The publishers announce in their advertisement that "the object of this series is not merely to give a number of unconnected narratives of men in American political life, but to produce books which shall, when taken together, indicate the lines of political thought and development in American history - books embodying in compact form the result of extensive study of the many and diverse influences which have combined to shape the political history of our country." The series thus far numbers eleven volumes, as follows: John Quincy Adams, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, by John T. Morse, Jr.; Alexander Hamilton, Daniel Webster, by Henry Cabot Lodge; John C. Calhoun, by H. von Holst; Andrew Jackson, by W. G. Sumner; John Randolph, by Henry Adams; James Monroe, by Daniel C. Gilman; Albert Gallatin, by John Austin Stevens; James Madison, by Syndney Howard Gay. Marshall, by A. B. Magruder. Clay, by Carl Schurz; and Van Buren, by William Dorsheimer, are announced as in preparation. The selection of subjects thus far is judicious; indeed, almost inevitable, unless perhaps the biography of Gallatin might have been spared, and it is a little doubtful whether Randolph was a 66 statesman." In respect to the treatment we can speak with almost unqualified praise. These are by no means biographies in the hackneyed sense, but rather studies by competent scholars and critics of the career of these distinguished men, written with a great deal of insight and impartiality. The reader will find these the first American biographies not tinged by heroworship. We have been most forcibly struck by the calmness of their style and the severity of their judgments. This is particularly noticeable in Mr. Lodge's sketches of Webster and Hamilton. A friendly warmth and exaggeration might well be pardoned in respect to these two brilliant men, but Mr. Lodge is not for a moment betrayed from the coolness of the judge into the panegyric of the advocate. He deals most honestly with Webster's great faults, and has the courage to rate his legal acquirements at their true worth. The sketches of Randolph and Jackson are among the most readable and vigorous. Nearly all American statesmen have been lawyers. There are still a great many contingent statesmen in the ranks of the lawyers. To all lawyers the biographies of statesmen are of the greatest value and interest, and we do not know of any other source of information about these great men at once so concise, s0 trustworthy and so entertaining as the present series. Nearly all of the series have passed more than one edition, some of them as many as six or seven. They deserve this marked success, and we cordially recommend them to the legal profession. The books are handsomely printed, and are of convenient size-16 mo. THEA COURT OF APPEALS DECISIONS. HE following decisions were handed down Friday, Dec. 19, 1884: Judgments affirmed with costs-Charles F. Nichols, respondent, v. Weed Sewing Machine Co., appellant; Thomas Eames, appellant, v. City of Brooklyn, respondent; John Food, appellant, v. James Dooley, respondent; Victory Webb, etc., Manufacturing Co., appellant, v. John B. Foord and another, respondents; Same v. H. W. Beecher; William H. Popham, respondent, v. Twenty-third Street R. Co., appellant; Union Dime Savings Institution, respondent, v. Thomas L. Sanford, appellant. -Motion to put on preferred calendar denied with costs-Carl F. W. Busch and another v. Mary Busch.-Motion to revive action granted without costs-Cyrus H. McCormick, respondent, v. Pennsylvania Central R. Co., appellant. Ordered, that a calendar be made for a term of this court to be held at the Capitol, in the city of Albany, on Monday, the 19th day of January, 1885, on which shall be placed only those cases in which the returns and notices of argument, with proof of service, shall have been filed with the clerk of this court on or before Wednesday, the 31st day of December, 1884. Α NOTES. MAN named Corset has tried to kill himself by cutting his throat. That certainly is the appropriate way for a man of that name to kill himself.— Example of French wit brought out by the new di vorce law: Husband and wife present themselves before the divorce court. "What do you want, madame?" "Divorce from that wretch." "And you, sir?" "Divorce from that vixen." "The decree is refused; there is no incompatibility of temper. You both seem to be perfectly agreed. Call the next case." -Where the money had gone: "As I was coming home from the lawyer's to-day I noticed the most beautiful sealskin sacque. It cost only $300." "Why did'nt you buy it, my dear?" "I was just coming away from the lawyer's," I said. "Oh! "-Graphic. -The 56th Vermont Reports is an interesting and well edited volume. We found thirteen cases in it which we deemed of enough general importance and interest to go into the American Reports. This is a large number. Mr. Palmer, the reporter, is doing his work well, and the court is fully up to the high New England standard of ability. BALLADE OF THE GENERAL TERM. I see the learned counsel there That court I haunt, not that I care And on the court's hard benches squirm, Envoy I look at him with dire dismay, -E. S. M., in Life. 502 102 241 civil service examination;Washington'unable to pass 162 101 101 142 .... Hoadley, Governor, address before Yale Law School 141 481 Huddleston, Baron, charge of, in case of "Mignon- 441 English Law Magazine and Review on unofficial 481 code of civil procedure; evidence; pamphlet by 441 Illinois reports little cited, considering her wealth 201 "The evils of," toast responded to at American income of lawyers; the profession not well paid 192 382 181 report of committee of New York Bar Associa- 1 extract from Gov. Hoadley's address on; incident of common law pleading... Kentucky Bar Association, action of, on Coleridge, Lord, extract from letter to the editor, Coleridge-Adams libel suit; setting aside verdict.. 141 Indictment of newspapers for mistaken opinion on 421 infant, bicycle may be necessary for.. 362 concertinas, playing of, or any musical instruments 241 282 (Eng.) keeping up with business of courts, Law international copyright and doctrine of trade-mark, Jackson, Chief Justice, of Georgia, "flue writing" by, 301 their Latin and their grammar of county courts in England and Wales hereafter 281 41 181 21 401 three in Mignonette" case, no difficulty in pro- 462 citing cases largely from their own States, in New 261 321 321 222 Drummond, Judge, anecdotes reported of. 61 fault of, in having reported sexual cases at denial of anecdotes of self.. 101 citing reporter's names, Central Law Journal on, 32 261 401 342 England, much to learn from United States and 262 judicial ignorance, Canadian Law Times on; beating fol on.. 342 "leading cases simplified," John D. Lawson, work on, 21 21 poem, variation of 61 41 301 81 legislation, prevention of defective, Simon Sterne on 181 221 lines to a Gutter-Snipe," 442 121 142 Meigs, William M., on abolishing the right of appeal. 42 Terry, Prof. H. T., work by, on some leading prin- some of his suggestions on codification.. 101 442 441 cannibal case, no difficulty in pronouncing mur- setting aside of, by Justice Manisty, in Adams- 442 462 Virginia reports, improvements in.. Wade, Chief Justice of Montana, experience of stage- 401 161 Waite, Chief Justice, newspaper story of. 81 Washington, his spelling of clothes, unable to pass 162 mushrooms decided by magistrates of Rugby (Eng.), 282 musical instruments, playing of, prohibited by local 281 obscene photographs, sale of; opinion of artistic newspapers, indictment of, for mistaken opinion on 421 Watson, Lord, on what constitutes temperate habits, 462 382 181 302 402 Wood, Mr. George, of New York, tribute to, by Jus- 322 Oregon, citation of, as "Oreg." indorsed by author 221 Young, Mr. Edwin, on the jury in modern corporate 421 221 80 Peckham, Judge, reference to portrait of, in Court 221 pension, of judges, disagreement with opinion of 361 Philosophy of Punishment for Crime, the, Chief 481 Pierrepont, Judge, remarks of, commemorative of FINANCIAL LAW. Abstracts of decisions.. 58, 139 121 FOLGER, SECRETARY, portrait of, in Court of 221 21 .... portraits of Secretary Folger and Judge Peckham in Post-office Protection Act, English. 441 GILHOOLY, ANDREW, on remedies for defective paper read before American Bar Association by ture 286 181 "Private Corporations in America. their Rise and 142 421 "HINT TO QUEEN'S COUNSEL," song.... ... 4 punishment, theory of, by Prof. Wayland.. 382 382 401 INFANTS, recently held in England, that ivory and reporting at length of rape cases, Central Law Jour- 382 reports, cited under reporter instead of State.. 321 reporters not so much to blame as judges for report- cited instead of State, by judges, Central Law Journal on.. 382 right of appeal, cutting off of, in small cases, Lord 221 IOWA Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent American KANSAS Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent Ameri 302 robbery, stage coach, experience of Chief Justice KARSLAKE, SIR JOHN.. Lawson, John D., on presumptions from alterations 245 55, 79, 118, 136, 179, 235, 298, 356 .... Kansas Supreme Court.... 16, 156, 238, 298, 355, 453, 515 398, 418 sel 100 Levi, J. C., on service of surrogate's citations.. 265 New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeal 475 458 New Jersey Supreme Court.. 54, 177 Neilson's memories of Rufus Choate. 404 New York Court of Appeals...36, 77, 93, 113, 219, 294, 355 Old cases reviewed, the case of the nine members.. 344 384 Ohio Supreme Court. The true story of Ophelia, or the death of Miss Ohio Supreme Court Coun.. 371, 412, 472, 493 505 Oregon Supreme Court 396 Parker, Courtlandt, conclusion of his address before Pennsylvania Supreme Court.... .39, 56, 98, 115, 156, 178 204 Partnership, by participation in profits, Guy C. H. Rhode Island Supreme Court 26 Presumptions from alterations of instruments, John Texas Commission of Appeals 236, 377, 439, 514 17 245 Presumption of intent, the, John D. Lawson on.. 66 of payment, the, John D. Lawson on..... 84, 103, 124 223 45 United States Circuit Court...53, 78, 95, 113, 175, 234, 257 Vermont Supreme Court.... For subjects see Index-Digest. SCENE IN AN ENGLISH COURT. Sentenced SKETCH IN AN AMERICAN COURT. 177 .38, 57, 137, 317 MASSACHUSETTS Supreme Judicial Court Ab- 339 140 100 See General Term. STATUTE OF FRAUDS, Reed on... 100 MICHIGAN Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent MILLER, J. B., on Mr. Fowler's pamphlet...... MISSOURI Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent NEBRASKA Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent NEVADA Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent Ameri- NEW JERSEY Court of Chancery (see Recent Amer- Court of Errors and Appeals Abstract (see Recent Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent American De- NEW YORK Court of Appeals Abstract (see Recent Court of Appeals Decisions handed down (June 27), OHIO Supreme Court Com. (see Recent American De- OREGON Supreme Court Abstract (see Recent Ameri- |