them at the bar of the Court for certain outrages: his report set forth that he had lodged them in goal, but it did not state that it was by permission of a jurat, which was contrary to usage. The King's Procureur held that the omission was not an informality, for the Constable was not bound by any law to mention that fact. The Court overruled the opinion, and decided that the report was informal and dismissed the prisoners.

Coals may be exported to the islands of Guernsey and Jersey for the purpose of re-exportation from those islands to foreign parts, upon the exporter expressing the same in his entries outwards, and paying the duty as in cases of direct exportation from the United Kingdom to such parts, and upon the arrival of such coals at Guernsey or Jersey entries must be passed for the same,in virtue of which the importer thereof will be allowed to export any quantity (not exceedding the quan tity so imported) by regular entries, provided such exportation be made within twelve months from the importation thereof into those islands.-T.O. 18th July, 1826, and 19th July, 1831. If the master of a vessel delivers coals without the presence of a public meter, he is liable to a penalty.

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Commissioners appointed by the King to inquire, examine, and report upon alleged grievances, have in themselves legislative authority.

Contempt. In the appeal before the Privy Council, Advocate Godfray v. Royal Court of Jersey, Lord Brougham said That a party may commit a contempt and call down punishment on him as a party is undeniable, although a Court would be very slow to hamper a party acting in the situation of defending himself; but that the Court might punish for a contempt there could be no doubt. If the party happened to be an Advocate, then the Court might deal with him as an Advocate; the Court could doubtless punish a man for contempt as a party, the same as though he were an Advocate.'

Contracts passing of.-The passing of a contract, in this Island, is, in some cases, tantamount to the execution of a deed in England, to transfer real property; in others, it is similar to the executing of a deed of mortgage; and in other instances, a contract is the means of conveying the mortgage to a third party, or the acknowledgment to the mortgagor, that the debt on the estate is satisfied. Contracts are written on parchment by the Ecrivians of the Cour Royale, and instead of being signed, sealed, and delivered, by the parties thereto, (as is the manner of executing deeds in England) they present themselves before the Court, composed of the Bailiff and two Jurats, who

administer to them an oath, that they shall fulfil, and abide by, the conditions contained therein, when the Bailiff and Jurats sign the deed as a record of the same; so that unlike deeds executed in England, the signature of the parties is not required, the Contract becoming an act of the Court, testifying that the parties have consented to all the terms and conditions therein specified. Immediately after the Bailiff and Jurats have signed the contract, it is handed over to an officer, styled the Enregistreur, whose duty it is to copy it in the book of Public Registry; after which he marks on the contract, the volume and folio in which it is registered-all deeds are void which have not been registered within six months after they have been passed before the Court. By means of this registry, it is easy to ascertain what mortgage exists against any property; and as it is open to public inspection, at fixed and comparatively low rates, persons wishing to purchase, can easily ascertain the incumbrances on the property they may wish to acquire, and the vilidity of the title takes date from the time of their registration. The fees of the Enregistreur are settled by an Order in Council. After they have been registered, the cortracts must be sealed with the Public Seal of the Island. This is done two days in each year, on the opening of the sittings of the Court of Heritage; but if any deed requiring it, should be be presented in the intermediate term, the Bailiff in the presence of three Jurats,may open the bag in which the seal is kept sealed up, to prevent its being fraudulently used, and affix it to the contract. The Bailiff and Jurats are entitled to certain fees, on the passing of Contracts. At the times publicly fixed upon for that purpose, the fees are, for each contract-Bailiff, one shilling and six-pence; and the the two assisting Jurats, two pence each. Some contracts are called double contracts: they are those which transfer houses or lands, or mortgages to a certain amount on these, the fees are increased-the Bailiff's to two shillings and six pence, and the Jurats' to four-pence each. But contracts may be passed at other times, and also in other places, than the Royal Court; and which is frequently done in casses of illness, or where any reasons may exist to nake it desirable to have them passed before the public day. Whenever this is the case, the fees are increased still morethe Bailiff's to 5s. 6d, and the two Jurats' to 2s. 6d. each., whether the contract be single or double. All fees are paid in English money! On the public days, there are frequently from 200 to 300 contracts passed, so considerable are the mutations of property in the Island. The Ecrivains, in making their charge for preparing a contract, are governed by the

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amount they have to pay the Enregistreur ; to this they add double whatever it may be, which covers all expence, if the contract is passed on the regular days; but if passed at any other time or place, the extra fees are added. When compared with the cost of title deeds in England, this system will be found much less expensive: London conveyancers will be amazed, when they learn that the finest estate in the Island of Jersey may be conveyed for a sum not exceeding £5-yet we can assure them, such is really the fact. The following is the oath which the parties take :-You swear and promise by the Faith and Oath that you owe to God that you will not do or cause to be done any thing contrary to the present contract of sale or agreement of partition on pain of perjury.

Conveying Property.-Real property can only be conveyed before the Bailiff and two Jurats,which may be done in private; for a party proposing to alienate or burthen it is not required to give any notice of his intention to do so, for creditors to oppose the transfer, until their debts are secured. Moveable property may be conveyed or mortgaged in this manner or by private delivery. If moveable property be not conveyed before the Bailiff and Jurats, and the mortgagor continue in possession it might be deemed fraudulent against third parties.

Convicts are generally transported for three, five, or seven years, at the expence of the States, if natives of Guernsey, to that Island, and all others to any port in England, which the convict shall choose, and there set at liberty. If they return before the expiration of the term, the sentence is increased, and the convict whipt and sent back. It is said that there is no Law which empowers the Court to transport natives of this Island, or of any other British possession abroad to England. If the sentence be for seven years' banishment, it carries with it the confiscation of all real and personal estate to the crown or the Lord of the fief upon which the crime was committed. Convicts do not forfeit their rights to any future acquired property as in England.

Corn and Flour.-The exportation of corn and flour, the produce of the island to the United Kingdom, free of duty, is regulated by an act of the States, passed the 31st Aug., 1837, which not having received the royal assent, will expire on the 30th Aug., 1840. This act requires that every grower of corn shall deliver to the Constable of the parish, a declaration of the quantity of land he has sown with corn-that every person who exports corn or flour, of his own growth or produce, shall declare on oath before a Jurat, the number of vergées of land which he has sown with corn-that the corn or flour ex

ported is of his own growth or produce; which declaration is to be sent to the Customs, on pain of the said corn or flour being prohibited from being exported, as native produce-that every person who exports corn or flour which he shall have bought as native growth or produce, shall make a declaration on oath, before a Jurat, setting forth the names of the persons of whom he bought it, and shall transmit the same with their declaration under the before mentioned prohibition. Penalty for falsifying or using a declaration knowing it to be false, £100--one-third to the Queen, one-third to the hospital, and one third to the informer.

Coroner is the Viscount or his Deputy who holds inquests on all sudden and violent deaths, the expences of which must be paid out of the estate of the deceased, and if a pauper, by the parish in which he dies.

Costs.-Advocates and Solicitors charge what they please, for retainers, conferences, writing of letters, &c. Such costs are never taxed though they might be by the Greffier or Clerk of the Court, who exercises the duty of a Tax Master-See Order in Council, 10th March, 1824.

Court house. It is forbidden to all persons to throw stones or other things against the windows of the Court house or upon the said Court house, on pain of ten livers penalty for every contravention, and the broken windows or any other damage, shall be repaired at their expence ; masters being subject to answer for their servants, and parents for their children.Code, 1771.

Cour d'Heritage, opening of.—Conformably to certain orders of the King and Council, one of the 24th April, 1668, enrolled at the States the 10th July following, and the other the 19th May, 1671, enrolled at the States the 27th July following, and of a subsequent one, dated the 12th March, 1690-1, enrolled the 13th August following. The ordinary Courts of Heritage and Catel, shall not be put off without indispensable necessity. The same number of Judges are to assist as it was used formerly, that is to say, three at least at the ordinary Courts, and two at the extraordinary, without power to withdraw, unless by the permission of the Chief Magistrate. The Judges and the other officers of the Court, are to accompany the Bailiff or his Lieutenant from his apartment to the seat of Justice, and shew respect to him as representing the person of His Majesty and as his first Minister in that respect, and particularly when he is in Court or executing the duties of his office; the delinquent shall be suspended, if he is a judge or other officer, and all others shall be punished by imprisonment until they shall

have repaired their fault by demanding pardon and paying the pecuniary penalty which shall be imposed according to the nature of the offence.-Code, 1771.

Court no power to make Laws.-The Master of the Rolls on pronouncing the judgment of the Privy Conncil, on an appeal from the Court of Jersey to that tribunal, in the case of Du Heame v. parish of St. Ouen, declared that the Court of Jersey cannot make a new law.

Copyright-Authors and Publishers should know that the Act of Parliament concerning copyright has been lately registered in Jersey and Guernsey, and that any works published in England or elswhere,cannot now be pirated here with impunity as in former days. Books printed in the Islands can be sent to England by paying 3d. per lb. duty, at the Custom-House of the port at which they are landed. By the 4 and 5 Will. 4, sec. 89, Books in the foreign living languages, being of edi. tions printed in or since the year 1801, bound or unbound, pay a duty £2 10s. the cwt. The 41 Geo. 3, confirmed by the 54 Geo. 3, imposes a penalty of 3d. per sheet, half to the King and half to the informer, on all persons who shall import from abroad or reprint at home, without the consent of the proprietor, any work of which the copyright is unexpired. But the penalty of 3d pence per sheet is not recoverable unless the book has been previously entered in the register book of the Stationer's Company. By the 54 Geo. 3. c. 156, eleven printed copies of every book complete, are to be delivered on demand, within twelve months after publication, for the use of the public libraries, viz. British Museum, Sion College, Bod. leian Library at Oxford, Public Library at Cambridge, Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh, four Universities of Scotland and Trinity College and King's Inn Libraries at Dublin. By s. 5, books demandable are to be entered at Stationer's Hall within one month, if published within the bills of Mortality, or within three months if published elsewhere. English visi tors to the Islands should be cautious in carrying to England, the works of English Authors printed in France. If an author print and publish abroad, and does not use diligence to be the first printer and publisher in England also, any third person procuring the work, may lawfully print and publish it in England.-[Bar and Cress 870.]

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Creditors, ranking of.—In attachments of personal property the first creditor attaching is preferred, unless a désastre is declared. Creditors acquire a preference by the arrest saisie in execution, and not by the date of the debt, or even of the judgment. This is the case in the city of London with respect to money in the hands of a garnishee.