LAW BOOKSELLER AND PUBLISHER, 67, CHANCERY LANE, SOLD BY SHERWOOD AND CO., PATERNOSTER ROW; AND HODGES AND SMITH, DUBLIN. 1843. NOTE TO VOL. XXV. AT the close of our twenty-fifth volume we may, perhaps, be excused for saying a few words by way of what should rather be called a Postscript than a Preface. We know not that our readers in general will share our feelings, but we cannot help looking back on our past labours with great satisfaction. We do not think it can be said that we have left unfulfilled any pledge that we originally made; nay, we venture to say that we have placed the LEGAL OBSERVER on a much broader ground than that which we at first laid down to ourselves. We have endeavoured to render it the organ of the whole profession. The only means of doing this effectually was to procure the services of each department of that profession, and, after twelve years' experience, we may take to ourselves the merit of knowing its wants and wishes. It may indeed be said that we advocate these too exclusively; but it is only right that the interests of all great professions should be adequately represented. For what is meant by the administration of the law? Simply, protection for life, liberty, and property. And what are involved in that apparently narrow range, the interests of the profession?- the impartiality of the bench, the independence of the bar, the trustworthiness and fearlessness of the attorney; aye, and more than that, the carrying on the common dealings of mankind with safety and propriety; the security of the state; the well-ordering of the whole commonwealth. We take no shame to ourselves, therefore, in professing to represent the exclusive interests of the profession, for in doing this, we are, in fact, supporting all that is most valuable in the institutions of the country. This then has been, and will be, our great end and aim. But there have been several minor points to which we have particularly directed our attention. We have laboured to improve the great sources of the common law, and not without success. We have ourselves given early and concise reports, and have freely pointed out the defects to which the existing system of law-reporting was subject. We are much pleased to be able to say that our efforts have not been entirely in vain. There is still room for improvement; but we gladly admit that the cases are shorter and earlier reported than when we commenced our labours. We still, however, complain of two regular series of Reports in all the Common Law Courts, besides various other series, now daily becoming more numerous; and we can only say further as to this, that the profession has the remedy in their own hands, and we advise them to apply it. We have further endeavoured to unite all branches of the profession. Link within link, we stand, from the Lord Chancellor to the youngest and humblest clerk; and the chain is broken by an injury to any of its parts. "Knowledge is power," and the powerful will always have their enemies. We must resist them, not by quarrelling a 2 |