although 21 unfortunates petitioned for restitution of conjugal rights, but 3 obtained them. The total number of petitions was 601 as against 586 the year before.

HOUSE OF LORDS CASES. -During the year there were 69 cases presented in the highest court of appeal, of which 3 were withdrawn, and 9 dismissed for want of prosecution. The total judgments delivered were 54, against 40 in the previous year. The total amount of fees received was £1,935.

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL, -The number of appeals entered in 1877 was 92, of which 15 were dismissed for want of prosecution and 53 were heard and determined. The Lords of the Judicial Committee sat 125 days. PRISONS-ENGLAND AND WALES.-The first report of the Commissioners of Prisons, under the Act of 1877, contains many interesting particulars which space compels us to give more briefly than they deserve. The chief efforts of the Commissioners have been directed to providing sufficient prisons at convenient centres, introducing a uniform system of punishment, diet, and general treatment of prisoners; regulating the pay of prison officials, controlling allowances, and limiting the issue of stores. On July 2, 1878, the prisons within their jurisdiction numbered 69, with cell accommodation for 24,812 prisoners, and the number of prisoners in confinement on the above date was 16,668 males and 4,362 females, giving a total of 21,030 prisoners. Of these, 1,443 were soldiers and sailors undergoing sentences of Courts Martial. In future, soldiers under sentence of Courts Martial will be sent exclusively to the following civil prisons:-Aylesbury. Bedford, Chester, Devizes, Exeter, Leicester, Lewes, Portsmouth. Reading, Shepton Mallet, Southampton, Stafford, Stukeley, Taunton, Wandsworth. Under the uniform system of progressive punishments, prisoners in the first stage are for 10 hours daily in strict separation, from 6 to 8 of which at the crank, treadmill, or similar work, and sleep on a plank bed. Second stage, sleep on a plank bed without mattress two nights weekly, receive school instruction, have school books in cell, earn a small gratuity, have exercise on Sunday, and are employed for first month as in previous stage. Third stage: sleep on plank bed without mattress one night weekly, school instruction, school and library books in cell, exercise on Sunday, earn gratuity, employed in second class hard labour. Fourth stage: eligible for employments of trust in prison, have mattress every night, school instruction, school and library books in cell, exercise on Sunday, receive and write a letter, and receive visit of 20 minutes, and in every subsequent three months, receive and write a letter, and receive visit of 30 minutes, also earn a gratuity. The diet is First-class, 16 ozs. bread made of whole meal, and 11⁄2 pints stirabout: this for first seven days only. Second class: 18 ozs. bread, 2 pints gruel, and 8 ozs. suet pudding or potatoes, or 1⁄2 pint soup. Third class: 22 OZS. bread, 2 pints gruel, daily. 8 ozs. potatoes, and 8 ozs. suet pudding two days weekly, 8 ozs. potatoes, and 3 ozs. cooked beef two days, and 8 ozs. potaoes, and 34 pint soup three days, Fourth class: 8 ozs. bread and 1 pint porridge for breakfast and supper daily; for dinner, 6 ozs. bread, 8 ozs. potatoes. 12 ozs. suet pudding on two days weekly; 8 ozs. bread, 12 ozs. potatoes, 4 ozs. cooked beef on two days, and

8 ozs. bread, 8 ozs. potatoes, I pint soup on three days. For women and juvenile prisoners the diet is the same but slightly less in quantity. With regard to prison officials, the old laxity concerning the unlimited use of stores, services of prisoners, &c., has been abolished, former perquisites have been considered in the new scale of pay, and the only allowances now permitted are fixed, with alternative equivalents in money. The maximum pay of governors is from £750 to £250 per annum, with free quarters or allowance in money, and medical attendance for self and family; Chief warders, £150 to £120; warders, £70 to £75; assistants. 6o to £65; matrons, £90 to £180; female warders, £55 to £70; assistants, £45 to £50, with uniform, quarters in prison. fuel, light, washing, and medical attendance: chaplains. £ico to £450, with house, or allowance in money, and medical attendance; assistant chaplains, £150 to £200, also with house or money equivalent, and medical attendance; medical officers, £320 to £400, with house or money equivalent; assistant surgeons, £160 to £250, with house or equivalent. PRISONS (SCOTLAND).-The seventeenth annual report of the managers of prisons (Scotland) is supplemented by a brief preliminary report of the Commissioners appointed under the Act of 1877. It informs us that at the end of December, 1877, there were in the prisons of Scotland 75 persons confined in civil cases, of whom 73 were males and 2 females. In criminal cases there was a total of 2,887, of whom 1,843 were males, and 1,044 females, showing a trifling increase of 17 against 1876. The greatest number of criminal cases during the last 30 years was in 1849, when it amounted to 3,143. There were two suicides committed in the prison in 1877, but no escape of prisoners occurred. The amount voted by Parliament for the year ending 31st March, 1877, was £21,171. The actual receipts for the year ending 31st December, 1877, was, including a balance of £1,192 from 1876, £30,346, and the expenditure, less a balance of £1,062 in favour of 1878, was the same.

PRISON EMPLOYMENTS.-Every now and then complaints are made of the competition in some trades of convict labour. On this account matmaking has been entirely abandoned in one of the London prisons. In the Scotch prisons 16 trades or employments are mentioned as being carried on; but of these, 14 only were in operation last year. Mat and sock-making was the chief employment for men; then came shoemaking, tailoring, carpentering, and weaving, The women also were to a large extent employed in mat-making; but shirt-making was their chief employment, after which came general sewing, and a few were employed in knitting. All female convicts in the second reformatory class are employed, in rotation, in washing and other household work, except those who, by misbehaviour, have forfeited the privilege, and those who are physically unfit for the labour. Book-binding and dress-making were the two trades in which, during 1877, no convicts were employed in Scotland.

PRISONERS' LEITERS AND VISITS.-After conviction, a prisoner may write to his friends as to his private affairs. Also on removal from one prison to another, a printed form, supplied to prisoners, will be sent to the nearest friend of the prisoner, apprising him of what prison he is in, and when he will be allowed to write a letter, or receive a letter or visitor.

BANKRUPTCY.

During the year ending the 31st of December, 1877, the latest date up to which the returns are completed, there were 967 adjudications of bankruptcy, 5,239 liquidations by arrangement, and 3,327 compositions, yielding a total of 9,533 cases in which persons had failed to meet their liabilities. These figures refer only to England and Wales, and exhibit an increase over last year of 284 cases. Under the Act of 1869, petitions of adjudication of bankruptcy can only be presented by creditors, not by debtors, and under this Act bankruptcies have diminished year by year from 1,351in 1870 to 967 in 1877, while liquidations by arrangement and by composition, especially the former, have become proportionately numerous. The total liabilities involved in the failures amounted to £19,479,857, with assets amounting to £5.989,154. Of 759 estates closed during the year, 132 show no assets, 272, the whole of the assets were absorbed in costs, and only in 352 were dividends paid to the creditors. Of the latter class, 85 estates yielded dividends of not more than 18. in the pound, 89 not more than 28. 6d., 73 not more than 58., and 9 only paid the creditors in full. In 147 estates, where the debts were under £50, and the assets averaged £24, the costs absorbed over 97 per cent of the amount realized; and in 453 cases, where the debts ranged from under £100 to £3,000, and the average assets from £72

1,680,953 71,362 1,827,024 74,873 1,847,188 73,427 20,191 5,891,692 199,667 1,870,094 72,827 20,349 5,996,152 198,638 1,977,489 72,999 20,319 6,115,638 196,562

to £2,400, the costs ranged from 89 to 23 per cent. In realizing small estates, although the assets give promise of a substantial dividend, the costs are so large that, as most business men are painfully aware, the creditors seldom receive anything like a proportionate sum. The existing law with regard to liquidations and compositions might doubtless be improved, but in many instances, the enormity of the costs is largely due to the ignorance and supineness of creditors, who to save themselves trouble, entrust the whole management of debtors' estates to solicitors or quasi-official agents. It is by no means in the interest of these gentlemen to keep down the costs, and armed with a majority of proxies, they may wind up an estate as slowly and expensively as they please. Taking the 272 estates in which all the assets were wholly absorbed, plus the 147 very small estates in which 97 per cent., practically the whole of the assets, were absorbed, we have 319 out of 624 estates in which the creditors received nothing. Of the 272, the debts averaged £498, and the assets £81. In ordinary mercantile affairs an equal amount of time, labour, and special knowledge, such as is involved in winding-up the estate of an insolvent, would be thought amply compensated by sums very much less than those exhibited under the head of costs in the annual report of the Comptroller in Bankruptcy.

Tons.

F

Tons.

F

Tens.

Tons.

Tons.

F

F

10,039

F

Tons.

F

1862 81,638,338 20,409,584 3,943,469 9,858,672 14,843 1,493,241 69,031 1,436,345 8,476 983,216 2,151 50,548 686,123 189,041 1863 86,292,215 21,573,053 4,510,040 11,275,100 14,247 1,409,608 68,220 1,418,985 10,006 1,170,702 3,835 90,889 634,004 174,351 1864 92,787,873 23,197,968 4,767,951 11,919,877 13,302 1,350,699 67,081 1,448,959 10,108 1,082,061 4,040 98,983 641,088 176,299 1865 98,150,587 24,537,646 4,819,254 12,048,133 11,888 1,134,664 67,181 1,433,161 971,273 4,460 104,810 724,856 199,335 1866 101,630,544 25,407,635 4,523,897 11,309,742 11,153 1,019,168 67,392 1,381,509 9,990 885,368 3,192 69,916 636,188 174,951 1867 104,500,480 26,125,145 4,761,023 11,902,557 10,233 831,761 68,440 1,337,509 8,700 799,203 3,750 79,693 805,394 215,400 1868 103,141,157 25,785,289 4,970,206 12,381,280 9,817 761,602 71,017 1,378,404 9,300 901,400 3,713 75,435 835,542 229,773 1869 107,427,557 26,856,889 5,445,757 13,614,397 644,065 73,259 1,397,415 9,760 1,201,456 4,500 92,400 831,891 207,972 1870 110,431,192 27,607,798 5,963,515 14,908,787 551,309 73,420 1,452,715 10,200 1,299,505 3,936 74,096 784,562 196,140 1871 117,352,028 35,205,608 6,627,179 16,667,947 475,143 69,456 1,251,815 10,900 1,498,750 4,966 92,743 761,490 190,372 1872 123,497,316 46,311,143 6,741,929 18,540,304 583,232 60,420 1,208,411 9,560 1,459,990 5,191 118,076 628,920 157,320 1873 127,016,747 47,631,280 6,566,451 18,057,739 502,822 54,235 1,263,375 9,972 1,329,766 4,471 120,099 537,707 131,077 1874 125,043,257 45,849,194 5,991,408 16,476,372 447,891 58,777 1,298,463 9,942 1,007,712 4,470 106,773 509,277 127,319 1875 131,867,105 46,163,486 5,365,462 15,645,774 388,984 57,435 1,290,373 9,614 866,266 6,713 162,790 487,358 115,747 1876 133,344,766 46,670 658 6.555,997 16,052, 192 392,300 58,667 1,270,415 8,500 675.750 6,641 158,011 483,422 106,222 ZERO FAHRENHEIT CORRESPONDS WITH minus 17.17 CENTIGRADE, AND minus 14.22 RÉAUMUR.

During the session of 41 & 42 Vict, 1878, a new Weights and Measures Act was passed, of which the following affords a resumé. By clause 1, the title of the Act is as above: Clause 2 enacts that the Act shall come into force on January 1, 1879. Clause 3 provides that the same weights and measures shall be used throughout the United Kingdom. Clause 4 declares, that the bronze bar and platinum weight held by the Board of Trade in the Standards Department shall continue to be the Imperial Standards both of measures and weights; four other copies of these Imperial Standards are to be deemed "Parliamentary Standards." One of them is in the Royal Mint, another in possession of the Royal Society, a third is deposited in the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and the fourth and other copies are retained in the Royal Palace, Westminster. By subsequent clauses, provision is made for the restoration of the Imperial Standards and the Parliamentary Copies. Imperial measures of length are next defined (Clauses 10, 11, and 12) including the yard, foot, pole or perch, chain, furlong, and mile, all remaining as before the passing of the Act. The rood and acre are next defined: the acre being 4840 square yards. Clause 13 to 17 inclusive, define imperial measures of weight and capacity. The ounce, pound, stone (14 lbs.), hundred-weight, &c., remain as before, as does also the gallon, which is defined to consist of a capacity of ten pounds of distilled water (avoirdupois). The quart is defined as the fourth part of such gallon, and the pint as an eighth part. A peck is to consist of two such gallons, eight gallons are to form a iushel, eight such bushels à quarter, and thirtyx such gallons shall be a chaldron. By clausc, 16, a bushel for the sale of lime, fish, potatoes, fruit, or any other goods or things which in 1835, or previously, were sold by heaped measure, shall in future be sold in a hollow cylinder having a plain base, the internal diameter of which shall be double the internal depth, and every intermediate measure shall be made of similar proportions. This measure of capacity, when used, is to be shaken or filled up so as to present a surface as nearly as possible level with the brim. By clause 18, referring to schedule 3 of the Act, in which a table of equivalent to imperial weights and measures, compared with the metric system is given; the latter system is permissively enacted as lawful. By clause 19, it is enacted that all trade contracts, dealing, &c., whatever, shall be in terms of Imperial weights and measures defined in this Act. In future no local or customary measures, nor the use of the heaped measure, shall be lawful, and any one who sells by any denomination of weights or measures, other than one of the Imperial weights or measures (already defined), or some multiple or part thereof, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 40s. in each case. Exceptions are made from the rule of avoirdupois weight in the case of gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, and other precious stones. By a special order in council, dated 14th August, 1878, the old weights and measures of apothecaries (chemists and druggists) are legalised as "secondary standards" of capacity, specifying however, an attempted exact definition of minims, drachms, ounces, grains, &c., both in respect to weight and measure. For all practi

cal purposes these measures, &c., remained therefore untouched by the Act. An important provision (Clause 23) affects what are commonly called "price lists." It is therein enacted that "Any person who prints, and any clerk of market, or other person who makes, any return, price list, price current, or any journal or other paper containing price list or price current, in which the denomination of weights and measures quoted or referred to denotes or implies a greater or less weight or measure than is denoted or implied by the same denomination of the imperial weights and measures under this Act, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 10s. for every copy of every such return, price list, price current, journal, or other paper which he publishes;" and by clause 24, every person who uses or has in his possession for use for trade a weight or measure which is not of the denomination of some Board of Trade standard, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £5, or in the case of a second offence £10, and the weight or measure shall be liable to be forfeited. These two clauses may be considered as involving the essence of the Aet, so far as it is proposed to enforce uniformity in weights and measures. Clauses 25, 26, and 27 provide against the use, under penalties, of unjust weights and messures. Clauses 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 deal with the stamping and verification of the same. The second section of the Act defines the duties of the Board of Trade in carrying out the provisions of the Act (Clauses 33 to 39). Local Standards of weights, &c., under the control of the Board of Trade, are provided for under sub-section b, 40 to 49. A definition of local authorities follows, with the powers they may assume under certain conditions, as to fines, actions, &c., and clauses 56 to 61 give instructions in respect to the conduct of legal proceedings. The remaining clauses, 61 to 86 inclusive, consist of instructions as to the legal construction of the Act. Some valuable sche dules follow, in which an attempt is made to induce the use of the metrical system, while the Act itself has a diametrically opposite effect. It has already excited much opposition in commercial circles, and most probably will have to be amended in the next session of Parliament.

The following is the Order in Council referred to above:-"Imperial Standard Measures of Capacity to be used in the Sale of Drugs.-4 fluid drms., weighing 218 75000 grs.; 3 fluid drms., weighing 164.06250 grs.; 2 fluid drms., weighing 109 37500 grs.; 1 fluid drm., weighing 54 68750 grs.; 30 fluid minims, weighing 27 34375 grs.; 20 fluid minims, weighing 18'22917 grs.; 10 fluid minims, weighing 9 11458 grs.; 5 fluid minims, weighing 4 55729 grs.; 4 fluid minims, weighing 3'64583 grs.; 3 fluid minims, weighing 2'73438 grs.; 2 fluid minims, weighing 182292 grs.; I fluid minim, weighing o'91146 gr.; also 3 fluid ozs. weighing 1312 50000 grs. Now, therefore, in pursuance and by virtue of the said recited sections of the Standards of Weights, Measures, and Coinage Act, 1866, Her Majesty, by and with the advice of her Privy Council, is pleased to order, and it is hereby declared that the said measures of capacity shall be legal secondary standards of capacity from and after the time when this order shall have been duly published in the London Gazette, pursuant to the said Act."