The Representation of the People Act 1918. With Explanatory Notes. By Sir Hugh Fraser, LL.D., a Bencher of the Inner Temple. London: Sweet & Maxwell Ltd. 1918. Price

25s. nett.

In this book a difficult and intricate statute, which few people understand, is most lucidly set forth with explanatory notes, and in a learned and scholarly way, by that distinguished author of legal treatises, Sir Hugh Fraser. Few modern legal authors have got his easy style of writing, or his complete grasp of legal principle. The scheme of the book is to set out the whole of the Act verbatim, and then each section is fully dealt with in the explanatory notes which follow them, and the various authorities examined with both accuracy and care. These notes are really excellent. In addition to being explanatory, they are critical and original, both in thought and in treatment, and they display to the full the learned author's well-known scholarship. For example, his examination of the decision in the case of Wigtown (1874), 2 O. & H. 215, at pp. 183, 185, 188, 191, 195 and 198, is most illuminating. The extraordinary extension of the new franchise under this Act, which repeals no less than fifty statutes and modifies fifty-seven others, is shewn by the fact that at least 3,000,000 men and 6,000,000 women will be added to the register as parliamentary electors. The most novel change which the Act introduces is, of course, the enfranchisement of women, but the enfranchisement of sailors, soldiers, and others serving in connection with the war is provided for by giving them the franchise for the constituency in which, but for their war service, they would have been entitled to vote, or for the constituency (if any) in which they happen to have an actual qualification. Under the old law there were seven alternative qualifications for the parliamentary franchise; under the present Act, as regards men, there are but three alternative qualifications, viz. residence, business premises, and the university qualification. The period of qualification has been shortened from one year to six months, there being two qualifying periods in the year -one ending on 15th January and the other on 15th July. Women who have attained the age of thirty now receive the vote under the Act. Apart from university constituencies, there are two alternative qualifications: (1) the woman must be entitled to be registered as a local government elector in respect of the occupation

or of land or premises (other than a dwellinghouse) of a yearly value of not less than £5; or (2) she must be the wife of a man who is entitled to be so registered. Of the 6,000,000 new women voters, it is estimated that 5,000,000 will come on the register by virtue of their husbands' qualification. As regards the local government franchise, it is conferred on women and men on equal terms, viz. when they reach the age of twenty-one; and a woman, further, may be registered and vote by virtue of her husband's qualification in respect of premises in which they both reside, if she has attained the age of thirty. Under the Act, 5,000,000 women will be added to the register of local government electors. There is to be a new system of official registration. The old dignified office of revising barrister is abolished, and many will regret the passing of this courteous and estimable gentleman. There is to be, instead, a registration officer, and there is to be a right of appeal from his decision to the County Court and from the County Court, on questions of law alone, to the Court of Appeal. Interesting facts are that the counties lose five members, whilst the universities gain six, and the House of Commons is numerically increased by thirty-seven members. The Act applies to Scotland, subject to the modifications continued in the 43rd section, with its 19 subsections, which exclusively applies to Scotland. The whole work is a masterly exposition of the new law on the subject; is marked by great learning, care, and thoroughness; and, as the price of it is, in addition, extremely moderate, it ought to be in great demand, and have a ready sale.

As usual, the "Juridical Review" opens with a discussion of the case law of the quarter (both English and Scots). Then follows the continuation of Mr Roughead's article on "Robert Fergusson, the Scottish Poet." Under the title "A Professional Retrospect, 1834," Mr John Burns gives an interesting account of the evidence which was led before a Select Committee of the House of Commons which was charged with the duty of enquiring into the salaries of the judges of the Court of Session. Incidentally it appears that on at least one occasion the Second Division sat for less than eight hours in a week, and that the Dean of Faculty of the day found House of Lords appeals unprofitable. Mr T. W. Marshall, barrister-at-law, discusses the English law with reference to the right to bring an action for breach of promise against the estate of a deceased person, and an excellent number concludes with a review of recent legal literature.

States and Mexico in the Pious Funds Case (1902), and between France and Germany on the Casa Blanca incident in 1909. In 1907 he went to The Hague Peace Conference as Ambassador Extraordinary and First British Plenipotentiary, and he was appointed a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In the same year he was created a G.C.B. in recognition of his services. His interests, however, were by no means confined to his legal and judicial work, for he was a Privy Councillor, a Fellow of London University, of Balliol College, Oxford, and of the British Academy; a member of the Historical MSS. Commission, an F.R.S., a D.C.L. of Oxford, and an LL.D. of Edinburgh.

AT the annual general meeting of the Society of Procurators of Midlothian the following office-bearers were appointed for the ensuing year: President, Mr J. Erskine Dods, S.S.C.; Vice-President, Mr W. Croft Gray, S.S.C.; Secretary and Fiscal, Mr Peter Clark, solicitor, 24 Hill Street, Edinburgh; Treasurer, Mt W. Carter Rutherford, S.S.C.; Librarian, Mr Allan M'Neil, S.S.C.; Members of Council, Mr James Cunningham, Mr Norman M. Macpherson, S.S.C., Mr J. G. Bryson, solicitor, Mr R. D. Campbell M Kechnie, solicitor, and Mr Charles T. Nightingale, solicitor.

THE annual meeting of the Law Society of Glasgow was held in the library, County Buildings, on 18th October, Mr Matthew W. White, president, in the chair. The reports by the committee stated that the present membership of the Society was 65, of which 8 members were on service. The balance in bank at the close of the year was £79, 16s. 7d. Further recognition had been obtained for the Society in matters affecting the profession. The reports were approved, and the following office-bearers elected for next year: President, Mr James Strang, writer, 135 Wellington Street; Vice-President, Mr J. D. MacDonald, writer, 132 West Regent Street; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr J. Campbell Fyfe, writer, 95 Bath Street; Committee, Mr David H. Kay, Mr Robert Gloag, Mr Thomas Reid, Mr William Roy, Mr George B. Chalk, Mr George C. Mearns, and Mr James T. Miller.

THE LATE MR JOHN SMART, S.S.C. We regret to record the death of Mr John Smart, S.S.C., which took place on 28th October. A son of the Rev. Dr Smart of St Andrew's U.P. Church, Leith, he entered the office of his uncle, the late Mr Charles Morton, W.S., and in 1862 he became a member of the S.S.C. Society. Shortly afterwards he was assumed as a partner of the firm of Morton, Neilson & Smart. took a large share in the business, gaining the confidence and affection of the large circle of clients who entrusted their affairs to the firm.

He

In 1902 he lost his sight, which had been failing for some time previously, and a few years later he retired from business. For a time he represented the S.S.C. Society on the Board of Managers of the Infirmary and of the Sick Children's Hospital, and he served as President of the Society for a term of three years. He was all his life a devoted member of the United Presbyterian Church, and was one of the representatives of that Church in the negotiations which culminated in the union with the Free Church. Mr Smart, who was eighty-two years of age, is survived by his wife and by a family of two sons and a daughter. His elder son is a partner in the firm of Morton, Smart, Macdonald & Prosser, W.S., and his second son, who is a chartered accountant in civil life, is at present absent on military service.

WE regret to record the death of Mr F. T. Garden, advocate in Aberdeen, which took place on 27th October. Mr Garden was the only son of Dr William Garden, Alford, and was born at Alford in 1839. In 1857 he entered the office of Messrs Chalmers & Farquhar, advocates. In 1862 he went to Edinburgh, and returning to Aberdeen two years later joined the Society of Advocates and also the firm of his apprenticeship as a partner. Mr Garden had a lifelong and extensive experience in estate management as factor on many large estates throughout Aberdeenshire and the north-eastern parts of Scotland. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, treasurer of the Society of Advocates from 1906 to 1908, and president from 1908 to 1910. He also edited the "Marischal College Arts Class Records," 1854-58. In his younger days he was associated with the Volunteer movement, and held a commission in the Alford Company of Rifle Volunteers. Mr Garden was a Conservative in politics and a member of the Church of Scotland. He is survived by his only son, Mr William Garden, M.A., B.L., advocate, who has been a partner of his father's firm since 1899.

THE death of Major William Shepherd, solicitor, Leven, took place on 2nd November. He was a partner of the firm of W. & J. O. Shepherd, solicitors, Leven, and agent of the Leven branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He was also treasurer of the burgh of Leven and Town Clerk of Markinch, and a director of a number of public companies. Among the clients of his firm were Sir Douglas Haig and Sir Rosslyn Wemyss. For over forty years. Major Shepherd was an enthusiastic supporter of the Volunteer movement. He began volunteering in the 4th Black Watch at the age of sixteen and mobilised at the outbreak of war, but was compelled to retire a little more than a year later owing to the state of his health. Major Shepherd, who was a native of Dundee,

ENEMY SUBMARINE LIABILITY FOR LOSS. A ship was insured under an ordinary maritime policy, "free of capture and seizure," and also under a policy against war risks not covered by the general policy. During the voyage an object was sighted in the sea which the captain believed to be a German submarine, and he endeavoured to ram it, with the result that the vessel was damaged by the collision and ultimately lost. It was not definitely proved what the object really was. Held that the captain had acted reasonably in the circumstances, and that the loss was covered by the policy against war risks. -K.B. Div. (Bailhache J.).-20th June 1918.

In re Dewar's Patent.

PATENT-INVENTION-EXTENSION

OF TERM. -Extension for five years of a patent for an improved method of absorbing gases and the application thereof to the production of high vacua and the separation of gases granted by the Court, on the ground that circumstances had deprived the inventor of sufficient opportunity for making the invention available for commercial purposes.-Chan. Div. (Sargant J.).21st June 1918.

LAW LIBRARY.

BOOK NOTICE.

Chambers' Income Tax Guide. Second Edition: Enlarged and Extensively Rewritten. By John Burns, W.S. London and Edinburgh: W. & R. Chambers Ltd., 1918.

Price 2s. 6d. nett.

This is not a legal text-book, but it is a publication which will be of considerable service and use to members of the legal profession and others; among these latter might be included minor officials in income tax offices. The author has been well advised to bring out a new edition of the work now, as the first edition was published about a year ago, and since then the Budget of 1918 has made its appearance, and these and other considerations have made a second edition necessary. The various changes which have occurred since the publication of the first edition have been duly included. The work

gives information on the rules and limits of tax liability, how to fill up forms, how to secure abatements, and how to obtain repayments. The fact that the work is couched in popular and nontechnical language ought to secure it a welcome from the ordinary income-tax payer. The new chapters on Farmers' Income Tax and on SuperTax have been well done; and the last chapter of all, which deals with Specimen Returns and Claims, is of great practical utility in the subThe whole book deals in jects which it covers. a lucid way with the rather thorny subject of income tax, and the work is certainly all it claims to be. The index, however, is too scanty, and might easily be improved.

TO

ACT OF SEDERUNT

REGULATE TRANSMISSION OF SOLDIERS' WILLS DEPOSITED WITH THE COMMISSARY CLERK OF EDINBURGH.

EDINBURGH, 18th October 1918.

The Lords of Council and Session, considering that it is expedient that a simpler method be santioned for the transmission by the Commissary Clerk of Edinburgh of wills deposited with him under section 21 of the Regimental Debts Act 1893, where these are required to be produced in the Court of any county of Scotland other than that of Edinburgh for the purpose of the confirmation of the testator's executors, do hereby Enact and Declare as follows, viz. :

1. Where the Sheriff-Clerk of any county of Scotland shall send a written request stating that production of the will of a soldier which has been deposited with the Commissary Clerk of the county of Edinburgh under section 21 of the Regimental Debts Act 1893 is required in such Sheriff-Clerk's Court in proceedings for the confirmation of the executors of such soldier, the said Commissary Clerk may transmit such will by registerd post letter to such Sheriff-Clerk for the purpose mentioned. 2. Thereafter the Sheriff-Clerk shall acknowledge by registered post letter the receipt of the will, and shall retain the will in his custody until the purpose of its transmission has been served. He shall then with all convenient speed re-transmit the will to the said Commissary Clerk by registered post letter. 3. In this Act the expression Sheriff Clerk shall include Sheriff-Clerk Depute. And the Lords Appoint this Act to be entered in the Books of Sederunt and to be printed and published in common form.

STRATHCLYDE, I.P.D.