143'6 days; between date of entry and date of trial 51°2 days; and between date of writ and date of trial 1948 days. These averages are greatly heightened by cases, the trial of which was delayed owing to the action of the parties, delay in the return of commissions, or other reasons for which the courts are not responsible. In this latter connection it will be remembered that the late Lord Chief Justice stated that during the Hilary sitting of this year applications had been made, principally with the consent of the parties, to postpone more than 100 cases. Eliminating cases of an exceptional kind in which the intervals between date of writ and date of trial was 200 days and upwards, the average duration of actions stands at 1257 days.

In the Probate and Divorce Division there is ground for noting, in regard to probate, the small number of wills which are the subject of dispute. While the total number of wills proved was 41,652,and the number of letters of administration was 11,717, the number of actions was only 169. Only in five cases was there a decree against the will.

There is no sign of any marked increase in the business of the Divorce Court; on the contrary there is for a time at least a decline. On the other hand the number of judicial separations effected by orders of magistrates steadily increases. The details as to the duration of marriages and condition of parties have tow been given for five years, and Master Macdonell's comments on these figures are both interesting and instructive. Somewhat more than 65 per cent. of the petitions are in marriages of 5 to 20 years duration, but it would seem that as to duration of marriage, there are some differences between petitions by husbands and by wives. In the early years the proportions are much the same; but a larger percentage of petitions are brought by wives after 20 years of married life.

A table headed "Place of Celebration" discloses the

noteworthy fact that the larger proportion of cases were those in which the marriage took place in a Registry Office. Another remarkable fact, confirmed by a process of tabulation, is that divorces are commoner in the case of childless marriages, the proportion varying from 36.91 to 41*24 per cent. The corresponding figure in the Scotch Judicial Statistics for 1898 is 373 per cent. (including divorces and separations). In the French Judicial Statistics for 1896 (including divorces and separations), it is 37.6 per cent. For Italy (separations only) the percentage for the same year was 46. It is a noteworthy fact that only a small proportion of the applications for judicial separation come to trial. They are, as a rule, settled at an early stage; and frequently are not genuine proceedings, but are intended to procure a settlement as to means, or custody of children. One point is noticeable in this connectionthere are advantages in resorting to Police Courts, as the magistrates enforce their orders, while the orders of the Divorce Court are rarely enforced, unless there is property which can be seized or attached.

Dealing with the work of Divisional Courts, Master Macdonell comments on the small number of cases of appeals from the Income-Tax Commissioners which came before the Court. It is a remarkable fact that, although more than six hundred millions sterling derived from capital is assessed to income, only eight cases were brought by way of appeal before a Divisional Court. The figures show an increase in the number of appeals to Divisional Courts from County Courts, the number entered having been 227, as against 211 in 1897.

The deputy head clerk of the Bills of Sale Department (Mr. W. J. Weller) has furnished a useful contribution to the statistics by an elaborate analysis of the Bills of Sale filed in the Department. The analysis shows, amorg other facts, that the largest class which borrows on this

security consists of lodging-house keepers, or farmers and licensed victuallers; that a very large percentage of the borrowers are women; and that the professional classesparticularly barristers and solicitors-rarely make use of this security. Apparently, only those who can offer no other security, and who do not mind their names appearing in the "black lists" published by the trade protection societies, borrow on Bills of Sale. An examination of the Bills of Sale filed, establishes the fact, that the sum secured by means of this species of security amounts in the course of a year to the total of £1,000,000. Nearly a fourth of the Bills of Sale were given by women. It is significant that during the period the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Money-lending was pursuing its inquiries, a pretty general fall in the rate of interest was perceptible, but it was merely temporary, and the rates are now as high as ever. The rate of interest begins with the 5 per cent. per annum charged on what may be called friendly Bills of Sale, and in legitimate trade transactions (for instance, loans by brewers to publicans), and ends with anything a certain class of lenders can exact. As a rule, Loan Companies of the better class charge from 25 to 30 per cent. But certain well-known Shylocks go very per annum. considerably higher, and 60 per cent. is low for them. In one instance the rate was as high as 400 per cent. By way of contrast, Mr. Weller instances the case of a Bill of Sale on the file where the rate to be paid is a farthing per cent. per annum.

The chief fact to be noted with respect to the Lunacy Returns is a considerable increase in orders made by Masters in Lunacy, in summonses, and in matters under Section 116 of the Lunacy Act of 1890, but as Mr. Southwell Keely, the Chief Clerk, points out, the whole volume of business dealt with shows a steady growth. There is, however, a slow but sure decline in the number of subsist

ing lunacies under inquisition, the deaths in that class outnumbering the new cases. On the other hand, the increase is very marked in matters under Section 116 of the Lunacy Act, 1890, which affords a somewhat readier and less costly means of obtaining authority to manage and administer the property of a lunatic, and makes provision also for the case of a person not lawfully detained as a lunatic, but suffering from mental infirmity, arising from disease or age, while avoiding the stigma of lunacy. With reference to the small number of cases which come under the Lord Chancellor's jurisdiction in lunacy, as compared with the number of lunatics admitted into asylums, and the total number of officially-known lunatics, Mr. Keely observes that, as a rule, it is only in the case of a lunatic with property, that application is made to the Court in Lunacy; and as only a very trifling number of criminal lunatics, and no paupers, possess means, about 96,400 (out of 105,086, the total number of lunatics on 1st January, 1899, divided into private paupers and criminal lunatics) are thus accounted for. Of the less than 8,700 private cases which remain, at least 2,449, and probably about 2,600, are the subject of proceedings in lunacy for the purpose of making their property available. As to the remaining "private" lunatics, it may be fairly assumed that either they are maintained by their friends, or that no difficulty, rendering resort to the lunacy jurisdiction necessary, has arisen in making their means applicable for their maintenance.

In 1898 there was again a slight increase in County Court plaints, which were 1,156,642, as against 1,119,420 in 1897. The increase in 1898 was greater than is proportionate to the increase (estimated) in population. There is a slight decrease in the plaints for sums between £20 and £50, while the plaints above £50, i.e., those as to which there is jurisdiction only by consent, were in excess

of any previous year. These plaints have been steadily increasing; they are now nearly twice as many as they were ten years ago, as has been pointed out in earlier reports. Of the total actions determined on hearing, only a small proportion (15.66 per cent.) was heard before a judge. This is a larger proportion than usual. By far the greater number of the cases were heard before the Registrar. There has been no steady growth in the number of Equity suits and matters; and the Admiralty cases are actually fewer than they were in 1894. The actions remitted from the High Court and Interpleaders continue to increase. They were 1,674 in 1898, as against 1,610 in 1894-98. Of the remitted actions, by far the largest number was for goods sold and delivered (609), money lent (167), actions on Bills of Exchange, &c. (117), and for work and labour done (317).

The number of debtors imprisoned in 1898 was somewhat less than the average for the last five years-7,808, as against 7,956 in 1894-98.

On the subject of Local Courts, we find much useful and interesting information, which has been brought upto-date by Mr. Alexander Pulling. As Master Macdonell points out, the work dealing with the population of County Court districts has necessitated intricate calculations and great labour, owing to the number of orders in Council changing boundaries. An extract which he makes from a memorandum by Mr. Pulling, on the subject of the population within the jurisdiction of the various other Local Courts is well worth reproducing here:

"There are in all 16 local Courts of which the procedure is now used. Of these the London Mayor's Court is by far the most important, the amount recovered therein exceeding half-a-million, or nearly three times that of all the other Courts put together. Excluding this Court, which stands on a footing of its own, it is to be pointed out that, as compared with County Courts the court fees in these local courts are small, and the scale of costs