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and silver mine salting is an industry of some antiquity. Some years ago an expert in the business got shot in Buenos Ayres on his way to the Cordilleras, and made some bad disclosures. There was no silver at the mines, except what he had taken there, and fortunately there was no other. In the district there was neither coal nor wood, and the expense of carrying the silver-bearing stone for several hundred miles on the backs of mules would have exceeded any possible price to be obtained. Yet no better authenticated mines were ever placed upon the market, no more seductive prospectuses were ever published. As to the gold received from South Africa, its sum is still small; so small is it that no one has the hardihood to present the aggregate. Now and then unauthenticated reports are copied from the Cape and other newspapers, which may be only the loose, windy conjectures of miners, whispered into the long ears of penny-a-liners. Nor do we know how much gold has gone from the Bank of England to South Africa. From time to time large sums have gone; but it would not do, we presume, to make the exports and imports a matter of account-so much gone, so much come, balance nil.

That staid jobbers or dealers within the Stock Exchange should for the present give up the Consol, the foreign, and the rail markets for the Kaffir Circus, and that frisky youngsters, bareheaded, with note-books in hand, should be found making constant pilgrimages to and from Capelcourt to Hatton-garden, is consistent with human nature. We all, each after his own manner, seek to make money, and when pounds and pounds per day have become the rule in Kaffir Circus, who is to rest content with halfcrowns and less in the other markets of the Stock Exchange? Still the migration to the Kaffir Circus does not prove that this or that South African gold mine is good or bad; still less does it prove that more gold has been received from the South African gold mines than has been expended on them. Then there are the heavy English, American, Belgian, and German bills for steam engines, boilers, stamps, amalgamators, etc.; the bullock-cart transport of these ponderous implements over a distance of six hundred miles, at an average charge of sixpence per pound; and last, the not less heavy charge for skilled workmen to erect the implements and afterwards to run them. Put together these different items, and to them add the subscribed capital for the various gold mines; and afterwards we can only question ourselves whether so large an outlay for such a purpose as gold production is at all rational, seeing the fractional and steadily diminishing use nowadays made of gold in the business and commerce of the world. It seems almost that the outlays on South African gold mining approximate to a sum which would cover the expenditure on a decent European war; and as yet the major return is but doubtful gold share transfers.

THE AUCTION MART.

MR. WALTER HILL has sold at his offices two reversions which had been advertised: one on the decease of a lady 62 years old, in £8,155 Four and a Half Debenture stock of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway; another of a lady 63 years old, in £842 Great Eastern Four and a Half Consolidated and Guaranteed, and in £2,031 Four and a Half Debenture stock of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway. The coincidences of age and stock are curious, and no doubt the purchases were made on fair terms by one of the insurance offices. But still more curious must be the purposes of these sales; the ladies may be selling out with a view to emigration to Australia, and matrimonial designs upon old squatters; the South African boom may have touched them, and they may be now running after stockbrokers' clerks for the latest tips; or they may be going into the public-house business, which everywhere is receiving the paint-brush for higher valuations when by Act of Parliament we are all made teetotalers. How instructive it would be to know! how unfair of Mr. Walter Hill to give us only onehalf of the story, that, namely, of the selling of the reversions. On hand, Mr. Walter Hill has a nice little assortment of house properties of a minor class, in fairly good neighbourhoods, as at Putney Bridge; and he also has a doctor's place up Camden Town way. The doctor's place

has a strong claim upon the attention of out-of-work medical men, who have had the good fortune to marry into rich families, Camden Town being a great, well-to-do population centre. Dr. Scott had a large practice, and he also had a shop from which drugs were dispensed largely. The dwelling-houses at Putney Bridge must now be taken with this grain of salt, that there is no longer a Wimbledon shooting-place, and that, with its withdrawal, the wind is taken out of various Putney things. No new shooting people will go there, and the old shooting people will get out of the place as soon as leases and agreements will permit them. But for the ebb and flow of tide twice in every four-and-twenty hours, Putney would be a more desirable place than it is, as when the tide is down it has the exposed frontage of the biggest dust-bin heap in London. Anyone contemplating permanent residence in Putney should first petition the Bishop of London to get the dust-bin heap removed.

Messrs. Robert W. Mann and Son announce that the Ovingdean estate of 326 acres, at Brighton, has not been sold, and that now it may be treated for privately. Was there a single bid for it? was the reserve price too high? has building speculation cooled down? are the building societies overloaded? has Brighton itself been temporarily overdone? We must apologise for inability to answer these and an equal number of questions not enumerated. The future of Brighton is a railway question; and railway questions are just now complicated with such considerations as the relative cost of first and third class passengers, and the problematical advantages of doing away with the second-class distinction, as already done by the Midland Railway. In 1883 the London and Brighton Railway carried two millions odd first-class passengers, and in 1887 In 1883 it carried three millions only one million odd.

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odd second-class passengers, with half a million decrease in 1887. In 1883 it carried thirty-five millions odd thirdclass passengers, and only thirty-three millions odd in 1887. In short, Brighton is going down instead of up, and until the passenger traffic is restored to healthy action, the Ovingdean estate should be left on the hands of its present owners. In short, no one should go to Brighton until common-sense is introduced into its railway administration. Without its third-class passenger traffic the London and Brighton Railway would at once pass into the hands of a receiver, and yet it treats its third-class passengers in the shabbiest of the many ways in which it is possible to be shabby. Keep away from Brighton, we say, until the present management is frozen out, when pray return to it in annually increasing millions.

Messrs. Biddell and Blencowe offer the Suffolk estate of the Marquis of Bristol, known as the Nowton Hall estate. With the estate goes the advowson of Nowton, with its nine acres of glebe, and commuted tithe of £347 per annum. Tithes have a rough future before them after last week's experience in Parliament. Who is to pay them is the question of the time, and very likely the Marquis of Bristol is now realising the well-known fact that in life we err more frequently from pernicious caution than from sheer recklessness. We are all too slow, and are all in need of go. The Nowton advowson would have fetched more money ten days ago, and ten days' hence no parson may be fool enough to bid for it. Business is business, and when a man lays out his money on an advowson, as on other things, he wants to know how he is to get it back again. The Welsh, who have the tithe question in hand, are just the people to worry it to death, and they are bound to do it. Nowton Hall is a fine compact property near Bury St. Edmunds, of 244 acres, just the place for a returned colonist with sense enough to give up agriculture and well-matured plans for early strawberries and jammaking, and for eggs and poultry. There is no end of money in such an occupation upon one's own land, Kent having prospered for years on strawberries, and Belgium having prospered for even a longer period on eggs and poultry. There are, in addition, five minor farm properties, running from thirty to sixty and one hundred acres, each of which in the same way might be turned to profitable account by well-to-do persons. Such occupation would be wiser than speculation on the Stock Exchange or investment in gold mines, as nothing but an earthquake can deprive a man of his land and the business profits which accrue from it. Last of all, there are four cottages apart from the farms, which may be had for the

asking, any one of which at a small outlay might be made pleasant and wholesome for moderate residential affluence. Messrs. Thurgood and Martin offer 4,000 square feet of freehold land, on Ludgate-hill, with modern buildings of recent erection. For this lot there is sure to be active competition among insurance office people, as until Demos makes a dead meat market of St. Paul's, Ludgate-hill will be one of our best business thoroughfares. At the same time it should be noted that of late years tradespeople, on the whole, have done badly in it, all the time some new demolition being in progress, and chasing foot-passengers away with clouds of dust. The half-hearted way in which the Corporation have handled the improvement has been discreditable. They should have made one job of sweeping away the entire side, whereas even now they make a pause towards the cathedral end. The hesitation is unfair to the resident tradesmen, and a nuisance to the passers-by. Still, the 4,000 square feet now offered will sell, and sell readily. The price will be large, but from what surer source could one look for income? There is just one danger which accompanies the ownership of Ludgate-hill property. The owners do not live long, and the occupiers often change. Why it should be so, adjacent to the cathedral and within the sounds of Bow bells, and yet, without the ordinary measure of providential care, is a suggestive circumstance, which, if mentioned at all by Messrs. Thurgood and Martin, will be touched upon lightly. Their business, like most others, has more to do with making money than with providence. They may be trusted to speak of Ludgate-hill in large capitals and with a profusion of points of exclamation. Dr. Johnson used to walk up and down Ludgate-hill daily; and the perukemaker of good Queen Bess had his shop and dwelling, and orchard and fruit-garden and strawberry hills, upon this self-same 4,000 square feet of freehold on Ludgatehill.

CAPEL COURT.

The Money Market.-But for the astonishing activity in the general industries, and the excellence of the harvest prospects, it would be necessary to take a gloomy view of the money market situation. The money market is, however, out of condition at the present time, and whichever way, one turns, the outlook, at the best, is for pinching times right up to the end of the year. Mr. Goschen has clearly over-estimated his strength, and for the relatively small saving on a reduction of the Three per Cents., he has risked a great deal; more, indeed, than the Conversion will be worth. The Conversion has saddled us with the

abomination of a floating debt of almost daily increasing magnitude. Before the payment last Friday of the £2,000,000 for the Treasury Bills of some days before, a fresh notice appeared in the Gazette, inviting tenders for £1,500,000 more, which will have to be paid for in a day or two. This raises the floating debt for Treasury Bills to nearly £20,000,000. Add to that £6,000,000 more in current Exchequer bonds, and a large but unspecified sum borrowed from the Bank of England; and when this has been done he who runs may read. The money market suffers from what may as well be called an exceptional absorption of £30,000,000 by Mr. Goschen, the most obvious effect of which is the practical beggaring of the Bank of England. This week the Council of India will also need money, and various railway dividends will have to be drawn from the banks. Nor is this all; disquieting rumours are heard from the River Plate, and the gold premium there has advanced to 79.35 per cent.; in other words, to buy a sovereign in Buenos Ayres nearly £2 in notes has to be paid; notes, too, be it remarked, guaranteed by the Government after the fashion of the notes of the United States. This is very serious from the point of view of holdings in the securities of the Argentine; and it is not without anxiety from the point of view of the River Plate banks. In the event of a general financial smash-up in the Argentine, those banks might need and seek the active assistance of the Bank of England. Per contra, the Paris exchange manipulation has been abandoned, and the Berlin exchange is level. Such is the situation; money is a scarcer commodity, and it is likely to become increasingly so, but the general volume of trade

is large and increasing; and it is more profitable than for a long previous period. The Bank rate is 3 per cent., but 4 per cent. is charged. The market rate for three months' bills is 3 to 3, and day loans are 14.

The Stock Markets.-The markets are now thinly attended owing to the holiday season, and attention is largely concentrated on what is known as the Kaffir Circus; in other words, on gold share dealings. All English and other securities have in consequence practically ceased to be largely speculated in, and the investment dealings being on a narrow scale, there is not much business done. Consols have been sought again by the banks which had sold out during the French exchange drain, and a fractional advance has been made. In the other investment securities there has been little or no change.

New

English Railways.-Speculators for a rise did better than they expected at the last settlement, and they are likely to try again; Great Northern having scored six points, Great Western and Sheffield three points, Brighton two to three points, and North-Western, North-Eastern Consols, and Great Eastern returned over 2 per cent. The holiday traffic all round has been good, and general traffics are still well maintained. Chatham Ordinary is much talked about in view of certain market manipulations, which are said to be in course of hatching out. Chatham Preference will recover the dividend deduction which has been made; the dockyard activities being hopeful. The quoting down of Midland through the same deduction of dividend must not be taken as a decline, Midland being a firm market with an upward tendency. North British continues dull, but with the Forth Bridge in reserve, it will by-andby improve. Caledonian is a steady market.

American and Canadian Rails.-These markets have presented some features of interest consequent on better attendances in the New York Stock Exchange. Wabash Preference and General, Eries, Readings, and Atlantic Firsts are the favourites, and may be safely bought on each reaction from realisation. On Milwaukees there is a passing cloud, but the general American and Canadian outlook is so good that a general rally seems certain with active business.

The Mining Market.-Copper shares are again speculated in, but the Transvaal boom is the feature of the time. All-round investors on the main or the back reefs are promised 50 per cent. per annum, and to add fuel to the mania Baron Grant's child, the Lisbon-Berlyn, has struck oil, although at present in liquidation. It is the Daisy, panning out 70 ounces to the ton. The Baron struggled long and resolutely with the white elephant, but it was too much for him. Messrs. Campbell and Evans, of Johannesburg, write under date July 19th: "Market very firm with certain sharp advances. Sinking is being actively prosecuted to lower depths, and new powerful pumping gear is being erected. This applies particularly to Auroras, but the application is wider. A few persons have secured the control of a large number of the shares of the George Gochs, and run them up and down as chance offers for their own benefit. Henry Nourses are in a bad way, and will not recover unless expensive and deep mining yet to be done proves the reefs below of better quality than at present. There has been a temporary panic in Salisburys, from the rumour that the whole of the reefs run out of their ground at the 100 feet level as well as the rich leader of 67 feet."

The Chili Telephone Company, Limited. This company seeks £250,000 in 50,000 shares of £5 each, and the prospectus bears the equivocal construction that for a short time a small American company has in a small way carried on the telephone business in Chili, and that now certain London promoters seek to buy them out. In the same way any business anywhere might be importuned; and with its annual income extravagantly capitalised be brought out here in big figures. Chili is not yet a commercial country, and unless for social functions, what use it can make of the telephone passes comprehension. In mineral wealth Chili is a Cornwall, and in nitrate wealth it is a Cheshire; but minerals and nitrates are simple occupations in raw materials, as unlike the English com

go to.

mercial system as anything can well be. Had it been desirable to give extension to the telephone in Chili, and for that purpose had more money been necessary, San Francisco was the place to That city may be said to be within sight of Chili, and that it knows Chili inside and out is matter of repute. Besides, for its size San Francisco is the richest city in the world; all its business for years indeed, throughout the American Civil War-being transacted in gold. But it was well known that San Francisco would not touch a Chili telephone; and so the thing is passed on here. We have as little faith in it as San Francisco. And to ask £150,000 is simply monstrous. The business is not worth it, and it is a safe assertion that letters of allotment and regret will not soon be posted.

Malmani Proclaimed Gold Mining Company, Limited.-The proposal is for £90,000, in shares of £1 each, of which £90,000 the sum of £15,000 in cash is to be handed over, and also a further sum of £20,000 in cash at the discretion of the directors. For this considerable consideration there is a property the description of which reads in the prospectus like that of a broken-down abandoned claim, but with a good show of machinery which, however, may have become rusted and worthless; and with laboratory tests for gold, number one test weighing 2 lb. 4 oz., number two test 1 lb. 6 oz., number three test 6 lb., number four test 4 oz., and number five test 5 lb. There is a report of the district by the Cape Colony Inspector of Mines, which reads very much like the reports of gold in Wales and Sutherland; and there is the usual testimony of some mining captain. We cannot recommend investment in such a hit or miss for gold. It is much too risky, and as very likely an attempt has been previously made to float it in Johannesburg, but without success, the best thing the promoters can do is to take it back and try again, when any really good points will doubtless command appreciation. Here such a property should be unsaleable on any terms in its present doubtful and immature condition.

INCORPORATED LAW SOCIETY.-ANNUAL MEETING.

(Continued from page 58.).

MR. PENNINGTON: Certainly. Then it was asked why the Chancery-lane houses were let at £290, as against £640-their estimated value? Mr. Phillimore's surmise that it was under old leases was accurate. The premises were held at present by tenants under leases which would shortly expire. "There seemed to be a slight increase in certificate fees, but this would diminish before long, apart from any question of the abolition of duty." Possibly that might be so. "Fees to lecturers and grants to societies should be distinguished and the amounts shown." The only observation he could make was that, after taking a very great deal of care and paying a deal of attention to the form of the account, which it was desired should be in such a form that it should give sufficient reasonable information, and at the same time be brought within reasonable limits, the council had come to the conclusion that they would deal with that item as they had done. "Why the liabilities increased from £3,526 to £4,689 ?" They had so increased that, he was sorry to say, it was quite beyond his power to say more than that they had increased by reason of their increased expenditure. The accounts were not printed with the report because it was thought well to give members information as to the accounts as early as possible and with the notice of the meeting, whilst the report was made up to the latest date. If any member thought the accounts should go out with the report it would be quite competent for him to move that the change be made, and it would be for the society to consider whether it was convenient or not. "Whether, in fact, £2,700, which appeared in the account as a nominal rent from articled clerks, was made in cash?" Of course it was not. The society received fees from the articled clerks, and nothing else, and the articled clerks were charged with a proportion of the rent and a proportion of all outgoings. The accounts were then adopted.

THE PRESIDENT AND THE SOLICITORS' CERTIFICATE DUTY. It had been arranged that the discussion on the following motion by Mr. A. H. Hastie should be taken immediately after the accounts, and before the report was considered :-"That in the opinion of this meeting the president of the society committed an error of judgment when he stated, in regard to the resolution for abolishing the solicitors' duty, that he would do nothing to facilitate what he believed to be the most pernicious motion which had been carried in that hall for some time,"

Prior to the discussion, the president vacated the chair, which was then taken by the vice-president (Mr. Grinham Keen).

Mr. Hastie, in moving the resolution, said that no doubt it was in form a vote of censure, but he hoped it would be considered so in nothing but form. He considered the society had had during the past year the best president who had ever occupied that position. The business of these meetings had been got through with greater quickness than he had ever seen before. But the society, in a very full meeting, had carried a resolution which a great many of them believed to be very important. It was in the hands of the council, and they ought to carry out the directions they received from the society. If the president was to be allowed to say he would not follow the duly formulated will of the society, then they had no longer a constitutional government, but were living under a despotism. He wanted to know whether the wishes of the majority were to be carried out, or whether the council were to be allowed to put a veto upon motions which had been duly carried.

Mr. Emanuel seconded the motion with some hesitation, because he cordially agreed that the president was about the best the society had ever had. But if the president was to be allowed to veto a motion there would be an end to all well-constituted order in the government of the society. The majority was not a matter for consideration; so long as a resolution was passed it was the duty of the council to carry it into effect and to conform in every way to the wishes of the meeting.

Mr. Rose observed that two views might be taken of what the president had said. It might be that some gentlemen thought it a despotism for the president to be able to express any opinion whatever. It might be a despotism for forty-seven members at the end of a long meeting to pass a resolution which was known to be absolutely contrary to the opinion of nine-tenths of the provincial law societies. He called it a despotism for a London meeting of eighty-seven members, by a majority of seven, to pass a resolution to which ninety-nine-hundredths of the pro fession were opposed. In the report it appeared that the words of the president were :-"The motion is carried by forty-seven against forty. I have no hesitation in saying that with such a majority as that I, while president, shall take no action on the resolution;" and later:-"I shall do nothing to facilitate what I believe to be the most pernicious motion which has been carried for some time in this hall." He considered the president was honest and just and true when he denounced the resolution in the terms which he had used. He thought the time would come when the council would have to consider whether it was just and right that a gross libel should be distributed amongst 7,000 members of the profession. A majority of seven was to bind 17,000 solicitors and 6,000 in the City of London. He thought the president had been justified in using the identical words to which objection was taken. (Interruption and disorder, Mr. E. Kimber rising to order but could not get a hearing for several minutes, though he at last succeeded.) The society owed Mr. Lake an immense obligation. He had devoted day and night to the interest of the profession for the year during which he had been president. The motion was an offence against the society, and he would move as an amendment to leave out all the words from "That" to the end of the motion, and to insert :-"This society in general meeting assembled has full confidence in Benjamin Green Lake, Esq., as president, and gladly avails itself of this opportunity to record its grateful appreciation of the able and efficient manner in which he has discharged the duties of president during his year of office."

Mr. Parker seconded the amendment. The motion was one of the most ungracious, one of the most ungrateful, and one of the most unnecessary he had ever heard moved in this hall. Mr. Lake's year of office expired with this meeting, and they would see, from the motion being placed at the head of the paper, that it was the opinion of the council that, if carried, the president would resign, not only the chair, but the office, before his year was rightly out. He (Mr. Parker) ventured to think that the meeting would do no such thing, but that is would gladly avail itself of the opportunity to turn the vote of censure into a vote of confidence, and to seize the opportunity which the motion gave, and which they would not otherwise have had, of recording their real sense of their president's services. He was informed by the secretary that this was the first time in his experience that a vote of censure had ever been proposed on their chief officer, and he thought the meeting would agree with him, that before they used such a weapon they should examine the whole position most carefully He asked them to vote for one who, in zeal and ability and jealous care of their rights and privileges, had never been exceeded, and the devotion and industry he had brought to the cares of the office to which he had been called were such as to set an example which it behoved his successors to follow.

Mr. Ford said he should vote against the motion because Mr. Lake was leaving the chair, but what had happened was so ridiculous and so inexcusable and so unjustifiable that he was certain nothing of the kind would ever happen again.

Mr. Macarthur spoke in favour of the motion, in the course of his remarks accusing the president of having uttered a falsehood,

The Vice-President called upon him to withdraw the expression.

Mr. Macarthur: Certainly not.

The Vice-President: Then I ask you to sit down.
Mr. Macarthur continued speaking, and

Mr. Humphreys moved, Mr. J. Ellerton seconding, Mr. Macarthur be no longer heard.”

"That

The Vice President: I rule that he be no longer heard. Mr. Hastie said there was a very great feeling that Mr. Lake should go out of office with all the honours, and asked permission to withdraw his motion; a request which was met with loud cries of dissent.

The amendment was then carried, three votes being given against it. It was then put as a substantive motion, and carried I with but one dissentient.

The President then resumed the chair amidst enthusiastic cheering. He said: I am sure you will allow me to take up a minute of your time to say how very heartily I thank you for the really undeserved confidence you have been kind enough to place in me. All I may claim, and this I will claim, is that I have endeavoured to place at the service of the society and the profession such powers as I may possess, and to do my best to follow in the steps of those far abler men who filled this chair before me.

Upon the following motion, which stood in the name of Mr. Ford, being reached, the President said it was out of order, as the report had been adopted. The motion was not, therefore, put: "That the official report of the general meeting held on the 12th of April last does not convey a sufficiently accurate statement of what passed as regards Mr. H. M. Low's motion on the subject of the certificate duty."

ANNUAL REPORT.

The

The President, in moving the adoption of the annual report said that since it was printed the number of members had increased to 6,123. The number of members who had joined the society through the agency of the provincial law societies was 514 instead of 506 as stated in the report. With regard to the call of solicitors to the bar, he was enabled to add to the information given in the report that the council had every reason to believe that the four Inns of Court had agreed to waive the present requirement of one year's abandonment of practice, and to allow a solicitor of not less than five years' standing to be called to the bar so soon as his name has been removed from the roll (provided that he passes the Bar Final Examination) after giving twelve months' notice of his intention. The great thing he thought was that the principle was given up; he did not think the period of twelve months would long remain. He ventured to draw attention to some points upon which the council had reason to congratulate themselves and the members. increase of members was not inconsiderable, and went far to lead to the hope that the time was not far distant when this society and the provincial law societies would represent the whole of the profession. The Solicitors' Act, 1888, the Trustee Act, 1888, and the Land Charges Registration and Searches Act, 1888, which was before the society last year in draft, had passed into law. They had to congratulate themselves upon the measures which the society had been pleased to sanction with the object of drawing together those bonds of interest and cordiality which existed between the society and the provincial law societiesmeasures which were only beginning to be felt, but which he believed would be of lasting benefit to the society. The issue of a new digest of the decisions under the Solicitors' Remuneration Act and Orders had been effected by the council during the year. In that digest every member of the society would have received ample value for the amount he had paid as his subscription. He hoped he might be excused if he specially mentioned what might not be known to members of the society -namely, how very greatly that digest and its excellence was due to Mr. William Godden, on whom for the last five years the burden of it had rested, and who had discharged his duties with so much devotion as to affect his health, so much so that he bad been obliged, to the great regret of the council, to give up for the present the active revision of the digest.

The Vice-President seconded the motion.

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Mr. F. K. Munton (London) asked some questions so that the answers might be given publicly. With regard to the County Court Rules, it was stated that a letter was received from the Lord Chancellor to the effect that, although his lordship had not thought it desirable to delay the approval of the rules which had then been submitted to him by the committee of county court judges, with a view to a code coming into operation as nearly as possible simultaneously with the County Courts Act, 1888, the issue of those rules would not prejudice the careful consideration by his lordship and the Rule Committee of the recommendations of the society." He (Mr. Munton) would like the President to state how long it was since that letter was received, because, if it was received many months ago, as he thought, it was very important that the society should take some immediate steps to draw attention to the very unsatisfactory state of affairs with regard to the regulations under the County Courts Act. On the subject of counsels' fees, there was a letter from Mr. Williamson, the secretary, to Mr. Lofthouse, the secretary to

the Bar Committee, dated the 4th of December, 1888. The correspondence went on until the 27th of March, 1889, and apparently no answer had been received from the Bar Committee to that very important communication. The point was that, if a solicitor thought proper to brief an eminent counsel, according to the regulations which had been laid down it was necessary, if his junior was only called yesterday, to give him a heavy fee in proportion. This was a most pernicious state of things. He had given notice to ask what steps had been taken, under the resolution based upon his paper read in 1887, with reference to Chancery sittings. They all knew that a committee had been appointed, but it was very desirable that several months should not be allowed to elapse before these pressing measures were pushed forward. ask :

Mr. Kimber said he "What steps

had given notice

to

the council have taken, if any, in Bar conjunction with the Committee and the Lord Chancellor and other authorities, or otherwise, to promote the carrying out the recommendations of Lord Esher's committee by rules of court or Act of Parliament ?" The report had answered this, for he found it stated: "In the report of Lord Esher's committee of August, 1885, the following paragraph occurs 'It is clear to all of us that the present number of judges attached to the Chancery Division cannot cope with the business now before them, and could not satisfactorily do so even if what may be called arrears were wiped off. The transfer without their consent of causes entered by litigants who have selected the Chancery Division as their preferred forum is not a satisfactory, though at present it is a necessary, interference. We have, therefore, felt constrained, some of us for a time with reluctance, but now with an earnest conviction, to recommend that an additional judge be appointed to the Chancery Division.' The notice of motion of the Attorney-General in the House of Commons during the last session for the appointment of an additional judge to the Chancery Division shows that the present Government are of the same opinion." He (Mr. Kimber) had only to ask the council what had been done since.

Mr. Emanuel, referring to the new Rules of Court issued in May, dealing with the taxation of solicitors' costs, thought they were of a very oppressive character. In other matters there was a right of appeal, yet in a question involving the costs of a solicitor, or even his personal character, the Taxing Master was the sole arbitrator.

The President: You are perhaps not aware that the rules of May have been abolished, and that by the new rules dated July 1 a right of appeal is given in every case.

Mr. Emanuel was very glad that these rules had been repealed. The report referred to interviews with Lord Chancellor Selborne and Lord Chancellor Herschell in 1885 and 1886, when the former had expressed his opinion that the Incorporated Law Society, as representing the profession, ought to be, and while he was Lord Chancellor should be, consulted before the issue of new rules, while Lord Herschell considered that solicitors ought to have a statutory right to be consulted before the promulgation of new rules. He (Mr. Emanuel) thought the council should communicate with the present Lord Chancellor with the object of giving their opinion in regard to new rules seriously affecting the profession. He regretted to see by the report that an increasingly large number of candidates were rejected at the preliminary examinations. He thought the examination should be made less stringent.

Mr. Copping (London) said that in last year's report the council had been in communication with the Bar Committee with regard to the Standing Committee of the bar, and solicitors being consulted before new rules were issued. He saw by the present report that the council had failed to obtain any consultative right, and wished to know whether they were still of opinion that statutory powers should be obtained.

Mr. Taylor (London) objected to the extensive power given to the taxing masters by the new rules of court.

Mr. Fox, with regard to the call of solicitors to the bar, suggested that something should be done for the relief of solicitors who had already entered themselves as students at the Inns of Court, so that they need not keep the remaining terms. Mr. H. M. Low (London) said the report referred to the annual certificate duty, and he would move that, so far as that portion of the report was concerned, the report should be referred back to the council. He did this on the ground that the council had exceeded their authority in declining to act upon the mandate of a resolution passed in that hall. The report said: "Having regard, however, to the statement made by the president at the special general meeting, held on the 12th of April, as to the inexpediency of taking any steps in the direction indicated, the council do not propose to take any action on the resolution until it has been again considered by the society." The statement was, shortly, that the president had in hand the Land Transfer Act, and would be very much hampered if the resolution were carried into effect. The Land Transfer Bill had now gone by the board, and that objection was no longer tenable.

Mr. A. M. M. Forbes (London) seconded the motion,
Mr. Macarthur endeavoured to speak, but
The President ordered him to sit down.
(To be continued.)

VOL. IX.

Pump Court

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1889.

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THIS journal has reason to claim that to its influence alone is due the result in the Maybrick case Strongly convinced of the prisoner's guilt as we then were, and are still, we felt that, while on the one hand we ought to speak with no uncertain sound, so as to knock the bottom out of the insane agitation for a free pardon, on the other hand we ought to exercise our ingenuity in order to meet the revulsion of feeling which the prospect of hanging a young and interesting woman occasioned, reasonably or unreasonably, throughout the country. As matters stood at the time we approached the subject, the Home Secretary had no alternative presented to him but to hang or freely pardon. It remained for PUMP COURT-no other paper having yet thought of it-to devise or conceive an ingenious mode whereby a via media might be adopted which should have the appearance of logical consistency, or at least be not easily open to attack. We claim for it no more than this. We do not conceal, and have never concealed, our conviction that the convict was guilty of as foul and deliberate a murder as ever poisoner conceived, and that her guilt was as clearly demonstrated as ever occurred in any murder trial before. On the other hand, we could not conceal from ourselves that there was a strong feeling of horror throughout the country at hanging this young woman, whose agony of suspense was daily depicted and brought home to us after the American style of journalism, and placed before us in a fashion that the mortal agony of the deceased never was. It is not necessary to inquire whether PUMP COURT itself did not share this illogical feeling; but recognising that the feeling existed, we set ourselves to devise a means of escape. Hence paragraph three in second column, page sixty-one, of issue of August 14th.

We have taken care, however, to make it plain to people who were being successfully induced to believe that there was doubt enough to warrant the free and entire pardon of the prisoner, that there really is no doubt. The concession is but a concession, and to humanity, not to justice. The difficulty that will occur when the next person is condemned to be hanged must be dealt with when it occurs.

No. 150.

was destroyed by the knowledge she had of the efforts being made to release her. Her mother had access to her, and the letters and telegrams she was allowed to receive were sufficient to inspire her with hope. Lipski had none of these advantages, and the evidence against Lipski was not half as strong. We hope that the foolish people who are trying to continue their agitation for a free pardon will not receive any support. Everybody remembers the continuous effort made on behalf of the unfortunate nobleman

languishing at Dartmoor. That was not a success, because there were persons-the real Tichbornes-who were interested that the verdict should stand. No one in particular is interested in this sense that the convict Maybrick should remain in prison. The children of the dead man are also her children, and the brothers have already shown that they are not anxious for her punishment. At the same time it is necessary to say that it would be a dangerous thing if this poisoner were to be again let loose on the world.

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TALKING of poisoners, are we right in thinking that it was while defending Palmer that Mr. Kelly-afterwards Chief Baron Kelly-earned the nickname of Apple-Pip Kelly? He raised the defence that the murdered man had poisoned himself by eating a large quantity of applepips, which he proved indubitably to contain a fraction of prussic acid.

THE following letter from the most eminent and distinguished lawyer in the realm, Lord Bramwell, appeared in the Times of Tuesday, 20th inst. :

A COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL. SIR,-Lord Esher writes to you that he "has the strongest possible opinion that there should be a Court of Criminal Appeal." I have the strongest possible opinion to the contrary. it is not everyone with some experience in the administration I do not say this to pit my opinion against his, but to show that of the criminal law that thinks as he does, and to ask that public opinion may not be fixed till a fitting time and opportunity have enabled the matter to be properly discussed. I agree with the Lord Chancellor that the present is not a fitting time. I may, however, refer to an article by Mr. Poland, Q.C., in a publication called PUMP COURT. Mr. Poland has more experience than all the judges and ex-judges combined, and is most strongly against such a court, and gives most convincing reasons for his opinions.-Your obedient servant, BRAMWELL.

THE author of "Women Must Weep" (now in a third edition) is preparing for the press another social satiresomething like his successful Journal of a Scientist called "The Dethronement of Man," which is probably breaking new ground, and perhaps heads-metaphorically speaking. Professor Harold Williams finds fuller scope for his discursive pen in satire than in more restricted fields and regular paths. He likes hard hitting, and in satire can take off the gloves as well as the coat. Nudus ara, sere nudus.

"Hit hard all round-this is the Arab creed;
And if you are not respected, you be d--d."

THE return has just been issued of the receipts and expenditure for the year ending March 31st, 1889, of the High Court of Justice, pursuant to the provision made by the Judicature Act, 1875. It appears from this return that the receipts amount to £423,004, and the expenses to £669,463. Ten years ago the receipts were £387,136, and the expenses £590,346. Thus, in spite of the increase of Of course all chance of Florence Maybrick's confessing the revenue, the loss remains pretty much the same.

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