Review of Periodicals to the installation of Mr. A. Lawrence Lowell as president of Harvard University. (Sum marized 21 Green Bag 608.) “The German Doctrine of the Budget." By Walter James Shepard. 4 American Political Science Review 52 (Man). "Most German writers regard the budget as only formally a law; materially, they insist, it is an ordinance.
It embodies no
general form or rule of conduct, no broad principle of action. It is merely the govern ment's finanu'al estimates and proposals for the ensuing fiscal period. . . . By its very definition, as materially an ordinance, the bud tis incapable of annullin material laws. “ he refusal of the legi ature to vote the budget does not, it is maintained, put an end to previous laws which depend for their execution upon financial support. . . . The passing of the budget, containing the necessary credits for the execution of the laws and the maintenance of the government, is a duty of
the legislature which it must not fail to per form.’ "The House of Lords: Its History and Constitution, V." By Charles R. A. Howden. 21 juridical Review 358 (Jan). Continued from the April,
1909, number.
This installment is chiefly given up to such subjects as the qualifications of Scottish peers, and some aspects of the House as a court of law. "Wanted: A Government for Alaska." By Atherton Brownell. Outlook, v. 94, p.
431 (Feb. 26). "Throughout Alaska may be found the feeling today that the physical needs of the Territory have not been sufficiently con sidered by Congress in the way of ap ropria tions. . . . A commission created by ngress might easily be expected to create a close tie between Washington and the Territorial capital." British Constitution. "The Struggle Over the Lloyd-George Budget." By Edward Porritt. 24 Quarterly journal of Economics
231
A uith abandon once for all the attempt to and the dice in the interest of one party. Let statesmen of both parties meet in con ference upon the constitutional question. By no other method has a question of that character been satisfactorily settled in any free country." "The Morrow of the Battle." By Harold J. Howland. Outlook v. 94, p. 383 (Feb. 19). "The land taxes in the Budget and our own movement for the conservation of natural resources have their foundation on the same principle. It is the principle . . . that since the only natural right to propert is the ri ht of every man to the product 0 his own la r, natural wealth belongs of right to the whole people." The popular referendum is at present elicit ing some discussion in England. The follow ing article devotes much attention to the pmctical working of the referendum in differ ent countries :— "The Referendum." Edinburgh Review, v. 211, no. 431, p. 131 (Jan). "The only form in which the referendum is likely to recommend itself to responsible En lish statesmen is as an exce tional remedy to In strictly held in reserve or exceptional eme cies. The questions involved cannot be lightly passed over, for they touch the gravest issues of political science and the national well-being. ' Further facts regardin the referendum can be gleaned from the fo wing useful con tribution to political science:— Switzerland. "Democracy in Switzerland." By W. S. Lilly. Quarterly Review, v. 212, no. 422, p. 180 (Jan).
“What we call popular government in England is really not popular government at all; it is party government, or, to speak more correctly, government by factions masquer ading as rties. There is not the slightest vestige 0 this system in Switzerland. . . . In Switzerland there is really government of the people b the people." See Intersth’te Commerce, Scientific Methods, Taxation.
243 (Feb.). “Balfour has been occupied, since he ceased to be premier, in catching up with his party, rather than in giving it an efficient and determined lead. . . . “When at second reading stage of the Finance bill on June 8th, Lloyd-George was defending the tax of a half- any in the pound on the value of undeve oped urban land, and the tax of twenty per cent on unearned increment accruing at the sale of such land, he contented himself with recalling the recom mendation of this Royal Commission of 1885, and the similar recommendations of the Royal Commission on Local Taxation of 1898-1902." "The General Election—And the Next."
National Review, v. 54, p. 917 (Feb.). "The House of Lords needs to be reformed. Let it be reformed by consent. Let Mr.
History. “The Scientific Presentation of History.” By Lynn Thorndike, Ph.D. Popu lar Science Monthly, v. 76, p. 170 (Feb.). "We shall come, not merely to the his torical terminolo
which Robinson desires,
but also to stan ards of historical measure ment, modes of historical reckoning, historical symbols, curves, charts and other graphic means of presenting briefly and accurately what roseexpress could compass only inprecision many pages or failpto with requisite and discrimination."
Husband and Wife. "Right of Wife to Pledge Husband's Credit." 20 Bench and Bar 56 (Feb.). Treatin the subject solely from the point of view 0 New York law.
