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Minor Notices i 7 7 Vol. XXV. of the Archives of the State of Nezv Jersey (Paterson, Call Printing and Publishing Company, pp. 568), edited by Mr. William Nelson, bears date 1903, which doubtless should be 1905, as the preface is dated in the latter year. It consists of extracts relating to New Jer- sey derived from the newspapers of Philadelphia and New York for 1766 and 1767, when as yet New Jersey had no journals of her own. It is the sixth of such volumes in this series, and illustrates the social, in- dustrial, educational, and political history of the province in the same varied and interesting manner as its predecessors. As in previous vol- umes, advertisements supply more of the material than the news columns, and advertisements for runaway slaves, indented servants and prisoners are especially numerous and entertaining. The political contents of the present volume are mostly concerned with the repeal of the Stamp Act. In educational history the chief event is the foundation of Queen's College; but Princeton commencements have their place, and schools and their affairs figure not infrequently in the pages. Journals of the Continental Congress, i/'Y4-ij8g. Edited from the original records in the Library of Congress by Worthington Chauncey Ford, Chief, Division of Manuscripts. Vols. V., VI., 1776 (Washington, 1906, pp. 417-856; 857-1173). The form and manner of Mr. Ford's editing are now so well understood and have been so generally admired and commended, that it will sometimes be needless to say much in these pages concerning the successive volumes. Of those before us, volume V. extends from June 5 to October 8. The fullness and skill with which Mr. Ford presents his data respecting the development of the Decla- ration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation are all that call for special comment. Volume VI. extends to the close of the year. At its end the editor prints a list of standing committees for 1775-1776, Adams's and Jeft'erson's records of debates in the latter year, and With- erspoon's speech on the message from Lord Howe. Then follows a series of learned bibliographical notes, numbering 145 titles, and an excellent index to the volumes for the year 1776. Early Diplomatic Negotiations of the United States zcith Russia. By John C. Hildt. (Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins Press, 1906, pp. 195.) It is a dubious experiment, to attempt to write of the diplomatic relations between two governments with only those materials that have been pre- served in the archives or printed in the public documents of one of them. It is not quite true that such a procedure affords the writer only half the necessary light ; but it is often nearly true. In the case before us, the Russian language and the cost of a journey to Russia interpose formidable obstacles to the processes which alone can ensure results approaching finality; but it does not appear that Mr. Hildt has made much attempt to see the negotiations from the Russian side by large use of materials in French and English, nor by deep study of European diplomatic history. He gives us a careful and clear but pedes- AM. HIST. REV., VOL. XII. 12.