THE LATE MR A. W. MACDONALD, S.S.C. We regret to have to record the death of Mr A. W. Macdonald, S.S.C., of the firm of Clark & Macdonald, S.S.C., Edinburgh. Mr Macdonald, who was born in Dundee in 1857, comes of legal stock, his grandfather and his father having been well-known and respected members of the legal profession in Dundee. Mr Macdonald served his apprenticeship partly with the firm of Patullo & Thornton, solicitors,

a promising career, was killed at Arras in April him in partnership and was on the threshold of 1917. His other son, Lieutenant Norman J. Macdonald, M.C., Royal Scots, was severely wounded in the same battle, but happily has recovered and now carries on the business under the same firm name. To him and to Mrs Macdonald and her three daughters many tokens of sympathy and respect have been rendered.

INCORPORATED SOCIETY OF LAW AGENTS IN

Drummond &

Reid, W.S., Edin

burgh, and in these important firms acquired a thorough practical knowledge of legal work.

At Edinburgh University, where he studied law, Mi Macdonald was prize-man in Scots Law. After acquiring experience in Glasgow in the service of the well known firm of Keyden, Strang & Girvan, solicitors there, Mr Macdonald joined Mr Clark in business in Edinburgh in 1886, and after Mr Clark's death in 1893 continued practice to the

date of his death under the same firm name. In addition to a thorough knowledge of legal principles Mr Macdonald had the advantage of a kindly and genial disposition which attracted many clients and attached to him all his friends and country correspondents, the result being a large and important Court and chamber practice. For some time back Mr Macdonald has, at times, been in indifferent health, but his cheery way of making light of trouble brought his sudden and unexpected death as the greater shock to his many friends. Both Mr Macdonald's sons served and suffered in the war. It was a great grief to him when his eldest son, Captain John Macdonald, Royal Scots, who had just joined

Edinburgh on 17th February, Mr J. A. M'Killop (VicePresident) in the chair. The VicePresident submitted a report on the subject of a compulsory annual audit of trust accounts of all estates over £100, subject to certain exceptions. The matter was delayed for further consideration at next meeting. The Bills Committee submitted a report on the Conveyancing Bill, Trusts Bill, and Land Tenure Bill, which the Council ordered to be printed, circulated among the Council,

and considered further at next meeting. The following solicitors were were admitted members of the Society: Messrs A. A. Mackenzie, Leven; John Beveridge and, Alexander Barker, Inverness; W. J. Hill, Glasgow; John Ormiston Brown and Frank Henry Macpherson, Ayr; David Gowans, Dundee; A. Bannerman Robb, Portsoy; John Sandison, James Munro, Alexander Mactavish, and Ronald Ross Munro Macdonald, Tain; W. S. Dewar, Dingwall; Alexander Brodie, James D. Paterson, Alexander F. Spence, William Watt Walker, and Frederick Augustus Watt, Banff; Alexander Auchinachie and John Grant Fleming, Keith; John James George, Macduff; Duncan Kennedy, Robert

One prize for excellence in the study of Private International Law.

One prize for excellence in the study of Constitutional Law and Constitutional History.

One prize for excellence in the study of Mercantile Law.

Candidates for prizes in any of these subjects must have attended the course of lectures on that subject in the University of Edinburgh for one session only, and that within a period of three years prior to the date of the competition. Candidates may compete for all or any of the prizes.

A student who holds or has held one of the Harry Dalgety Bursaries is not eligible for these prizes.

All or any of the bursaries and prizes may be withheld if in the opinion of the trustees the candidates therefor are not considered of

sufficient merit.

DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.-Where a colliery company tipped large quantities of colliery refuse on the slope of a hill and a landslide followed, which damaged roads, tramways, and other property in the valley below, held (Lord Buckmaster action of the colliery company and that they dissenting) that the landslide was due to the were liable for damages and to have injunction granted against them. Decision of the Court of Appeal reversed.-House of Lords (Viscount Haldane, Viscount Finlay, Lord Atkinson, Lord Shaw of Dunfermline, and Lord Buckmaster).— 27th January 1921.

Gunston v. Winox Ltd.

DECISIONS IN THE ENGLISH COURTS.

Mitchell v. Townend & Co.

LANDLORD AND TENANT INCREASE OF RENT AND MORTGAGE INTEREST (KESTRICTIONS) ACT 1920 (10 & 11 GEO. V. CAP. 17), SECTION 13 (1) (c) "SCHEME OF RECONSTRUCTION OR IMPROVEMENT DESIRABLE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.". -A scheme for the conversion by the owner of a stable and warehouse into a training school for girls employed in a factory belonging to him is not "a scheme of reconstruction or improvement desirable in the public interest" under the above-cited section.-K.B. Div. (Coleridge, Avory, and Salter JJ.).—13th January 1921.

DESIGN-DISCLOSURE TO CUSTOMER BEFORE

COPYRIGHT INVALIDATED BY DISCLOSURE PATENTS AND DESIGNS ACT 1907 (7 EDW. VII. CAP. 29), SECTION 55.-The plaintiffs, a firm of printers and trade show-cards designers, submitted a show-card for medicated wines to the defendants before registering it. The defendants did not accept it. It was then submitted to another firm, who ordered a large quantity to be printed on the understanding that they should have the copyright. The defendants thereafter brought out and published a show-card for their wines, which was a colourable imitation of the plaintiffs' design. The plaintiffs subsequently registered their design and sued for an injunction and damages against the defendants, and a declarator that the defendants' design was an infringement. Held that the disclosure of the design to the defendants before registration invalidated the copyright, even though registration was subsequently obtained. Decision of Astbury J. reversed.-Court of Appeal (Lord Sterndale M.R., Warrington and Younger L.JJ.).-28th January 1921.

LAW LIBRARY.

BOOK NOTICES.

The Scottish Agricultural Acts. Edinburgh: North

British Agriculturist Office. Price 3s.

This is a small but valuable publication. It prints the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Acts 1908 and 1910, the Corn Production Act, and the new Agriculture Act, but the special features are that two adjustments are made in these prints. In the first place, the various successive amendments receive effect by insertion or omission, as the case may be, in their proper places. In the second place all the adaptations to Scotland are woven in throughout in the same way. So far as we are aware, the idea is novel. It is certainly ingenious and useful, and the execution appears to be careful.

The Trial of Thurtell and Hunt. Edited by Eric R. Watson, Barrister-at-Law. Edinburgh and London: William Hodge & Co. Ltd. Price 10s. 6d. net.

A scoundrel named John Thurtell, well-known on the turf and in the prize-ring, who had long made a precarious living by every kind of illegal and immoral device, was tried in 1824 for the murder of his "friend" and associate, William Weare, under circumstances peculiarly sordid and brutal. Nothing in the circumstances of the crime or of the parties raised it to the dignity of tragedy. Yet the trial, staged at Hertford, led to an extraordinary demonstration of morbid excitement throughout England. The road from London to Hertford was crowded with vehicles taking spectators of all classes to witness, first the trial, and then the execution. The press fed the sensation-loving public with every detail, true or false, of the assassin's career in a manner which rivals the worst achievements of its twentieth-century successor. The criminal even found a place in more reputable and less ephemeral literature; for the life, crimes, and fate of John Thurtell have been a theme of George Borrow, Charles Lamb, Lytton, and Hazlett; while more casual allusions occur in the writings of Walter Scott. Such then was the contemporary fame of the trial which is set out in the latest volume of the "Notable Trials" series. The interest of the volume centres less in the story of the crime and the personality of the criminal than in its study of contemporary manners, and in particular of the methods of criminal investigation and detection more than a century ago. It was before the days of a regular and efficient police force. Bow Street runners, under the instructions of the local magistracy, perform the functions of a detective force; and magisterial interrogations of sus

11621-Hillfoots Picture Theatres Ltd., Alloa (private company), to carry on the business of exhibiting moving pictures. Capital-£5000 in £1 shares.

11622-Andrew Gibson & Son Ltd., 98 High Street, Paisley (private company), to carry on the business or businesses of bakers, biscuit manufacturers, cooks, confectioners, restaurateurs, purveyors, etc. Capital-£17,500 in £1 shares.

11623-Cessnock Engineering Co. Ltd., subscribers-John L. Morgan, engineer, 126-8 Broad Street, Glasgow, and William Robin, carriage hirer, 2 Woodside Place, Govan (private company), to carry on the business of engineers. Capital-£1000 in £1 shares.

11624-Muirhead & Ferguson Ltd., Flemington Saw Mills, Motherwell (private company), to carry on in the United Kingdom and elsewhere abroad the business of building contractors. Capital-£5000 in £1 shares.

11625-Kyle Chemical Co. Ltd., Glasgow, chemical manu

facturers (private company), Capital £130,000 divided into 114,000 Preference A shares and 15,000 Preference "B" shares, and 600 Ordinary "A" shares and 400 Ordinary

"B" shares of £1 each.

11626-The Lanarkshire Waggon Co. Ltd., Larkhall (private company), to purchase or acquire on lease Larkhall East Goods Station for the purpose of carrying on the business of waggon repairers or builders of vehicles and rolling stock. Capital-£5000 in £1 shares.

pany), to acquire as a going concern the business of distillers 11627--Caledonian Bonding Co., Glasgow (private comand wine merchants at present carried on under the name. Capital-£1000 in £1 shares.

Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow (private company), to carry 11628--The South-Western Coach Works Ltd., 333 Scotland on the business of motor body, carriage, van, and lorry builders and repairers. Capital-£15,000 in £1 shares. (private company), to carry on the business of restaurateurs. 11629-Tea Rooms Ltd., 26 Ritchie Street, West Kilbride Capital-£2500 in £1 shares.

11630-M'Farlane & Birrell Ltd., Meat Market, Moore of meat and live stock salesmen. Capital-£3000 in £1 Street, Glasgow (private company), to carry on the business shares.

Glasgow (private company), to carry on the business of ship11631-Coylet Steamship Co., 70 Wellington Street, owners, underwriters, etc. Capital £200,000 in 10s. shares.

11632-Thos. Ritchie Ltd., 14 South Bridge Street, Grangemouth (private company), to acquire and carry on the business of flesher, poulterer, and game dealer. Capital-£12,000, divided into 3000 Preference and 9000 Ordinary shares, both

of £1 each.

11633-John Key & Co. Ltd., 45 Renfield Street, Glasgow (private company), produce brokers and general merchants. Capital-£1000 in 1000 Founders' shares at 1s. each and 950 Ordinary shares of £1 each.

11634-Colinslee Motor and Engineering Co., manufacturers and repairers of motor vehicles, Glasgow (private company). Capital-£5000 in £1 shares.

Glasgow (private company), engineers and patentees. Capital £1000 in £1 shares.

11635-Electro-Freezers Ltd., 243 North Woodside Road,