refuse sewage or any other polluting liquid. Severe pecuniary penalties are then imposed on any person who places or throws, or permits to be placed, thrown, or to fall into any river, any refuse so as to pollute such river. (Refuse means solid waste, whether available or not for a commercial purpose.) Penalties are further imposed upon those who open into any river, any sewer, drain pipe, or channel, in order to provide for the flow of sewage or any other polluting liquid, or who wilfully cause, or permit, any sewage or polluting liquid to flow into any river through any channel not at the passing of the Act used for that purpose. With regard to the existing pollutions, the pollution authority (which is to be the sanitary authority under the Public Health Act 1872) may give notice to discontinue within a certain period. The difficulty, which arose in the Esk Pollution case, of the pollution being caused by several independent works, none of which separately was polluting the water in a legal sense, seems to be met partly by the definitions of the 6th clause, and partly by the following section:-"No person shall be subject to the foregoing penalties if he proves, to the satisfaction of the Court, that the pollution caused by him to any river, or affluent thereto, arises from liquid previously taken by him from such river, or affluent, and does not come within the definition of polluting liquid contained in the Act in a greater degree than when the same was so taken by him." But the great feature of the Act, and the chief fruit of the labour of the Commissioners, is to be found in the 6th section, which defines scientifically the various polluting liquids. Of these we shall give three specimens:

(1.) Any liquid containing in suspension one part by weight of dry organic matter in 100,000 parts by weight of the liquid. (4) Any liquid which in 100,000 parts by weight contains, whether in solution or suspension in chemical combination or otherwise, more than 05 by weight of metallic arsenic. (9.) Any liquid exhibiting a film of petroleum or hydro-carbon oil on its surface, or containing in suspension in 100,000 parts more than 05 parts of such oil.

These standards may well make manufacturers feel uncomfortable, and they will probably be modified to some extent before they receive parliamentary sanction. But they at least present a solid scientific basis on which the great and beneficent work of renovation and purification of Scottish rivers may begin. W. C. S.

Note. We have thought it unnecessary to refer to the Public Health Legislation and the Nuisance Removal Acts, as it was admitted before the Commissioners that in many cases they could not be appealed to.

OTHER VACATION ARRANGEMENTS.

Mes adieux to the Court and the cares of an Editor,
(And the First of the Month is a very stern creditor :
You feel like those harassed and Judge-ridden juries;
Or, better, Orestes pursued by the Furies.

At the end of the month there scarcely are any days
When you aren't pursued by the P. D. Eumenides).
Adieu to those speeches so dreary and prosy all;
Let's on board of the steamer, and toss our ambrosial
Locks. Where shall we go to? We're all aware when a
Man is a senior, it is Rome or Vienna:

Farther still,-farther still,—if a Judge, be he puisne or
Chief. But less tether will do for a junior.

Nos adieux to the work and the wisdom-(that may be)
And High Jinks; but our Jinks are a mere Ginx' baby;
Speculations anent what the criminals' Charlie meant
By his dashing attempt to get into Parliament;
The hints that, because of the interest you've in his
Career, you should really admonish LORD JUVENIS.

Advice that your style should have somewhat more sparkle;
Advice that your style should be more patriarchal ;
Advice that the Chancellor wasn't hit hard enough;
Advice that you do not speak quite by the card enough;
Advice that of old you really wrote better (ah!);
Advice, "you've improved ;"-et cetera, et cetera.

Nos adieux! we are off to some "tables of interest;"

For the next week or two we shall give our good printer rest.

We are off for a time, and we trust to return all

Fit and strong to keep up the old fame of "The Journal :"
Strong of head (not strong-headed), brown-hued, iron-sinewed--
We shall see in September.

(To be continued.)

Review.

Brief Summary of the Law of Joint-Stock Companies under the Companies Acts 1862 and 1867. By P. H. CAMERON, Solicitor before the Supreme Courts. Edinburgh: Bell and Bradfute. THE author of this book is already favourably known to the profession by his treatise on the "Law of Intestate Succession." He has carried out the same mode in dealing with this interesting subject as he so successfully did with the former. He clearly and systematically states the law as it is, and wastes no time in idle inquiries as to its origin and history, or idle speculations as to what it might or ought to have been. Joint-stock companies have now become

institutions of the age, and illustrate the truth of the ancient axiom that" Union is strength." This treatise gives an accurate summary of the various Statutes which originated in 1844, and since then. have gradually increased in number with the growth of the schemes of Limited Liability, and at length were consummated in the two consolidated Acts of 1862 and 1867. Mr. Cameron has with much labour codified, as it were, the various Statutes. In separate sections he deals with every step in their history from the "Promoters of Companies" to the sepulchral termination of not a few in the winding up." We would not advise any man not weary of life to attempt to read straight through the volume, as oft he must come in contact with matters already told. This is just the best recommendation of such a work. People in difficulties run in haste to a book for instant solution, and it is sickening when they cannot at once find the proper solvent. It is provoking when looking under A to find the reference "vide Z," and when driven to the ultimate letter to be told to go back to P or Q, and when going to either of these gemini to be directed back in the circle to A. In this book any person who really desires information on any particular point will find all he desires or needs at the proper place"the right matter in the right place and the right place for the right matter." The book will be found indispensable on the table not merely of the professional, but of the legion of practicals who have embarked in these many associations of commercial enterprise.

The Month.

Two Practical Suggestions.—In another page will be found a report of a case in the Sheriff Court of Fife regarding the fees to which Sheriff-officers are entitled for serving a summons. By the Act of Sederunt passed by the Court of Session in 1835, a sheriffofficer is entitled to charge a shilling a mile for the travelling expenses of himself and his witnesses. It happens, however, that by legislation subsequent to the establishment of this scale of fees the services of witnesses are dispensed with in the services of such summonses. The question which consequently arises is this; are you bound to act upon an Act of Sederunt which does not apply to the circumstances with which you have to deal, or are you entitled to do so? It seems to us pretty clear that the Sheriff-substitute was right and the Sheriff-depute was wrong. How can a charge be allowed for a sheriff-officer "and witnesses" when it is admitted that no witnesses were present and none were required. It may be that there is no other table of fees applicable to the circumstances, but it is surely of much greater moment that there are no circumstances applicable to

the table of fees. If a fee were allowed for going by a certain road and that road were closed up, we hardly see how the officer could make the statutory charge. If in the table of fees a certain allowance was made for tolls, and tolls were abolished, we do not quite see how the sheriff-officer would be entitled to put down in his account his old item of charge. But it may be urged, if you cannot act upon the rule established by the Act of Sederunt, upon what rule are you to act? The answer to which is, that there is no rule established, and the only thing that can be done is to act on the principle of Quantum meruit. Of course if there is no fixed table of fees, and if every Sheriff has to act on his own idea of what is an adequate remuneration, the practice will vary in different Sheriffdoms. And this is the evil to which we desire to call attention. It is not decorous that in one county the Sheriff should hold that the old table of fees does still apply, and that in the two adjacent counties the Sheriffs should agree in holding that the old table does not apply, but should disagree as to what new scale of remuneration should be introduced. The awkwardness to which we have called attention can very easily be remedied by the Court passing a new Act of Sederunt revising the table of fees.

The

Another practical suggestion which we have to make is in relation to a more painful subject. When a prisoner is condemned to death, most persons who have had occasion to be present in Court must have been grieved at the shocking delay that occurs between the return of the verdict and the pronouncing of the sentence. Clerk of the Court writes out the verdict; afterwards he writes out the ancient and formal sentence. While this tedious but solemn process is being gone through in the crowded and silent Court the suspense of every one becomes extreme. The wretched criminal becomes moment by moment more and more agitated, until, as on a very recent occasion, he breaks down utterly and abjectly; and you discern in him not the man but the animal. This is not at all surprising, for it is obvious that no person can feel comfortable in being sentenced to be hanged, until he is used to it: and the number of persons who have the opportunity of acquiring the experience in question must always be limited. Society has retained the punishment of death because it considers that punishment necessary for its own preservation. But for a long time it has striven to diminish the pain which the victim of his evil passions or his evil fate has to endure. Why should we not endeavour to diminish the suffering at the moment of pronouncing the sentence, as well as at the moment of executing it? There are others whose feelings are to be considered as well as the culprit. We do not refer to the general audience. They need not be present unless they like; and if they desire to have their feelings harrowed, they have their desire, and they have it cheap. But there are other persons whose duty compels them to be present. There is the Judge, and there is the counsel for the Crown. No one need pretend that the task of making the formal

motion for sentence can leave a lasting sorrow on the spirit of an experienced man of business. But at the same time it is no light matter to request, or to grant the request, that a fellow-creature should be hanged by the neck until he is dead; and the more you think of it—and you cannot help thinking of it during the moments of waiting until the sentence is written out, while every motion of the Clerk's quill is heard in the silent Court-the more painful is the task. But it will be asked, what is the practical suggestion that has to be made on this subject? One of two; let the sentence be shortened; or have forms of the present style of sentence written or printed beforehand, with blanks for the name and the date. We commend these suggestions to the new Clerk of Justiciary.

Appointments.-LORD JERVISWOODE, who has been a Judge of the Court of Session for fifteen years, has (as some time ago we intimated he was about to do) resigned his seat on the Bench. The Solicitor-General (Mr. MILLAR, Q.C.) has succeeded to the vacant gown. Mr. WATSON has been appointed Solicitor-General in Mr. Millar's place.

VACATION ARRANGEMENTS.

The Autumn Circuits.-The following are the arrangements for the Autumn Circuits:

West-Lords Justice-Clerk and Young. Stirling, Thursday, 24th September; Inveraray, Thursday, 1st October. Glasgow, Tuesday, 6th October. W. E. Gloag, Esq., Advocate-Depute; Æneas Macbean, Clerk.

South-Lords Deas and Mure. Dumfries, Wednesday, 2nd September; Ayr, Tuesday, 8th September. Jedburgh, Friday, 11th September. Roger Montgomerie, Esq., Advocate-Depute; William Hamilton Bell, Clerk.

North-Lords Ardmillan and Neaves. Dundee, Tuesday, 8th September. Perth, Friday, 11th September. Aberdeen, Wednesday, 16th September. Inverness, Tuesday, 22d September. James Muirhead, Esq., Advocate-Depute; Alexander Ingram, Clerk.

Bill Chamber Rotation of Judges.-Monday, 20th July, to Saturday, 25th July, Lord Gifford; Monday, 27th July, to Saturday, 8th August, Lord Mackenzie; Monday, 10th August, to Saturday, 22nd August, Lord Shand; Monday, 24th August, to Saturday, 5th September, Lord Benholme; Monday, 7th September, to Saturday, 19th September, Lord Craighill; Monday, 21st September, to Saturday, 3rd October, Lord Ormidale; Monday, 5th October, to meeting of Court, Lord Gifford.

Box-Days in Vacation.―Thursday, 27th August, and Thursday, 24th September.