The New York herald., 1872-12-05
LITERARY CHIT-CHAT.

In EX-SENATOR BUCKALEw'S new book, 'PrO-
portional Representation" Messrs. John Campbell
Son, OF Philadelphia, have given to the public
the first clear and comprehensive account Of the
various election schemes for the representation OF
minorities which has appeared In book form. The
different reforms proposed for nomination OF can
didates to supersede the caucus system are also
discussed, and the Crawford counting system"
and columbia county system,n both OF which
originated in Pennsylvania, are defined.
Mr.. JOHN RusKIN, who fancies himself the auto.
crat Of English thought, says in the last number Of
his serial. "Fors Clavigera":-
Half OF the poor gentlemen OF England are fain
n0wadaye to live by selling their opinions about
BOOKS; s @ Gad trade e et me tel them In our
Utopial we win have no reviewers; we win have,
once for oil, our book Gazette, issued every 1st OF
and Of titles, whatever serviceable or worthy
writings have been published during the past year.
A brilliant idea, not original with Ruskin, but as
old % Solomon. Literary censorships are fine In
theory, but in practice we always want . censor
cenSos1IgN.
THE aquatic Monthly ana Nasutoal Revteso, CON-
menced In June last, edited by Charles A. Pever-
ely, and published BY Cushing, Bardua Co., New
York, has reached Its seventh number 1t Is full Of
yachting and rowing Intelligence, and is hand
somely illustrated.
demand with us from year to year, and the old
fashioned '.annuals'' are forever lost.
JAMRs RUSSELL L0wEIL's humorous poem, '.The
Courtin'," has been illustrated In silhouette, by
Winslow Homer, and will be issued AZ gift book.
HURD h HOUGHTON, in "SOngs from the Old
Dramatists," offer one OF the most thoroughly
tasteful volumes Of the year. These are collected
by Mrs. A. 8. Richardson, and for them In Fargo
mas made several OF his suggestive mystic designs
The MANCHESTER Guardian says:-Within 80
short time after Mr. stanley'si arrival In Europe
to do great credit to the activity of the Picca-
dily establishment, Mr. Hotten produced cheap
volume described on it's title page 40 'The Finding
OF Livingstone. BY H. N. Stanley" 1t was gene
rally known that the successful travelling cOrre-
spondent OF the NEW YORK HERALD had book in
preparation for the press, and Mr.. Stanley COM
plains that the title which we have quoted cal
culated cleverly to convey the impression that he
was the author and sanctioner Of the production,
which made so prompt an appearance In shops
and book stalls. Mr.. Hotten retorts that the bulk
OF the work consists OF letters from Mr.. Stanley
published originally in the newspapers, and ap-
pears to ask triumphantly. Where is the unfair
ness Of the terms In which 1t Is described ?
We win not undertake the hopeless task Of
pointing out the unfarness to eyes to which it Is
not already pcrceptible. But justice is not even
yet done to the resources and daring Of Mr.. Hot
tens enterprise. He has also given to the world
q book called 1.-The Story OF Henry N. Stanley's
Early Life," the author OF which claims to have
proved, the evidence Of 'parish registers, Sis
ters, brothers and mother" that its hero was
born In Denbigh," and was assisted "in humble
circumstances" by relatives who "think that at
least trine OF mis- ustre may fall upon them"
This scraping together OF real or fancied particu
lars respecting the private circumstances OF per-
son who has had the misfortune to attain some
celebrity is justified on the ground that 'writing
any mans life Is allowable" Mr.. Hotten con-
ceives himself TO have proved that Mr.. Stanley Ia
not an American. We are tempted to hope some
body may be equally successful in proving that
Mr. Hotten Is not an Englishman.