S. 3. The date when left to be entered in a book.

S. 4. Judgments, decrces, rules and orders registered since the 1 Vict. c. 110, or hereafter to be registered, after five years from the date of the entry, shall be void against lands, as to purchasers, &c. unless a like memorandum is again left with the master, within five years before the execution of the instrument transferring the estate to such purchaser or mortgagee for valuable consideration, or before the right of the creditors accrued; and so on toties quoties.

S. 5. As against purchasers and mortgagees without notice, none of such judgments, &c. shall bind the land further than a judgment of one of the superior courts would heretofore have done.

S. 6. Nothing in the recited Act, or in this Act, to revive judgments already extinguished or barred, or to affect or prejudice any judgment as between the parties thereto, or their representatives, or those deriving as volunteers under them.

S. 7. No lis pendens to bind a purchaser or mortgagee without express notice, until a memorandum of the suit (as herein prescribed) be left with the Master of the Common Pleas : and the provisions of s. 4 to extend to every case of lis pendens registered under this Act.

S. 8. No judgment, statute, or recognizance obtained or entered into on account of the crown, or inquisition whereby any debt shall be proved due to the crown, or obligation or specialty made to the crown, according to the 33 Hen. 8, c. 39, or acceptance of office by officers where lands shall thereby become liable for arrearages under the 13 Eliz. c. 4, to affect lands as to purchasers or mortgagees, unless registered in C. P. in the manner herein directed.

S. 9. Quietus to debtors or accountants to the crown to be registered in like

manner.

S. 10. Empowers the Commissioners of the Treasury, on such terms as they may think proper, to certify that lands of any crown debtor shall be held by a purchaser or mortgagee discharged from all further claims of the crown or in the case of leases for fines, that the lessees may hold so discharged, without prejudice to the crown's rights against the reversion, and therefore the lands shall be held so discharged respectively.

S. 11. Such certificate, or the discharge of the lands under this Act, not to affect the right of the crown to levy on other lands liable to the debt.

S. 12. Conveyances bonâ fide made and executed by a bankrupt before the date of the fiat, shall be valid notwithstanding a prior act of bankruptcy, provided the party to whom the conveyance was made had not at the time notice of any prior act of bankruptcy.

S. 13. No purchase from a bankrupt bonâ fide and for valuable consideration, where the purchaser had notice of an act of bankruptcy, shall be impeached unless the commission shall have been sued out within twelve calendar months after such act of bankruptcy.

S. 14. Act not to extend to Ireland.

CAP. 12.-An Act to amend an Act of the Thirty-ninth Year of King George the Third, for the more effectual Suppression of Societies established for Seditious and Treasonable Purposes, and for preventing Treasonable and Seditious Practices, and to put an End to certain proceedings now pending under the said Act. [4th June, 1839.]

S. 1. Repeals the 39 Geo. 3, c. 79, s. 27.

S. 2. Penalty of £5 on printers for not printing their name and residence on every paper and book, and on persons publishing or dispersing the same.

S. 3. As to books and papers printed at the University presses.

S. 4. No actions for penalties to be commenced, except in the name of the attorney or solicitor general in England, or the queen's advocate in Scotland. S. 5. Provisions for staying proceedings now pending for penalties under the 39 Geo. 3, c. 79.

S. 6. The 39 Geo. 3, c. 79, and all acts amending it, to be construed as onc act together with this act.

S. 7. Act may be amended or repealed this session.

CAP. 13.-An Act for extending the Copyright of Designs for Calico Printing to Designs for Printing other Woven Fabrics. [4th June, 1839.] Cap. 14.—An Act for removing Doubts as to the Appointment of a Dean of Exeter, or of any other Cathedral Church. [4th June, 1839.] CAP. 15.-An Act to provide for the more effectual Execution of the Office of a Justice of the Peace within and adjoining to the District called the Staffordshire Potteries, and for purposes connected therewith. [4th June, 1839.] CAP. 16.-An Act for improving the Practice and Proceedings of the Court of Pleas of the County Palatine af Durham and Sadberge. [14th June, 1839.] [This Act introduces into the Court of Common Pleas of Durham alterations in its process and practice analogous to those of the 2 W. 4, c. 39, and the 1 Vict. c. 110.]

CAP. 17.-An Act to secure to Proprietors of Designs for Articles of Manufacture the Copyright of such Designs for a limited Time. [14th June, 1839.] CAP. 18.—An Act to enable Archbishops and Bishops to raise Money on Mortgage of their Sees, for the purpose of building and otherwise providing fit Houses for their Residence. [1st July, 1839.] CAP. 19.-An Act to amend an Act of the Sixth and Seventh Years of his late Majesty King William the Fourth, for Consolidating the Laws relating to the Presentment of Public Money by Grand Juries in Ireland, so as to enable the Grand Jury of the County of Waterford to make Presentments on account of the Fever Hospital of the said County, although situate in the County of the City of Waterford. [1st July, 1839.] CAP. 20.-An Act to authorize the Application of Part of the Land Revenues of the Crown for the Erection of Stables and Stable Offices contiguous to Windsor Castle. [1st July, 1839.] CAP. 21.-An Act for granting to her Majesty, until the Fifth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and forty, certain Duties on Sugar imported into the United Kingdom, for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine. [4th July, 1839.] CAP. 22.-An Act to enable Justices of Assize on their Circuits to take Inquisition of all Pleas in the Court of Exchequer of Pleas which shall be brought before them, without a Special Commission for that purpose.

[4th July, 1839.] Justices of assize on their circuits may try causes and take inquisitions of pleas pending in the Court of Exchequer of Pleas, and proceed thereon in like manner as in respect of causes and pleas in Q. B. and C. P. and it shall not be necessary hereafter to issue any commission from the Court of Exchequer for that purpose.

NOTES TO THE LIFE OF LORD ELDON.

We have been favoured by a high legal authority with the following statement of an incident in the Life of Lord Eldon, mentioned in our last number.

"The account of the two gentlemen of the name of Atkinson, and the part which Lord Eldon took with respect to one of them, is partially incorrect.

"There were two gentlemen of that name merchants in the House. Mr. Christopher Atkinson was an eminent corn merchant and factor. In the course of the American war he was employed by the Victualling Office to purchase corn and flour for the navy as a factor, on commission. He was attacked in the newspa

pers, and it was imputed to him that he had defrauded the Victualling Office by charging higher prices than he paid. He moved for a criminal information against one person who made this charge, and in his affidavit to obtain the information he made oath that he had not in any instance charged more than his commission. Some information was given to the Treasury, upon which a prosecution for perjury was commenced and conducted by the law officers of the crown. The indictment assigned perjury on six instances, in which it was alleged that he had charged higher prices than he had paid. The trial took place in the year 1783, before Lord Mansfield. It was proved that in these several instances he had charged a higher price than he had paid. The defence was, that, although in the particular instances specified he had charged more than he had paid, those prices were merely nominal, for the purpose of obtaining money by way of imprest, and that every six weeks the whole was set right by a balance bill. This defence was not well received by Lord Mansfield, and not sufficiently made out to the satisfaction of the jury, and Mr. Atkinson was convicted. In the next term he did not appear to receive judgment, but went to France. In the course of the next year an error having been discovered in the record, which his counsel thought fatal, he came over, surrendered, and moved an arrest of judgment. On the other hand, the Attorney General moved to amend-the Court did amend. An unsuccessful application was then made for a new trial, and in Michaelmas Term 1784, Mr. Atkinson received judgment of fine and imprisonment and the pillory. The story of his wife standing upon the pillory with him is, I believe, unfounded. About the time the prosecution was commenced the Attorney General had filed a bill in the Exchequer for an account, but the suit had slept. Mr. Atkinson now revived the suit, and called for the account; the account was taken in the Court of Exchequer and occupied considerable time—in the end it was clearly proved that Mr. Atkinson's allegation of the balance bill was true, and that upon the whole he had not charged more than he had paid-in very many instances much less.

"I was present at the argument in the Court of Exchequer, and well remember the feeling manner in which Lord Eldon, then Mr. Scott, who was leading counsel for Mr. Atkinson, commenced his address to the court for his client, who had been whipped of justice," though now it was proved that he was free from crime.

"Chief Baron Eyre delivered an elaborate judgment in favor of Mr. Atkinson; and his innocence being now established, he received a pardon under the great seal, and for many years afterwards sat in parliament, both in the name of Atkinson and the name of Saville, which after some years he took.

"I knew Mr. Atkinson personally, and remember his being in parliament as late as the year 1808."

EXAMINATION HONOURS FOR ATTORNEYS.

[The following letter is too well written to be thrown away, and we believe we shall best answer the object the writer has in view by printing his own arguments, on which it would not be easy to improve.]

SIR,

Whitchurch, July 17, 1839.

In order to make the law in a degree equal to other professions, and to keep pace with the general progress, the old plan of examination has of late been restored. It was intended to secure a certain amount of talent and character, in a profession which especially calls for the exercise of both. Curiously enough, however, while this object has been partly obtained, another, or rather a more valuable branch of the same object, has been altogether neglected. The examination has been so framed, as to secure a certain, but very small proportion of ability, while all incitements to advance a step beyond have been entirely omitted. All but the very stupid, or the very careless, are sure of a certificate; but nothing more than a certificate is granted to the industrious or the clever. The consequence is natural. At an age when self-interest has scarcely taken root, and emulation alone is master of the breast, there is no inducement to diligence, because no opportunity for display; and the moment when, from these motives, every exertion might be made, is suffered to pass by in indolence or dissipation. In other professions the want is remedied by distinctions either present or future. In the church, and to the medical student, early occasions are offered for acquiring recorded fame; while to the barrister, soldier, and sailor, comes promotion as the reward of merit. The solicitor alone has nothing of an honourable nature to encourage him, and that branch of the profession the most exposed to temptation, and whose members should be most carefully fitted for their calling, is suffered still to continue under the proverb, and treated as unworthy of distinction. This is surely unfair.

I pass by the objection that degrees would be invidious towards those who gained none. I shall not in this age be required to defend the system by which the world is ruled, or to recal the laurel of Wellington because of the murmurings of the coward. To the fool or the knave alone is it an argument, and I believe you will agree with me, that too much weight should not be given to them.

But, in truth, there is no valid objection. If the matter be treated as ridiculous, I reply that the present race of solicitors are, in general, men of education and gentlemanly habits; and that the medical profession has already public orders of merit in its examinations; if objected to as needless, I answer that the duties of a solicitor are difficult and delicate; that emulation is the most powerful motive, and that all mankind possess the feeling.

The only real obstacle is in that aversion to change which, as a sort of instinct, pervades some classes of persons—a sort of vis inertiæ, so hard to overcome except by strenuous and repeated exertion.

To me personally the matter is immaterial, as I am established in practice, but I speak for my sons. I educate them as gentlemen, I carefully instruct them in the routine of their profession, I hear other parents boasting of the recorded honours of their children, and I see the benefits which recorded honours bring, but because my

son is a solicitor, I am deprived of these pleasures, and he of the chance of affording

them to me.

I trust I may soon see the subject taken up by some one whose name may give authority to his sentiments. To you, Sir, I also earnestly appeal, to consider the matter, and if the result be favourable, to give it your support. This would be of the greatest importance, and if not directly within your usual province, you would be amply rewarded for the trespass. The plan must be adopted ere long, and why delay giving to the rising generation those aids which their successors will undoubtedly enjoy? It is a question about which all are interested,-which seems particularly to deserve the advocacy of the leading law periodical, and, as a humble labourer, I leave it in your hands, begging you to give it your consideration, and to excuse the intrusion of this letter.

I remain, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

A COUNTRY SOLICITOR.

P.S.-My plan would be to number the candidates as in the poll at Cambridge in this manner :--Let the first ten be placed in order of merit in each division of the examination subjects, and then let ten be numbered in a like way on the general balance, so as to ensure general proficiency. This plan is at once simple and without expense, and though it may add in a degree to the trouble of the examiners, I am sure those gentlemen would not refuse to undertake it, if it conduced to the character of their profession.