ALEX. CHARLES EWALD, F.S.A.,

(OF HER MAJESTY'S RECORD OFFICE,)

AUTHOR OF "A REFERENCE BOOK OF ENGLISH HISTORY;" EDITOR OF
CIVIL SERVICE GUIDE," ETC. ETC.

66

THE

"Esto

Liberque ac sapiens."

PERSIUS.

LIJKE

LONDON:

FREDERICK WARNE AND CO.,

BEDFORD STREET, COVENT GARDEN.

1867.

LONDON:

BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.

PREFACE.

THIS little volume is intended to occupy an intermediate position between technical works on English Law and the various kinds of Students' Manuals on the same subject. The author has endeavoured to avoid on the one hand those wearisome repetitions and legal peculiarities of expression which often render works on our laws confusing to the general public, and at the same time to avoid that superficial class of information which is too often the fault of an epitome or a vade mecum.

"Our Constitution," the author trusts may prove a useful book of reference, not only for county magistrates, members of Parliament, and those to whom English Law is familiar, but also to the general public, who, without wishing to dive into abstruse points of law and pages of irrelevant matter, may obtain in a brief and concise form that kind of legal information which bears upon the transactions of every-day life. In this work the author has however entirely confined himself to English laws and customs.

The author here begs to express his grateful thanks

to Messrs. LONGMANS & Co., for their kind permission to use and condense, where occasion required, various articles from "Tomlin's Popular Law Dictionary." As Mr. Tomlin's work has not been revised for some years, it has been necessary, in some cases, to extend his information to the present time.

The other works which the author has been indebted to in the compilation of this volume will be found in the List of Authorities. Those works in the list which appear printed in italics have been freely used.

THE TEMPLE,

June, 1867.

LIST OF AUTHORITIES.