of the city of London, but, also, because the first idea of the "Juryman's Legal Hand-Book" arose out of your Lordship's instructive "charge," delivered on a late sufficiently melancholy occasion, to the gentlemen of the grand jury at York;* and through which dignified appeal to the intellectual acumen and practical humanity of such grand jury, the first principles of law and order, and the imperative necessity for the preservation of the Queen's peace, were so eloquently, yet so devoutly propounded.

That the completion of this unpretending little book has been delayed beyond the period I had first named for its publication, has been to myself a source of regret; yet I would fain hope that the work is certainly now far more deserving (I dare not say worthy) of your Lordship's acceptance, than it could have proved, had the same appeared in the, perhaps, imperfect state in which it was first conceived. Those learned gentlemen at the bar of England, who have undertaken even similar professional labours, and those able lawyers who have produced works of far

Vide page 158 of this work; (and, also, 208, for a portion of Lord Chief Justice Tindal's charge, at Stafford.)

greater magnitude, and, doubtless, of more lasting usefulness, will not despise, on account of the small pretensions of its author, a volume, the contents of which are undoubtedly of an educational, rather than a dogmatical character, and collated for the sole purpose of securing to JURORS especially, and to Englishmen generally, plain directions for the due performance of a most important public duty. Moreover, it affords me much satisfaction that it is produced under such distinguished protection as your Lordship's; and I cannot but feel highly gratified in being thus permitted to subscribe myself publicly, as I have had the honor of doing privately,

MY LORD,

Your Lordship's most obliged,

Obedient and faithful servant,

THOMAS H. CORNISH.

Gray's Inn; Jan. 1843.

MEMORANDA.

POOR RATES.-If any person alters a poor rate or a highway rate, in a single word or figure, after having been allowed by justices, it not only renders the rate illegal, but subjects the party making the alteration to indictment.

THE NEW GAME LAWS ACT, which has just received the Royal Assent, transfers the collection of the revenue arising from the sale of game certificates from the Stamp Office to the Board of Excise, and increases the penalty for sporting without a game certificate from twenty to fifty pounds.

PREFACE.

THE peculiar character of this little work-compiled for the use of jurors and others—does not seem to call for prefatory remarks; therefore I shall only add to the following pages a few passing observations.

That forensic and learned gentlemen may rightly understand the motive which led to the production of this, I trust, timely, if not educational volume, it may be well here to say, that in the construction of THE JURYMAN'S LEGAL HAND-BOOK, I have aimed only at being useful. "Books," says Dr. Johnson, "that you may carry about with you-take to the fire-side, and readily hold in your hand, are the most useful after all. A man will often look at them, and be tempted to go on, when he would have been frightened at books of a larger size, or a more erudite appearance.” A great book, says the inspired moralist, is a great evil.

Let me hope, then, that frequently, whilst the humbler and less wealthy classes of our English jurymen, of whatever sect* or religious creed, find information blended with amusement, in the juridical and other matter here brought together, some of the more experienced and opulent of my fellow-citizens may be induced to take up this Manual of Common Law as a temporary substitute for more elaborated works upon the same subject by abler writers and more acute jurists.

It is not because I despise the charms of eloquencef that I have entirely laid them aside, but because I know

*Sects, in many points, are beneficial to religion. As the members of each are critics of the doctrine and practice of all the rest, a species of mutual responsibility is created, by which all (though it is a truth few are willing to own) are in some degree controlled. Many excesses are prevented by the dread of active malevolence and honest indignation, strengthened by the spirit of religious partizanship. Sectarianism has done for Protestantism what Monasticism did for Popery—it has kept it alive, and extended it.

The common fluency of speech in many men, and most women, is owing to a scarcity of matter and a scarcity of words; for whoever is a master of language, and has a mind full of ideas, will be apt in speaking to hesitate upon the choice of both; whereas common speakers have only one set of ideas, and one set of words to clothe them in, and these are always ready at the mouth; so people come faster out of a church when it is almost empty, than when a crowd is at the door.-Swift.