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 Rh the local bar and nominate for the defence learn ing-boys and pleaders who seldom hold any brief in court. This is utterly wrong. The object of this concession is that the prisoner shall have professional assistance, and he ought to have the best professional assistance that can be obtained for the money. A man's life is not a subject for experimental assays of the skill of untried plead ers. The judge ought to nominate for the de fence the best pleaders that can be induced to accept the work for the fee that is given."

fitttnt SDeatffttf. Sir William Johnston Ritchie, Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, died at Ottawa. September 27, aged seventy-nine years. Sir William came of an illustrious legal family, his father having been Chief-Justice of Nova Scotia, a position now held by a younger brother. He was called to the bar of New Brunswick in 1838, and became Queen's Counsel in 1854. In the latter year he was named a member of the Executive Council of New Brunswick, and in 1855 he became a Puisne Judge of the Provin cial Supreme Court. Ten years later he was ap pointed Chief-Justice of the same court. In 1875 he was called to the Federal Supreme Court at Ottawa, and in 1879 he succeeded Sir Buell Rich ards as Chief-Justice. Her Majesty conferred upon him the honor of Knighthood in 1881. (A portrait of Sir William J Ritchie was pub lished in the " Green Bag," June, 1890.)

the defaulting clerk in the State Treasurer's office. He retired from political life at the end of his term. He was famed for his thorough prepara tion of his cases, and won a notable reputation during the Jesse Billings murder trial. Mr. Moak's contributions to legal literature have been very extensive. (An excellent portrait of Mr. Moak was pub lished in the "Green Bag," April, 1890.)

Hon. Francis Kernan, an eminent lawyer of New York State, died in Utica, N. Y., on Sep tember 7. He was born in Steuben County, N. Y., Jan. 14, 18 16. He received his education at the Georgetown College in the District of Columbia, and chose the law for his profession, settling at Utica, N. Y. He held for a time the office of Reporter of the Court of Appeals in New York State, and was elected to the Legislature. In 1862 he was nominated by his party for Congress in the Oneida District, Roscoe Conkling opposing him. The contest was a very bitter one, but Ker nan was successful. In 1872 he was nominated for Governor, but was defeated by John A. Dix. When his party gained control of the Legislature by the election of 1874, the senatorship was con ceded to Francis Kernan, and he was elected in January of the following year. After his term in the Senate expired, Mr. Kernan resumed the prac tice of his profession in Utica. in which he con tinued until he retired from all active work some five or six years ago.

REVIEWS. Nathaniel Cleveland Moak, one of the bestknown lawyers in the State of New York, died at his home in Albany, N.Y., on September 17. He was born in Sharon, Otsego County, Oct. 3, 1833, and worked his way up from a farm hand to a creditable position in the legal profession. He studied law with James E. Dewey of Cherry Val ley, and was admitted to the bar in 1856. In 1867 he went to Albany as partner in the firm of Smith, Bancroft & Moak. In 1871 Mr. Moak was elected District Attorney of Albany County, and during his term of office prosecuted the cele brated Lowenstein murder case, and that of Phelps,

An article of immediate and almost sensational interest is Professor Jenks's paper on " Money in Practical Politics," in the October Century, de scribing the methods, shamefully common, in what are called " practical politics " in this country. The opening paper of the number is a very striking piece of autobiography by Archibald Forbes, the famous war correspondent, who de scribes in the first of a series of two papers what he saw of the Paris Commune. Harry Fenn very curiously illustrates a paper by Charles Howard Shinn on " Picturesque Plant Life of California."