BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8986, 17 September 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Macmillans' Magazine : Macmillan and Co., 29 and 30, Bedford-street, Strand, London.—The number for August is to hand. " Chapters from Some Unwritten Memoirs," by Mr. Ritchie, give some interesting reminiscences of men and things long passed away. The story of " Margaret Stuart," as gathered from the chronicles of Jean Chartier and Matbhieu de Coucy, and the report of Du Tillay's trial, in the appendix to Uuclo's Life of Louis XL," is a graphic historical portraiture of a brave, gifted, and beautiful woman, who passed away in her 21sb year, the Dauphme of France, sick of bhe world and ibs surroundings. Even in death, while forgiving her enemy, Jamet du Tillay, she never uttered to the priest the name of the man ib was so hard to pardon, only saying, " I forgive him, and from my heart. Ah, Jamet, you have carried out your purpose, I die through you !" " Vassili," by Sydney Pickering, is a graphic tale of Russian life. George Edmundson contributes a paper on " Some Legends of the Vaudois." According to the writer, the rapid spread of education, new roads, and means of communication, above all, the invention of the steamengine, have done much to destroy with the simplicity no little of the poetry and picturesqueness of the mountaineer's'life. "Auld Robin Gray" is a capital account by J. Cuthbert Hadden, of the circumstances under which thab popular Scottish song was written, with some curious incidents in the life of the authoress, Lady Anne Lindsay. " The Ruins of Baalbek," by Haskett Smith, is a readable article on a subject which has interested many minds. As the author says, " At Baalbek we have in bhe Phoenician portion of the ruins the grandest monument now in existence of the reaching out of the finite towards the infinite in the erection of mass, as distinct from beauty. Such a monument, so considered, demands our deepest respect and reverence, even though, through the want of a higher revelabion, bhe worship for which those temples were erected be repulsive to our instincts of right and truth." The serial tales of this number are also attractively written. Westminster Review : Edward Arnold, Bedford - street, London. — The August number has for its initial article " Ireland under Gratban's Parliament," by W. J. O'Neill Daunt. The writer, as the question of Home Rule is at present the subject of fierce debate between the enemies and the friends of the restoration of a resident Parliament to Ireland, regards the moment as opportune to make an historical retrospect, and look back at the condition of Ireland during the last years of her domestic Legislature. He contends that Ireland prospered under Grattan's Parliament, and thatall the ills to which Ireland has been heir arise from the union which conferred power over Ireland on the English Parliament, and which has been misused. Home Rule would remove Ireland from English party politics and commit her affairs to her own control. "The Modern Protective System," by F. W. Haine, is a paper consisting of a review of a work by Mr. B. R. Wise, entitled " Industrial Freedom: A Study in Politics." The following extract shows Mr. Maine's views :—

Free trade is simply an extension of th principle of the division of labour. In other words, it allots to every man the task he is in the best position to perform, and thus secures the maximum of result for the minimum of effort. Protection, on the other hand, turns labour into the less remunerative channels, and thus lessens the total production. During the last year of free trade in Canada, 1878, the value of the exports was £825,000, but in 188-4 protection had reduced this annual value to £700,000. The amount of duty levied by a tariff really represents the amount of labour wasted, and the industrial effort of a nation is thrown away to the extent to which it is diverted into artificial channels. Working men are assured that protection raises prices; but their teachers carefully avoid telling them by whom those increased prices are paid. Certainly not by the foreigner," for the manufactures produced under protection are clearly not those which can force their way into the open market to any appreciable extent. If they could do so the system would be unnecessary ; and it is therefore plain that the community itself is paying for this supposed advantage. And as working men form the majority of every community, they are really taxing themselves to pay themselves better wages. It is clearly a case of the dog fattening on its own tail. Mr. Wise quotes indisputable evidence that in the most skilled branches of labour wiges are higher in England than in any country where protection exists; and he says it is no unusual thing to meet on board homeward-bound Australian steamers English mechanics returning, disappointed in their expectations of earning better wages in the colonies than at home. When every article of consumption is protected, as in the colony of Victoria at the present time, with a tariff list of a thousand items, it is plain that the whole community is merely taking money from one pocket and placing it in the other; but in spite of this operation, wages are actually lower there than in the adjoining free trade colony of New South Wales. —'* Glimpses of Tom Moore " is a chatty article on incidents in the, life of the popular Irish poet. There is an able article on " Education in Germany " by P. Reutter ; while George Greenwood has a word to say on "The Ethics of Field Sports." T. R. Holmes has a rather severe article on " Mr. Froude and His Critics." While paying a high tribute to Froude's literary ability, he has a poor opinion of his historical accuracy. He says: '* Quite recently I carefully read Mr. Froude's story of the Conquest, and counted sixty-one mistakes in seventy-nine pages." Robert Ewen contributes an article on " Unfettered Banking." He holds that it is not for the public good that the Bank of England has got such a great monopoly of banking and such a control over the money market as it has, and points out that £120,000,000 in the Savings Banks of the United Kingdom might be turned to use in industries, either individually or co-operatively, provided a popular system of banking were eet up in Britain. Chambers' Journal. —The August number is up to its predecessor. The opening article is on " Piccadilly" and its historical associations. There is an interesting article on " Wreck-raising," as also one on " Corsican Folk-lore." Some curious information is given respecting " .(Esthetic Birds." " How We Saw the Bahama Cable" is a story of cable-laying, while a chapter on " Man-eating Reptiles" offers an opportunity of introducing some good snake stories. The serial stories and miscellaneous literature are of a high order, making up a very readable number. The Investors' Illustrated Handbook.The first number of a handy little publication bearing the above title has just been issued by Messrs. Truebridge, Miller, and Reich, sharebrokers and accounts, etc., Wellington. A good portrait of the Hon. Sir Patrick Buckley appears as a frontis-1 piece to this number, and the portraits of prominent commercial men will appear in succeeding issues. The handbook contains lists of properties for sale, etc., in each part of the colony, with illustrations of a | number of residences. An amount of i statistical and general information of use,.; to investors and others is also given. The handbook is well printed by Messrs. Harding, Wrighb, and Eyre, of Ballance-strwt, Wellington, : ;