fervations are made not with a view to cenfure or decry the effay, but to limit the expectations and point the efforts of those who with a view to improvement, may purchase and peruse it.

The general obfervations in the introduction are of the highest value, and the chapters on practice, parliamentary business, shorthand writing, and fome others, deferve frequent and careful perufal. The whole work indeed contains maxims and instructions of the greatest importance and utility, and it can only fail to effect general good when it may happen to infpire notions too lofty for the fituation of the reader, or to deprefs into defpondency those who because they are unable to attain all that the author prefcribes, will not make the requifite effort to poffefs all that is within their reach.

ART. 29. A Treatife on the Law of Diftreffes; by James Bradby, Efq. of Lincoln's Inn. 8vo. pp. 324. 75. 6d. Butterworth.

1808.

A portable and cheap tract on a fubject of fuch general interest as the Law of Diftreffes, cannot fail, if well executed, of being ufeful, far beyond the limits of the profeffion to which the author belongs. Mr. Bradby has the praise of compiling, not only an able, but an honeft work. He has not, for the fake of dif playing learning and research, overloaded a book, which ought to be plain and extenfively useful, with matter connected with the fubject, but incapable of general application; nor has he in citing cafes, extended his quotations to the unwarrantable length now fo generally ufed, but has confined himself ftrictly to the point intended to be proved or illuftrated.

The right of diftrefs, is among the most ancient, and is the moft fummary remedy given by the law. It is, as Mr. Bradby observes, so ancient in the laws of England, that it is probably coeval with the common law itself, or may rather be confidered, as one of those principles which collectively conftitute that fyftem which we denominate the common law. The application of it, in its common ufage extends to every clafs of British subjects. Every man who lets or hires a houfe or a lodging is interested in this branch of the law, befide those whom it affects in refpect of other rights, and of certain duties. To a very extended class of readers therefore a treatife of this kind must be useful, and this before us poffeffes a great advantage in being the production of a gentleman of acknowledged legal learning and precifion, and freed from the errors with which carleffness and ignorance had encumbered fome former effays on the same subject, which were either anonymous, or printed under names altogether fictitious.

Avoiding thofe fubjects which would have fwelled the fize, without increafing the value of his work, Mr. Bradby profeffes to have confined his inquiries to fuch things as were originally E e z the

the fubjects of a diftrefs, (probably fo called) at the common

law.

"On this account" he fays, "I have omitted the confideration of thofe diftreffes which arife wholly out of the provifions of particular ftatutes; fuch as diftreffes for poor's rates, or under the authority and directions of canal, or inclosure acts; for which we must have recourfe to the particular ftatutes themselves authorifing thefe diftreffes, or, as they may in general be called, ftatutory executions. For a fimilar reafon, I have omitted the confideration of diftreffes to recover any duty or debt due to the King, except that of rent. For although fuch proceedings are in the old books constantly termed diftreffes, they are in fact, prerogative executions by feizure and fale. Another topic analogous to the law of diftrefs, namely, the procefs by diftringas to compel appearance in real or perfonal actions, I have alfo paffed over with very flight notice; confidering it as a fubject which more properly belongs to an inquiry into the practices of courts, than to a treatife on the law of diftreffes; and have therefore contented myfelf with offering to the reader, on this fubject, the paffage cited from the Lord Chief Baron Gilbert, which will be found at the conclufion of the eighth chapter of the prefent work." The work thus planned is divided into fourteen chapters. The twelfth contains practical directions and precedents. The whole work may be advantageously confulted by the lawyer in the courfe of his practice, and will form a fafe guide, both in doctrine and in precedents to the perfons interefted and employed in making and conducting, or in refifting diftreffes for rent.

ART. 30.

The Law and Practice of Patents for Inventions. By William Hands, Gent. 5s. 8vo. PP 148. Clarke.

1808.

Of thefe pages twenty-four are devoted to a very flimfy treas tife; the refidue being filled with precedents, which may perhaps be ufeful to folicitors, and others employed in obtaining patents; but we are inclined to think that the general stock of legal knowledge, and the general means of practical facility, are not at all 'augmented or advanced by this publication,

COMMERCE.

ART. 31. Defultory Reflections on Banks in general, and the Syftem of Keeping up a falfe Capital by Accomodation Paper, so much reforted by Monopolifts and Speculators; divided into Three Parts, or Effays, and Dedicated, without Permiffion, to the Governor and Company of the Bank of England. By Danmonienfis. 12mo. pp 81. 45. Sherwood, Neely and Jones. 1810.

Of these Defultory Reflections there are fome which we ap prove, and others from which we totally diffent. The author appears

appears to be animated by the best intentions; but evidently has not well digefted his ideas on the fubject of which he treats, nor duly confidered the confequences of all his fuggeftions. His ftyle alfo is far too declamatory and metaphorical to elucidate topics of fuch a nature. The late enormous increafe of paper currency, together with the evils arifing from country Banks, are the principal fubjects of this writer's remarks. The former is attributed by him, as by many other writers, (and indeed by the bullion Com. mittee of the Houfe of Commons) to the reftriction impofed on the Bank during Mr. Pitt's adminiftration, and continued ever fince. This question, as well as the expediency of removing that restriction, after a certain period, is now before the Legiflature, together with much more ample information on the fubject than we can be expected to poffefs. We therefore abstain from the difcuffion.

In the author's opinion refpecting country Banks, we in ge neral agree. That they have produced great inconveniences (at least in diftant parts of the kingdom) we have heard and be lieve; and we alfo confider them as operating, in fome degree, to the increase that has taken place in the price of the neceffaries of life, and as holding forth encouragement to monopolists and spe culators. For thefe evils the author propofes the alternative of two remedies. The first of these is, the eítablishment of what he terms Agency Banks, for the circulation of the national paper only in fuch mercantile places that (as) may pofitively stand in need of accommodation for the purposes before mentioned," viz. "to forward the purposes of trade, and to expedite all pecuniary tranfactions." Thefe agency banks, he fuggefts, fhould be under the direction of the Bank of England or the Lords of the Trea. fury.

exift, he propofes This we confider confidering how and how many After all, the

But if country banks must be permitted to certain regulations to enfure their ftability. as by far the more practicable plan of the two, much property is embarked in thefe adventures, interefts are concerned in fupporting the fyftem. evil complained of, has hitherto at certain periods, effected its

Own cure.

The fecond Effay is on Monopoly and Speculation; which, he thinks, are much promoted by the practice of keeping up a false credit by accommodation notes; and he exhibits in a table, the expence of maintaining fuch a credit for a year. We have not the means of afcertaining the correctnefs of this calculation; but it certainly places the ruinous confequences of fuch a practice in a ftriking point of view.

To this mifchievous expedient for raifing money, and the fpe'culations to which it gives rife, the author afcribes the high price of corn and flour, and the confequent adulteration of baker's

bread;

bread; which he defcribes as frequently made up of ingre. dients, most of which muft be highly prejudicial to health.

But, whether or not the abufes complained of exift in the degree ftated, the principal remedy propofed by this author must be rejected by every enlightened mind. The laws against forestalling, &c. which are univerfally condemned by late writers on political economy, and are almost become a dead letter, he deems not fufficiently fevere, and feriously recommends capital punishments for this very doubtful and fcarcely definable offence. It is furely needlefs to point out the extravagance of fuch a propofition. His fubfequent recommendation to enforce the produc tion and fale of all the neceffarics of life, not by fample but by bulk, in the public markets only, is fomewhat lefs abfurd; but even this we do not conceive to be practicable. The fame obfer. vation applies ftill more ftrongly to his propofal of altering the mode of letting eftates; which is indeed on other grounds highly objectionable.

Of the third and laft effay it is only neceffary to fay that it confifts wholly of declamation. The author, apparently with the beft intentions, points the evils arifing from "bill tranfactions," and deferibes, very poetically, but not unjustly, the ruinous con fequences to moft of those who embark in them,

PHILOSOPHY.

ART. 32. A New Argument for the Existence of God. 12mo pp. 63. 3s. Longman. 1808.

This is indeed a new and very fingular argument, as it is founded on the non-existence of matter. As this extraordinary opinion has been alfo taken up by Mr. Kirwan, and by him defended with fome acutenefs, we fhall content ourselves by referring our readers to the articles which we have published on the Metaphyfical Effays of that author, which they will find in our xxxvth volume, at pages 453 and 587. This ally of Mr. Kirwan (if it

* Namely, "bran, meal, chalk, whiting, flaked lime, alum, calcined bones and jalap." He fuggefts a method of detecting the fraud, viz. "breaking the crumb only of a loaf into small pieces, and putting them into an earthen pipkin, with a large quantity of water."—" Let this" (he adds)" be exposed to a gentle fire, and kept moderately hot from for fome fpace of time. If the deleterious particles before fpoken of have been used, the chalk, bone ashes, lime and whiting, will be found at the bottom, the alum will be diffolved, and may be extracted by analyzation, and the jalap will fwim at the top in a coarfe film. We hope this is an exaggeration, but any of our readers may make the experiment.

be

be not that author himfelf) employs the chief part of his very fmall tract in ftating eleven difficulties refulting from the supposed existence of matter. But as it would be very easy to state twenty much more formidable difficulties, refulting from its non-existence, this account may eafily be balanced. There are reafons in the book why we fhould not attribute it to Mr. K. The great reafon for fo attributing it arifes from the difficulty of fuppofing more perfons to hold the fame opinion. But, as we do know of one more, perhaps there may be even a third,

BOTANY.

ART. 33. A new Medicinal, Economical, and Domestic Herbal: containing a Familiar and Accurate Defcription of upwards of Six Hundred British Herbs, Shrubs, Trees, &c. together with fome of the most esteemed and ufeful Exotic Plants, now generally cultivated, or otherwife made use of in the United Kingdom; arranged in Alphabetical Order: in which is copiously difplayed, the moft recent and practical Method of procuring and applying the peculiar Properties of each Species of Plants to various ufeful Purposes in Domestic Economy, Phyfic, and the Arts of Dyeing, Staining, &c. &c. To which is added, a General Index of Reference to the variņus Articles difperfed through the Work. The whole compiled, and felected from the Works of Linnæus, Bechstein, Withering, Dambourne, Barthollet,* &c. &c. izmo. 257• PP. 5s. Blackburn, printed; Lackington, London. 1808. This is not a work for fcientifical botanifts or practitioners in medicine, it is the legitimate fucceffor of Colepepper's, Salmon's, and other obfolete Herbals: adapted indeed a little to the prefent ftate of fuch learning, yet still afcribing to many plants, fuch virtues as are not acknowledged in the modern Pharmacopoeias ; and accompanied in the old way by an Index of reference to various plants, for the cure of certain diforders. As "Dropfy, remedies for, See bay-tree, broom, bryony, dandelion, elm, tree, fox-glove, garlic, milk-wort, orache."

The Editors recommend the work as particularly useful to three claffes of perfons. 1. To farmers and land owners in general. 2. To gardeners, nursery-planters, &c. 3. To the domeftic housekeeper, as well as the more curious fearchers after fuch experiments. That the book, by means of modern difcoveries, will be more beneficial to fuch perfons than any older works of the fame ftamp, we are fully perfuaded; yet fill it must be received, in many points, cum grano falis, and muft be regarded as more a book of curiofity than of science.

An advertisement fubjoined to the Preface informs the reader,

Probably Berthollet is intended,
Ee 4

that