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The Green Bag.

embrace within its scope the situs or locality Chesebrough, 36 Conn. 39. On the validity of marriages: Medway v. of crimes, though comprehending all other rights and wrongs of whatever nature. Needham, 16 Mass. 157; Pennegar r. State, These four parts (under which a great 87 Tenn. 244; Van Voorhis v. Bintnall, 86 number of cases are arrayed) are followed by N. Y. 18. a "Summary," containing the author's state On foreign divorce: Doughty v. Dough ment of the important principles controlling ty, 27 X. J. Eq. 315. this branch of the law, in the form of a clear, On the transfer of personalty in various though brief and concise, synopsis, with ref forms: Weinstein v. Freyer, 93 Ala. 257; erences to the preceding cases. It may per Richardson i: DeGiverville, 107 Mo. 422; haps be open to doubt whether it would not Hornthall r. Burwell, 109 N. C. 10; Williams be wiser in using the book, to read the sum v. Dry Goods Co. 4 Okl. 145. mary before working on the cases, though On the liability of a promisor to the as the compiler evidently thinks otherwise. signee of a chose in action: Levy v. Levy, That is a matter of individual taste and judg 78 Penn. St. 507; Trimbey r. Vignier, I ment. Unfortunately, the author has made Bing. N. c. 151 (or Bradlaugh v. DeRin, L. little or no attempt in his summary to go be R. 5 C. P. 473.) yond the actually decided cases (and only On wills of personalty: Healy?'. Rted, such of these as are reported in the collec 153 Mass. 197; Price v. Dewhurst, 8 Sim. tion itself.) The profession has thus lost in 279. large measure the benefit of the generaliza Other cases might be mentioned, but the tions of principles which Professor Beale, reason that probably induced Professor from his ability and familiarity with the Beale to omit them in the first instance— whole line of decisions on the subject, is so want of space—operates with equal potency competent to make, and which are pecu upon the reviewer. liarly needed in this branch of the law. It is also unfortunate (from the point of The cases are well selected, including not view of the profession) that the index is so only most of the leading English and Ameri pieager, since the usefulness of any law book can cases, but also many decisions of the to the practising lawyer must depend largely Colonial and European courts. The three upon the ease with which he can find what volumes include upwards of four hundred he looks for. The index to these three vol and fifty reported cases, of which about sev umes (containing some sixteen hundred enty-five are the decisions of continental pages) is comprised in about one page at the courts. end of the third volume. An examination of the cases reported But all these constitute defects from the shows that most of the familiar and leading standpoint of the practitioner rather than cases upon this branch of the law have been from that of the student, for whom the work included in the collection, but there are some is primarily designed. The latter, at least not reported, the omission of which, we while he remains a student, vill have little think, is to be regretted, though doubtless occasion to use the index, and he may be the compiler had good reasons therefor. As stimulated rather than retarded by being examples, we note the omission of the fol- j forced to look up some of the leading cases lowing valuable leading cases: for himself, or by hearing them expounded On the subject of domicil: First National or distinguished in the lecture room. Bank v. Balcom, 35 Conn. 351; Cooper v. To those law schools which use the case Beers, 143 Ill. 25; Mears v. Sinclair, I W. system of instruction the work will prob Va. 185; White v. Tennant, 31 W. Va. 790. ably prove a great boon, deservedly increas On the effect of the statute of frauds: ing at the same time the reputation of Pro Leroux v. Brown, 12 C. B. 801; Downer v. fessor Beale as a law writer.