The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-20 00:00:00

LIT EBA7'UBE.

11(anua/ of the Mercantile Law of Great Britain
and Ireland. By Leone Levi. Smith, Elder,
and Co.
In a country like ours, owing in so large a degree
her exalted position in the scale of nations and in-
ternal prosperity to commercial enterprise, the ut-
most simplification of mercantile law would appear
to be especially desirable. Our commercial rela-
tions extend over every portion of the globe, and
few among us but at one time or other feel the need
of a knowledge of some branch of the law by which
commerce is regulated. It is to be regretted,
therefore, that much remains to be done in this
direction—that, in short, a codification of mercan-
tile law is still wanting. True, such codification
" can never limit the multifarious exigencies which
constantly give rise to new principles, or to modi-
fications and expansions of those already settled."
But, as Mr. Levi observes, there are certain prin-
ciples which, proceeding from natural law, and be-.
ing founded on pure ethics, are fixed and immove-
able. These are daily applied
in the solution of in-
tricate mercantile questions in our courts of justice ;
and the effect of codification would be to render
these great principles familiar to commercial men,
whilst a more extended knowledge of them would
tend to introduce greater certainty in mercantile
transactions. To supply this want of a code many
treatises and manuals have been written, and to a
certain extent particular authors have been suc-
cessful. To Lord Ten terden, for instance, we are
indebted for an excellent summary of the Law of
Shipping—to Chitty and Addison for a valuable
exposition of the Law of Contracts ; and to other
eminent jurists, both American and English, we are
under similar obligations. Among these Mr. Levi
is deserving of honourable mention. Tho lecturer
on Commercial Law at King's College, and the
author of several works, he has already earned
the reputation of being a learned and liberal,-
minded jurist. His " Commercial Law of the
World" needs no commendation of ours, and
we allude to it merely as having indirectly
suggested the preparation of the present work.
The title, " Manual of the Mercantile Law of
Great Britain and Ireland," describes at once its
object and scope. Less compendious than the pre-
ceding work, it is eminently adapted for a class
and for ordinary use. It contains the laws which
affect international commerce. Individuals who
exercise the mercantile profession, partnerships and
companies formed for commercial or banking ope-
rations, and bills of exchange and promissory
notes, together with suggestions for the amend-
ment of some portions of our mercantile jurispru-
dence. The name of the author is a sufficient
guarantee for the accuracy of its exposition of the
law, and we are able to pronounce very favourably
on the manner in which the various subjects are
presented. At once concise and lucid no person of
ordinary understanding can mistake the author's
meaning, while a judiciously subdued vigour ren-
ders perusal easy. At King's College mercantile
law has been added to the branches of science there
taught, and should, as is most desirable, this ex-
ample be followed in our other seats of learning,
the present manual can hardly fail to be in great
requisition. A list of the authorities consulted is
given • a table of cases referred to also from the
English, Scotch, Irish, American, and French re-
ports, together with tables of exports, including
the table of the exports of the United Kingdom
for 1853. Among the suggestions of the author
submitted in foot notes is one relating to minors :
—" The difference between the law of England
and Scotland, in the age in which a minor may act
as a trader and be rendered responsible to his en-
gagements, might be removed by fixing for the
United Kingdom eighteen years as the age at
which a person may bind himself by his acts of
trade. When we consider the amount of infor-
mation generally possessed by young men devoted
to mercantile pursuits, and the business habits
which they early acquire, the complete disability
which attaches till the age of twenty-one may
prove in many cases most injurious. No inconve-
nience was experienced in France when the age of
majority was changed from twenty-five to twenty-
one, and such is the physical and mental develop-
ment now in progress in this and other countries
that a reform in this great social institution may
be rendered necessary." Another suggestion, and
this is the formation of a court to have a complete
jurisdiction in all questions connected with trade,
shipping, and bankruptcy. In the author's own
words :
" When we consider the tardy and expensive pro-
cedure of the Court of Chancery, and the anomaly of
preserving the distinct jurisdictions of law and equity in
the settlement of mercantile pursuits, it would seers
most important to the interests of commerce that one
tribunal should be formed, having complete jurisdiction
in ail questions connected with trade, shipping, and
bankruptcy. The constitution of new courts is neces-
sarily attended with much difnculty and expense, but
the principal elements of a commercial tribunal might
be engrafted on one of the existing minis. It sae been
suggested that the Cuurts of Bankruptcy might easily
embrace the whole commercial jurisdiction. They are
already, to a certain extent, courts of law and equity,
and of all others seem most competent, by their acquired
experience and by their constitution, to sift commercial
questions and accounts. Thee,,tablishment of improved
tribunals to decide claims by and against partners in all
partnership disputes was recommended by the Commit-
tee of the House of Commons of 1851 on the law of
partnership."
The work, which is dedicated to Baron Nike,
is well got up; and a future volume is announced,
which will be devoted to the relation of agency,
shipping, insurance, and other branches of com-
mercial law, and will be welcomed.

Choice and Cookery of Fish. Longmans, London.
This is one of the most useful volumes of the
kind ever issued. We find in it concise and lucid
directions, both as regards the selection of fish and
the dressing of it. Now, these two subjects have
often been treated by various writers, but we have
never mat with a work so thoroughly clear on the
matters of fact, nor so mentally pleasing in the
rendering of those matters of fact. Piscator, the
author of the book in question, not only enlightens
with culinary tactics, but he interests with a gra-
phic sufficiency of natural history relative to fish.
With the salmon and the sprat, the mackerel and
the mussel, the conger and the crab, the turbot
and the tench, he is equally at home. He seems
to be cognisant of all processes between the shoal
in the fishing boat and the sauce in the butter boat.
Ho can tell you the best management of a white
shark and the most delicate condiment for a red
herring. We beg to state that the ladies of our
household are so satisfied with Piscator's agreeable
and sensible edification, that the volume has been
appropriated by them, and on the warrant of this
we cordially commend the book to all who like a
fish dinner in perfection.