magistrates, both with relation to indictable offences, and to offences punishable upon a summary conviction.

The work is divided into two books. The first book treats of the duties of Justices of the Peace, with relation to indictable offences, under the following heads, namely, The summons or warrant, The examination of the offender and witnesses, Admitting the offender to bail, and the Commitment: to which are added Forms of Commitments upon Mr. Peel's Acts; upon Lord Lansdowne's Act as to offences against the person; Commitments for forgery; for high treason, offences relating to the coin, and other offences against the King and his Government; for offences against public justice; for offences against public trade; for offences against public police and economy; for conspiracy; and commitments of principals in the second degree, and accessaries:-comprising all the offences of usual occur

rence.

The second book treats of the duties of Justices of the Peace, with relation to offences punishable upon a summary conviction, under the following heads, namely: the information; the summons or warrant; the proceedings at the hearing; the conviction; and the warrant of distress or commitment: to which are added forms of convictions in most of the cases that usually occur in practice, arranged alphabetically.

For the convenience of magistrates, also, I have added copies of Lord Lansdowne's Acts, in an Appendix.

nearly altogether obviated by the Legislature, in the statute to which I have just now alluded; but in matters of substance, in one at least, namely, the statement of the offence in a conviction, in which the same degree of certainty is required as in an indictment, the Legislature, in most cases, have not interfered; nor can they, without rendering the conviction deficient in certainty,—a certainty, which I conceive to be really essential to the fair administration of Justice, as respects the offender,—a certainty, familiar indeed to the professional pleader, but very little known or understood by others. In commitments, which, in strictness, require nearly the same degree of certainty as indictments, the Legislature have done nothing, and can in fact do nothing, to relieve the magistrate from the difficulty he must feel in framing a warrant, in any case which is not of common and ordinary occurrence.

The best mode, perhaps, of assisting magistrates in framing commitments and convictions is, by giving them a collection of Forms, carefully framed, upon a uniform plan, comprising forms in all those cases which usually occur in practice; to do more, effectually, would be to write a treatise upon pleading in Criminal Cases, which magistrates have little time, and perhaps less inclination, to study.

With a view of affording assistance in this way to magistrates, the present little work has been published. Besides Forms both of commitments and convictions, it will be found to contain plain and familiar directions as to the duties of

magistrates, both with relation to indictable offences, and to offences punishable upon a summary conviction.

The work is divided into two books. The first book treats of the duties of Justices of the Peace, with relation to indictable offences, under the following heads, namely, The summons or warrant, The examination of the offender and witnesses, Admitting the offender to bail, and the Commitment: to which are added Forms of Commitments upon Mr. Peel's Acts; upon Lord Lansdowne's Act as to offences against the person; Commitments for forgery; for high treason, offences relating to the coin, and other offences against the King and his Government; for offences against public justice; for offences against public trade; for offences against public police and economy; for conspiracy; and commitments of principals in the second degree, and accessaries:-comprising all the offences of usual occur

rence.

The second book treats of the duties of Justices of the Peace, with relation to offences punishable upon a summary conviction, under the following heads, namely: the information; the summons or warrant; the proceedings at the hearing; the conviction; and the warrant of distress or commitment: to which are added forms of convictions in most of the cases that usually occur in practice, arranged alphabetically.

For the convenience of magistrates, also, I have added copies of Lord Lansdowne's Acts, in an Appendix.

As to the manner in which the work is executed, it would not, of course, become me to say much. I have endeavoured to simplify the matter of it; to clothe it in language, plain, simple, and wholly unadorned; and to throw the whole into a form, as convenient as it is unassuming. Whether I have succeeded, is for others to determine.

J. F. A.