Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/282

 Rh the sources of the jurisdiction of the court, the es tablishment of the court itself, and then, dividing his subject into epochs, he traces its history to the pres ent time. Its most important decisions are recalled and commented upon, and many interesting incidents are reverted to. Brief but admirable biographical sketches are given of all Chief and Associate Jus tices, displaying a vast amount of research and inves tigation by the learned author. Since the publication of the first edition important events have occurred, which are alluded to and com mented on in the present work, — the establishment of the Circuit Courts of Appeal, the death of Mr. Justice Bradley, the appointment of Hon. George Shiras, Jr. as his successor, — beside which many important decisions have been rendered, all of which are mentioned in the present text, while the citation of leading cases has been brought down to date of publication. But while the text is one vast mine of legal informa tion, the illustrations, which include portraits, with autographs, of every Chief and Associate Justice who has ever sat upon the Bench, give an incalcula ble value to the work. Fifty-four finely executed etchings make up this portrait-gallery, each one of them being a veritable work of art. The dividing the work into two volumes was a happy thought on the part of the publishers, as it is now much better adapted to the use of the general reader and students, while the beauty of the plates is in no way sacrificed. Mr. Carson deserves the thanks of the bench, the bar. and the country for this monumental work. It should be in every library; every student of Ameri can history should possess a copy, and, above all, it should be in the hands of every lawyer in the land.

COMMENTARIES ON THE LAW OF PUBLIC CORPORA TIONS, including Municipal Corporations and political or governmental Corporations of every class. By Charles Fiske Beach, Jr., of the New York Bar. The Bowen-Merrill Company, In dianapolis, 1893. Two vols. Law Sheep, $12.00 net. In this new work, Mr. Beach has undertaken to make a treatise covering the entire field of public Company law in all its details. Such a task is a stupendous one, — requiring the most Careful and exhaustive research as well as sound judgment and discrimination. How well these requirements have been met, it is of course impossible to say, from a mere cursory examination of a treatise of such mag nitude. The true test can come only from actual trial in active practice. We are, however, of the opinion that the work is one of real merit, and it seems to us the best that Mr. Beach has yet pro

255

duced. The propositions are clearly and succinctly stated, and are all backed by abundant citations. This will be evident when we state that the table of cases alone fills more than two hundred pages. The arrangement is excellent, and the catch-lines of the different sections brief and to the point. The index is very full, and leaves but little to be desired. That little is in regard to Cross-References, of which there are more than are to our liking, though we admit this seems to be the method adopted in indexing the most of our law-books. We hope the time will come when, if we turn, for instance, to "AGENTS," we shall not be told to " see OFFICERS AND AGENTS; PERSONAL LIABILITY; RESPONDEAT SUPERIOR," but shall find just what we want right there under the heading itself. It will take a little more space and some repetition; but what a convenience it will be for the hurried lawyer. All this, however, is a matter of opinion, and does not affect the merits of the treatise itself. We commend this work of Mr. Beach to the profession, and feel sure that they will find it of much value and assistance.

To LEEWARD. By F. Marion Crawford. Macmillan & Co., New York, 1893. Cloth, $1.00. This story of Mr. Crawford's was published some years since, and while, perhaps, not equal to some of his later works, it is nevertheless a story of no little power and of great interest. Messrs. MacMillan & Co. are doing a praiseworthy work in furnishing the public an excellent uniform edition of this author's popular books.

PATENTABLE INVENTION. By EDWARD S. RENWICK, Civil and Mechanical Engineer and Expert in Patent Causes. The Lawyers' Co operative Publishing Co., Rochester, N. Y., 1893. Law sheep, $2.00. We have read with much interest this work of Mr. Renwick's, as it deals with the law of patents from a different point of view from most treatises on the subject. The views of one who has had experi ence as an expert in patent litigation for the past twenty years cannot fail to have much of practical value in them; and the profession will derive much assistance from this treatise in determining the allimportant question as to whether or not any certain invention is patentable? The book is written in a clear, concise, and logical manner, and the various subjects treated are illustrated by typical cases.

A TREATISE ON THE LAW OF TAX TITLES : Their creation, incidents, evidence, and legal criteria. By HENRY CAMPBELL BLACK. Second edition,