to the preference shareholders, leaving nothing for the ordinary shareholders. The plaintiffs contention was that the Company having permitted their rolling stock to be diminished, the company's capital had deteriorated and it ought to be made up prior to the payment of any dividend, otherwise the payment of a dividend would be a payment out of capital. The Master of the Rolls refused the application, saying that the question was one for the discretion of the shareholders; and he could not hold that a shareholder was entitled to come into the Court of Chancery, and stop a dividend until a number of waggons which happen to be out of repair are put into good order and condition.

"You can only give me three months," said a Liverpool youth who was charged with stealing five shillings from a public-house till-and three months he got; but it was rather remarkable that he should have had the impudence to dictate his sentence, and that the bench should have acquiesced. Before committing the theft, the youth had evidently considered what the penalty would be, and, though as a rule a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, in this case a little legal knowledge had enabled this young rascal to weigh the consequences of his crime, before committing it.

In the recent case of Jones v. Andrew and Company, Mr. Justice Chitty had made an order allowing the defendants to seal up such portions of the books of the firm as the defendants swore in their affidavit did not relate to the matter in question in the action-and at the same time gave a limited order to unseal certain documents set forth in an affidavit of discovery. The plaintiffs appealed from this order, relying upon the fact that the learned judge had ordered the defendant to unseal certain documents which they had sealed up. Lord Justice Cotton, however, before whom this case came on appeal, held that this was discovery, and the person seeking discovery was bound by the oath of the person against whom discovery was sought, unless the Court should come to the conclusion that the affidavit did not truly state the rule with reference to the documents. If the Court saw that there must be further documents in the person's possession, or that portions of the document had been sealed up which related to the matter in dispute, the Court would see that justice was done, and would require a further affidavit to be made. In the present case the Court saw no reason to disbelieve the oath of the defendant, and the appeal would be dismissed.

IN a cockfighting case at the Manchester Police Court a summons had been taken out under the Towns Police Clauses Act, which charged the defendants with being proprietors of the place where the fight was to take place. This was an empty shop, of which one of the prisoners had obtained the key. The stipendiary held that the prisoner was a tenant within the meaning of the Act, and that no continuity of tenancy, as contended, need be proved.

THE pros and cons of the question of publicans' licenses compensation multiply apace. An important judgment having a direct bearing on the compensation question was given on Monday by Justices Field and Wills. At the general annual licensing meeting in September last William Ridding applied to the Westmoreland justices for the renewal of the license of the Low Bridge Inn at Kentmere. The application was refused. Against this decision there was an appeal to Sessions, and it was contended that the justices were not entitled, upon an application for a renewal of the license of a house against which there was no complaint, to inquire into the question of the wants of the neighbourhood and to refuse the renewal upon that ground. The Court of Quarter Sessions, however, upheld the decision of the justices below, and from the decision at Quarter Sessions, the matter came before their lordships by way of further appeal. The matter was argued at length some days ago. Justice Field, in the course of an elaborate judgment, said the question turned upon the construction to be put upon the Act of 1828, for he could not find, as had been contended, that either legislation or the construction placed upon statutes by judges, had limited the discretion of the justices as applicable to this case. He had always understood that the justices had a very large and wide discretion, and he was surprised to hear it said that the withholding this license was not within the competence of the justices. The Act of 1828 said that the justices should meet annually for the purpose of granting licenses to persons keeping or about to keep inns, alehouses, or victualling houses, and they were to grant licenses to such persons as they should, in the exercise of their discretion, think fit and proper. It was said that these words limited the discretion of the justices to this: to consider whether the applicant for the license was a proper person and the premises were also proper for the purpose. Section 9, however, said that they should have full power to decide touching the granting, withholding, or transferring of any license, and also to decide upon the fitness of the person. His lordship went in detail through the provisions of the Beer House Acts of 1830 and 1869, and the General Acts of 1872 and 1874, and also through various decided cases. In conclusion he said that he saw no reason either upon the old statutes or the new statutes, upon the old cases or the new cases, to throw the smallest doubt upon the proposition that, in granting a license, whether a new one, or one by way of renewal, the justices had absolute discretion. The appeal must, therefore, be dismissed with costs.

MR. AXEL GUSTAFSON, the tall young Swedish teetotal advocate with the enormous head of bushy hair, writing to the Manchester Guardian on the subject of the compensating clause of the sweeping Local Government Bill, says: "I fearlessly challenge the Government and its supporters to produce a single case in which a superior court, in reversing a decision to refuse renewal of licence by the licensing magistrates, had done so on the ground that the magistrates had no right or power to refuse such renewal unless for fault shown." To this Sir Edward Clarke replies, referring to the Market Bosworth case which we mentioned in these columns last week:-" If Mr. Gustafson will refer to the Justice of the Peace of Saturday, 9 July, 1887, he will find a report of the only case which, as far as I know, has specifically decided the point in dispute. The facts are those stated in the head-note of the case-At the general annual licensing meeting in 1885, P., the holder of a publican's license in the country, was refused a renewal of his license, though he had never