IN THE PRESS. An Analysis of Archbishop Secker's Lectures on the Church Catechism, by the Rev. R. Lee.-Divarications of the New Testament into Doctrine and History, by Thomas Wingman.-The Sixth Part, containing all the Numbers issued in 1830, of the Botanic Garden, by B. Maund, F. L. S.Keppel's Journey across the Balkan.-History of Somersetshire, by the Rev. W. Phelps.-Proverbs of the Modern Egyptians, by Burckhardt.-Retrospect of Public Affairs in 1830.-Professor Millington's Epitome of the Elementary Principles of Mechanical Philosophy, 2d

edition.--A Key to a complete Set of Arithmetical Rods, by P. B. Templeton, Master of Cannon-street Academy, Preston.—First Volume of the Edinburgh Cabinet Library, 2d edition.-A Collection of Statutes relating to the Town of Kingston-upon-Hull, by William Woolley, solicitor.-Remarks on Steam Navigation, by Wm. Fairburn.-The Life of Captain Kelly, of the 1st Foot Guards.-Paley's Natural Theology Illustrated, by the Lord Chancellor and Mr. C. Bell.-Beechey's Voyage to the Pacific.-Haigh's Travels in Chili. -Godwin on the Mind.

THE MONTHLY REVIEW.

In order to meet the wishes of new subscribers, who desire to possess a really critical and impartial REVIEW of current Literature, and not a mere pamphlet of party essays upon one hand, or a hasty compilation of extracts upon the other, we have made an alteration in this journal which, we trust, may be universally acceptable. Hitherto the volumes of THE MONTHLY REVIEW have been numbered from the commencement of each series, which became in the course of time so extended, as to render the completion of regular sets of the work extremely difficult, if not in many instances altogether impossible. This was an inconvenience which new subscribers particularly felt, and which it is the more unnecessary to impose upon them, since each volume is so complete in itself, as seldom to require illustration from that which follows or precedes it. We shall, therefore, in future begin a new enumeration with every new year, so that persons who, from change of residence or other reasons, may wish to take in this journal even for a single year, may possess the three volumes published within that year complete in themselves, and distinct in their order, as they are in their substance, from all the others. The present number is accordingly the first number of the FIRST VOLUME of THE MONTHLY REVIEW for 1831, which will be succeeded, from month to month, by the numbers forming the second and third volumes for the same year. The volumes for 1832 will be reckoned in a similar manner, vol. 1, 2, and 3, thus giving to each year a separate series, which will render the completion of sets a matter of little difficulty and expense, at whatever time a subscriber chooses to order this journal from his bookseller.

Our readers will perceive that in the portion of the present number set apart for notices and miscellaneous intelligence, we have, for the full page, substituted double columns, which are to be continued, as they will enable us, with some further improvements which we have in contemplation, to give THE MONTHLY REVIEW an aspect still more in unison with the popular spirit of the times,-a spirit which it will be our pride to cherish and extend by all the means which we can command.

TO THE BINDER.

The Binder is requested to read the preceding observations, in order that he may understand the manner in which the volumes of the Monthly Review are hereafter to be enumerated, notwithstanding the technical oversight which has occurred in the sheets of the present number.

MONTHLY LIST OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW.

FEBRUARY, 1831.

ART. I.-1. A Bill, intituled An Act for establishing Courts of Local Jurisdiction. Ordered by the House of Lords to be printed, 2 Dec.

1830.

2. An Estimate of Mr. Brougham's Local Court Bill. By an Observer. 8vo. pp. 42. London: Maxwell, 1830.

3.

A Letter to The Right Hon. Lord Tenterden, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, &c. &c.; on The Bill for Establishing Courts of Local Jurisdiction. By William Raines, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn. 8vo. pp. 59. London: Saunders & Benning, 1830.

THERE never yet, we believe, was an instance of any decided and extensive improvement in the condition of a community being proposed, much less carried into effect, without encountering formidaable and sometimes even bitter and implacable opposition. We might cite as a recent case of this description, which every body will remember, the construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Rail-road, which, before its commencement, caused almost a civil war in the county of Lancaster, from the variety and great influence of the interests with which it necessarily conflicted. We well remember how the project for lighting this metropolis with gas was postponed for several years, in consequence of the wit with which the bare mention of such an idea was ridiculed, at the outset, and the earnestness with which multifarious dangers, likely to arise out of such a scheme, were prognosticated and denounced. Those who are acquainted with the history of vaccination, are aware of the tremendous difficulties with which that real reformer and beautifier of the human race, was met immediately upon its discovery--difficulties by which, we are almost surprised, it was not stifled at its birth. Nor is this course of things at all to be wondered at. On the contrary, it is so perfectly conformable with what may be called the nature of society, that it is always to be VOL. I. (1831.) NO. 11.

N

expected. We can scarcely imagine any material alteration in the habits of mankind, which would not interfere, to a very serious extent, with the pecuniary profit of every person who is in any way instrumental to their preservation. If, like the Israelites in the desert, it was ordained that we should all be fed for a season or two upon manna, falling from the clouds, forthwith the bakers and the butchers, the fishmongers and the poulterers, followed by a whole tribe of cooks, confectioners, and kitchen-maids, not to speak of the thousand and one agricultural interests, would pour in their petitions upon the legislature, in which we should hear of vested interests, and venerable usages, and rash innovations, until our ears should loathe the very sound. The manna would be analysed; chemists would be found to pronounce it poisonous; and then would all our old men and women join in the cry, and the bakers and the butchers, the fishmongers and the poulterers, together with all their concomitant and appendant tribes, would, in their long bills, and their sundry impositions, again rejoice.

Under certain restrictions we do not, however, at all deprecate this opposition to innovation or reform; it is, in our opinion, essential to the rapid destruction of a bad scheme, and highly conducive to the success of a good one. It is impossible for the propounder of any great project to foresee, at the outset of his operations, all the points against which, if we may use the metaphor, the wheels of his machine shall rub too closely; to avoid introducing as many and, perhaps, as great abuses as those which he is anxious to remove, and to gain for his plan all the advantages of which it may be susceptible;-unless he be compelled by strong, and even violent, opponents to examine it on every side, and to fence it by all the safeguards which wisdom can devise. In some instances he will have, undoubtedly, to modify his intentions, and thus, perhaps, rather promote than injure the object which he has in view.

It was clearly predicted by the learned, and now noble, author of the Local Court Bill,-a Bill, be it remembered, which is not yet passed into a law,-that it would meet with many obstacles, but with none more powerful or persevering than those arising from the direct interest, which certain classes of professional men have in maintaining profitable abuses. Evils similar to those of which England has long complained, in the administration of justice, prevailed in France from the period of the establishment of the feudal system in that country, down to the Revolution. Seats upon the Bench were not indeed, at any time, hereditary with us, and the period has long passed by when they were saleable as in France. But the expensiveness of justice, and its ruinous delays, were just as intolerable in that country, before the close of the last century, as they are to this day in our own. Nevertheless, when by a progressive series of laws, commencing with that of the 24th of August, 1790, a system of justice, intended to be both cheap and expeditious,