Page:Legal Bibliography, Numbers 1 to 12, 1881 to 1890.djvu/40

6 SOULE & BUGBEE'S LEGAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. LEADING CASES MADE EASY. Shirley's Selection of Leading Cases in the Common Law (cloth, $2.50, net; law sheep or half law calf, $3.00, net) is the second edition of Leading Cases Made Easy, published by the same author in 1880. It is a very entertaining and also a very useful book, giving a large number of leading cases in condensed form, with notes. The cases are usually stated humorously ; but the notes contain a great deal of good, sound, serious law. The following is a specimen of the humorous portion : ■ — Young %i. Grote (4 Bing., 253). Case. Mr. Young was a liberal, if rash, nusband. When he went away from home he used to leave blank cheques signed for Mrs. Young to fill up according to her necessities. But on one occasion Mrs. Young did it so clumsily that an enterprising bearer was able to alter "50" to "350," and "fifty "to "three hundred and fifty," and get the cheque cashed in its improved form. On these facts Mr. Young was held to be estopped by his negligence from throwing the loss on his bankers. Note. There is an air of immorality about the orthodox definition of an estoppel. — "An estoppel is where a man is concluded by his own act or acceptance to say t/ie trut/i ; " and, perhaps, among the nice sharp quillets of our early law, truth rather was at a discount. However, now as then, interest reipuiliccs {MtioI the lawyers) u sit Jinis litiuin ; and estoppel operates as a kind of extinguisher on actions and arguments. Estoppels (which my Lord Coke considers " a curious and excellent sort of learning," — we only hope the student will agree with him) are of three kinds: — I. By matter of record. 2. By deed. 3. By conduct (otherwise known as /a^'i) . I. Generally, when the parties are the same, and the point litigated the same, a former judgment recorded is conclusive. Why stiould the public time be wasted by the courts liaving to decide the same thing over and over again? One has heard of the infallibility of judges' notes {Bardell. Pickwicti, i Dick.) ; but a record, our text- books tell us, " imports such absolute verity that — " nothing is too bad for the auda- cious person who ventures to call it in question (and so on for a page). BROWNE ON DOMESTIC RELATIONS. In the preface to his Elements of the Law of Domestic Relations AND of Employer and Employed, which will be ready Oct. i (price in cloth, $2.00; in law .sheep or half law calf $2.50, both net), Mr. Irving Browne says : — It has long been a wonder to me that a novice can ever learn the laws from the great commentaries, so loaded with authorities, so hampered with distinctions, so diffuse in discussion ; and it has seemed to me desirable that there should be element- ary books to put into the hands of students, leading up to the commentaries. I have often felt, in my labors as practitioner, editor, reporter, and lecturer, that such books would frequently serve a useful purpose as manuals for those who have passed their novitiate, and who are called upon suddenly to refresh or confirm their memories, or direct their researches. I have endeavored to give references to the latest decisions, as an especial aid to practitioners. Such works as the present are not designed to super- sede, but to preface, and perhaps, accompany, the elaborate treatises . . This work is a sort of primer of the legal principles relating to the law of Domestic Relations. As Browne on the Domestic Relations has grown slowly into book form, through the preliminary process of law-school lectures, and in this way has been tested upon students before coming into print, it will be found to be a very satisfactory work. MURDER BY POISONING. There are no closer nor more interesting questions of criminal law than those which are connected with poisons and poisoning, and all contribu- tions to the literature of the subject are eagerly read. There has just been published in England Reports of Trials for Murder by Poisoning, by G. Lathom Browne and C. G. Stewart. The " Chemical Introduction" specifies the symptoms and tests of poison- ing, and then the trials are grouped as follows : — Prussic Acid. — John Tawell, George Ball, Peter Walker. Strychnine. — William Palmer, William Dove, Silas Barlow. Arsenic. — Madeline Smith, Ann Meiritt. Antimony. — Dr. Pritchard, Dr. Smethurst, Thomas Winslovi'. Aconite. — McConkey, G. H. Lamson. Each group of cases is followed by a special chapter on the evidence and tests to be applied to that particular poison. We have a few copies of this book for sale, in cloth, at $3.50, net. SHORT PARAGRAPHS. Authorized Editions. — All the English books which we announce, have been reproduced in this country by special arrange- ment with the English publishers and authors. Correct Phraseology. — The clearness of a brief and the cogency of an argument often depend largely upon the language used. As an aid toward precision of language there is an excellent book to keep always on the desk, — A Dictionary of English Synonymes, by Richard Soule (net cash price, in cloth, $1.60). With this at hand a lawyer has no excuse for slovenly phraseology. A Student's Note-Book. — We have printed one book on writing-paper, with broad margins, and vacant spaces, so that those who use it can make manuscript notes in the book itself, which is a favorite one with English students. It is Indermaur's Epitome of Leading Common Law Cases, with short Notes ; chiefly intended as a guide to Smith's Leading Cases. We have a reprint of the fifth English edition, with additional American notes by C. A. Bucknam and Bord- man Hall. Any one who is studying or using Smith's Leading Cases will find this an invaluable aid. Price in cloth, $1.50, net. Quaint Old Books. — We have recently received from England a large invoice of old books, many of them early editions of famous old English treatises, such as Glanville, Britton, "The Doctoure and Student," "Home's Mirrour for Justices," etc.; others which are good specimens of black letter and early typography, as a copy of the Institutes, beautifully printed at Venice, in 1493 ; a copy of " Parkins Profitable Boke," printed in London, in 152S; a book of " Law Terms," London, 1527, etc. Although some of these are expensive, others are more reasonable in price, ranging from $1.00 upwards. We will send a list of our stock to any lawyer or librarian who requests it. Text-books for Law Students. — Ainong our publica- tions, the following are elementary in their character, and are intended for students : — Browne's Law of the Domestic Relations. Ewell's Essentials of the Law: Vol. i. Blackstone. Vol. II. Pleading, Contracts, Equity. - Heard's Principles of Equity Pleading. Important English Statutes, hoc- 1874. Indermaur's Epitome of Common-Law Cases. To these might be added Ames' Cases on Bills and Notes, which is used at Harvard Law School, and the new edition of Best on Evidence, which will be adopted as a text-book in several law schools this fall. Lawyers in Literature. — The lawyer who wishes to see himself as the " literary feller " sees him can be gratified by reading Mr. Irving Browne's clever book on " Law and Lawyers in Literature." The A^. K Nation, reviewing the book, comes to the conclusion that the use of the lawyer in literature is not exceptional, and " does not necessarily prove that the popular notions about him are fair. He has so many doubtful companions that we are forced to believe that the true explanation is that literature finds it easier to make profitable use of bad types than of good ones. Cloth-bound copies sell for $1.50, net. A few copies have been printed on heavy paper and bound in half library calf, for Christinas or New Year's pi-esents from the senior to his junior, or his students. Price, $3.50. THE U. S. TARIFF LAWS. A very useful book to lawyers who have clients engaged in the business of importing or exporting is " The Tariff Laws of the United States, with explanatory notes, citations from decisions of the Courts and the Treasury Department," by Charles T. Williams, of the Boston bar, and clerk to the late TariiT Commission. The genial editor of the Burlington Hawkeye said to a friend who inquired about the book, "Twenty dollars would not buy my book if I could not replace it." The price of Williams' Tariff Laws — an octavo of 200 pages, bound in cloth — is $1 .50, net.