Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/420

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French-Canadian Decisions. foreign. Together with a colleague he founded a paper called "La Cronica Rossa" and it was in these pages that he began to occupy himself with scientific literature, and to prove himself an enthusiastic follower of Lombroso. He entered the best Italian newspaper, " Corriere della Sera" as its legal editor, and thus became even more enamored of criminal anthropology. Intelligent, in dustrious, studious, he dedicated himself to the new science with ardor, and in a short time became allied to Lombroso and Morselli who both applauded his zeal and his methods of working. Together with Sighele he issued a publication on " Criminal Anthro pology," richly illustrated with pictures, dia grams, and statistics, which met with favor even outside of strictly scientific circles. A remarkable book published by him is the "Romance of a Born Criminal," the autobi ography of a convict, founded on authentic papers committed to his hands by the emi nent psychiatrist Silvio Venturi, director of the lunatic asylum at Catanzaro, a book which was translated immediately on its ap pearance into German, but which no English publisher has had the courage to issue, though it states at once in its preface that its

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scope is purely scientific, and that the word "Romance " is employed in a subjective sense. This piece of pathological literature throws a lurid light upon the inner nature of the criminal. Bianchi has written a long and careful preface, in which he points out just how and why this human document has scientific value. As yet, Bianchi has not had time to write many books, but his careful, studious articles are all of value, and denote his knowledge, intuition, and observation. Limits of space, which we have already exceeded, oblige us to leave unmentioned yet other valiant followers of criminal anthro pology in Italy, but we hope we have said enough to prove that this science has in the peninsula both numerous and able adherents, and that Italy is justified in considering her self at the head and front of studies of this nature — a position which, indeed, few dis pute to her. Seeing how useful is this sci ence as an auxiliary to the right study of history, literature, and political economy, it would be well if its propagation were more encouraged at universities, in place of phil osophy and metaphysics, which, when un touched by this new breath, have become fossilized and are as arid as they are sterile.

FRENCH-CANADIAN DECISIONS. By R. Vashon Rogers. HOLDING this for an undoubted verity, that there is no knowledge, case or point in law, seem it of never so little ac count, but will stand our student in stead at one time or other." Thus writes my lord Coke in his " Institutes." Agreeing with him we give the following decisions and notes of cases from the Province of Quebec, the only land north of Louisiana where the French or the Roman law prevails. Pleydell, in "Guy Mannering," says that

"in civilized society law is the chimney through which all that smoke discharges itself that used to circulate through the whole house and put everyone's eyes out; no wonder, then, that the vent itself should get sooty." French-Canadians are civilized, and so much of the smoke and dust created in their unique land passes harmlessly away in litigation. Parishioner and priest, habitant and gentle man, poet and politician, editor and critic, friar and archbishop, all seem to delight in