, 1874-04-18
LEGAL PUBLICATIONS,


CHllE3 Ou NGHlF1kCkHs
= UPON riiE DEFExsEs 70 4cTioNs ThERE- III Eaas
oN. py J9sEpn cnIrrr, Esq; Ninth English Ed
Eleventh American Edition: BY j. 9. pEng1s, LID.
~ Two Volumes. Hurd l. Houghton, Cambridge,
Mass. 1874. Chicago: Caltaghan h Co.
The title Of this work. as given by Mr. Cllitty,
was, IA TreatiBo on tho Law OF Contracts Not
Under Seal;' and as such it was as complete and
comprehensive aB It could be mnde. 1t did not
cover tho Law Of Covenants and specialties, or
eealed contracts OF any kind. Mr.. Perkins
drops the important words "not under aeal,"
and loayes us to suppose the work is now issued
as q complete work on Contraots, whether undor
seal or not which it certainly would not bo. Ho
also inserts O chapter on "Coyenants Running
with tho Land" which Is not germane to tho
original object or Hcope Of tho work, and which
leaves tho subject OF Covenants aud Spoclafties
not running with land entirely undiscussod,
though tho titlo of tho work aa
amended calls for such discussion. In
this respect, tho editors work Is not in good
taete. Flo either ought to hnvo mnde the work
complete on both classes Of Contracts, or to have
left is tit!e to describe exactly tho scope Of tho
work. Ono hundred aud nindty pngos Of this
work Rro occupied with tho table of cases cited,
which, If published in separate volume, and
charged for pro rata, would not DO bought by ono
lawyer in hundred. Ia it not time that the pub
licntionB Of such tabies Of caHes were discontin-
ued? They are 80 much waste bulk. holpful on
ly to swell tho price Of lawbooks, which are suf-
fciontly costly already.
Chittv'n works, on whatever topic Of the law,
were tho first Of their kind when issued, in con-
deuBation unequalcd, In method and exhauatiyo-
ncsB superb. Tho notes to tue present edition
supplement the text, 50 as to supply tho later
and American decisions satisfactorily.
compete aH a textbook for students and lawyera
with Parsons on Contracts. lii style, Chtty Ia
superior. Ho is always compact and clear, max
ing bis statement of tho law q brief history Of
tho cases in which it has boon decided, Instead
OF merely stating tho law and referring to the
cases. Parsons ia mado slovenly in arrangement
by tho fact that, in later editions, lengthy chap
ters have been inserted on topics which had
already been treated briefly; and both tho ear
lior brief and the lator enlarged chapters aro
presoryed,- thus repeating and disarranging tho
matter. Parsons also leaves aome questions in
doubt which tho authorities mako clear; aud, in
somo instances. states very positively AZ law
| matters on which aB many decisions hnye been
| rendered aganst as for his views. Still, Par
| sons special chapter on certain modern toplcH,
| Us Fire Marine, and Life-Iusurauco, and
| Shipping, mud Partnership, are vory
practical, supplying the student with
brief trcatises on each Of those specialtiea,
which VIC mien in Chitty, who deals strictly with
the elements pertaining to copt1aots in general,
rather than to those arising in particular phases
Of business. Tho two volumes Of Ohitty about
equal, in quantity Of NATTER the three Of Par
sons, and ara beautifully printed and bound.