perty,; Occupancy; Running Water; Public Property; Right to Fish, and Shells in Sea; In Arms of Sea; On Shore of Sea; Hale De Jure Maris; Free Fishery, Several Fishery, Common of Fishery ; Right of Towing; Of Gleaning; Of Bathing; Treasure-trove; Waif; Anecdote respecting Treasure-trove; Foreign Codes respecting Public Rights; Royal Rights in Unclaimed Property; Wreck; Royal Fish; Game; Free Warren; Chace; Swans; Pepysian Library; Bastards' Effects; Maritime Accretions; Town of Hastings; Lincolnshire Coast; Manuscript Treatise, temp. Elizab." : Another lecture is headed thus:"Real and Personal Property; Terms for Years; Derivation of the term 'Chattel;' Diversity of Situations between Tenant for Years and Tenant for Life or in Fee; Causes of this Difference; Changes effected by 21 Hen. VIII. c. 15; History of the Action of Ejectment; Limitations by way of Executory Devise; Doctrine of Uses; Duke of Norfolk's Case; Mr. Butler's Note on that Case; Fearne's Essay on Executory Devises; Leasehold Qualification to kill Game; to become Jurors; Repeal of the Declaration of Rights, by Mr. Peel's Jury Act; Wife's Right of Survivorship to Chattels Real; Writ of Elegit; Effect of this Writ upon Trust Estates; Liability of Real Property to satisfy Debts; Lands of Bankrupts; Estates by Statute Merchant, Statute Staple and Elegit; Devises for Payment of Debts; Presentations of Advowsons; Ancient Principles upon which Distinctions between Real and Personal Estates are founded; Feudal System; Different Senses of the word Freehold." It is not impossible that the lecture may be a mere rifacciamento of a section in-for instance-Bacon's Abridgment, which its deliverer, often a man in learning and reputation confer honour on the institutions where they exhibit the valuable fruits of their research and experience-fruits, which will be best appreciated, however, by those who are not beginning, but considerably advanced in their legal career. * One of Mr. Amos's is manifestly such. considerable practice, may not have had time to accommodate to the varied capabilities and acquirement of learners, or scientifically interweave into it the alterations subsequently effected by statutes and decisions. Supposing, however, the lecture to be unexceptionable, how few are the pupils who give due attention to it—who attempt, or are able to follow the lecturer to connect each lecture with the preceding to take copious and accurate notes, and work them out in private reading! How great are the temptations to idleness and irregularity, arising out of a promiscuous intercourse with numerous fellowpupils! What a disparity between their tastes, talents, acquirements, pursuits, and objects! Mr. Amos has himself drawn a lively picture of the difficulties to be encountered by one undertaking this office. "The person undertaking to lecture law students, stands under circumstances which lecturers on other subjects have rarely to encounter. Each student is interested almost exclusively in that circumscribed range of legal knowledge, which he is likely to have occasion for, when he practises for himself. And thence it happens that what will keep the eyes of one student broadest awake, will set the eyes of another student fast asleep. Again, there is found every shade of disparity in the acquirements of pupils, to say nothing of their abilities. Some have yet to learn the veriest elements of law, others want only In this some finishing touches to their education. difference, they may be compared to vessels in a fleet, where the swiftest sailers are always on the point of upbraiding the delay of their commodore; and the slower are always apprehensive of being left behind. Again, the law student has, most probably, been engaged during the day in some kind of legal pursuit or another; he comes with a full stomach of law, and is, therefore, not a little dainty about his food. He comes, also, of an evening, when not very unfrequently, from very natural causes, his spirits invite him rather more to occupations of an allegro than of a penseroso kind *." The author begs to add that he has spared no pains to gather the sentiments on this subject of those whose learning, rank, and experience, enhance the value of their opinions and has found them almost uniformly in accordance with those which he has ventured to advance in the foregoing pages. He has also made a point of attending several law-leetures- all of them intrinsically excellent,—with a view to the correction or corroboration of his views on the subject; and conversed with several students who have assured him that they were much disappointed with the system. Nor is the author partial to the practice occasionally resorted to, of visiting an attorney's office for six * Introd. Law. Lect.; Leg. Exam. vol. ii. p. 221, 222. months or a year, before commencing with a pleader. That information of the most valuable kind-the practical working of the law in all its departments— may be obtained in these quarters, is indisputable. The short period, however, usually allotted to such a visit necessarily precludes the possibility of materially benefiting a student, entering in total ignorance of the business there transacted. Considerable advantage would undoubtedly result from a six months' attendance in the office of an attorney in respectable business, after a year or two's study in a pleader's chambers; as he would by that time be enabled to comprehend quickly the drift of all that was passing before him, and direct his attention to those points which he had found elsewhere most difficult to be thoroughly understood. He would then see the practice, of which he had before only read and heard: and seeing would be, understanding. He would not easily forget the time and mode of conducting the different stages of a suit, with all its formal preliminaries, incidents, and consequences, who had himself been engaged in conducting them; who had witnessed the serious effects of negligence and erroneous practice. A day's insight into the actual management of an actionof filing or delivering, declarations, pleas, replications, &c.; of compelling, or obtaining time for, pleading; of preparing for trial, signing judgment, and issuing execution; of arresting judgment, writs of error, &c.; of the various practice of summonses, orders, rules, &c.-will convey a far more distinct and lively notion of these matters, than could be obtained by mere cursory reference, however frequent, to the books of practice. An intelligent common-law clerk will be an excellent instructor in all these matters; more especially at the present time, when such incessant alterations are taking place, as render the acquisition of the knowledge of practice almost impossible, except to one who is actually engaged in it from morning to night. It is, lastly, a question frequently asked, whether the common-law pupil should commence his legal education by a six or twelvemonth's sojourn in the chambers of a Conveyancer. The author is of opinion decidedly in the negative. Such a period is too short for any one, especially if wholly ignorant of legal subjects, and unversed in legal thinkings, to make any sensible, available progress in the study of real-property law. The scanty knowledge to be acquired under such circumstances in six or even twelve months, is likely to be soon forgotten in the hurry and anxiety of special pleading-of the varied and minute technical learning to which he must then apply himself, which will not bring into play his conveyancing acquirements, for at least twelve months. What occasional need he may have of such knowledge in actions of ejectment, replevin, trespass to realty, and for rent, &c. can be easily supplied, for the present, by the perusal, under his tutor's superin |