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(I.) Act (c. 26) dealt with the appointment, powers and duties, disqualification, and salary of under-sheriffs, and empowered County Court judges to enforce performance of those duties; it also contained sections as to fees, adaptations of enactments, etc., and an "appointed day" clause.

The Census (I.) Act, Government of Ireland Act, and Restoration of Order in Ireland Act have already been discussed. The Criminal Injuries (I.) Act (c. 66) dealt with the recovery of compensation on decree against a county council, the deduction of compensation awards from Government funds or parliamentary grants payable to a council, ratemaking and borrowing powers for raising money for compensation, and the addition of 5 per cent. interest to compensation awards.

Departmental Legislation.--As a pendant to this summary, it may be added that along with 82 Public General Acts for the year 1920 there were also some 930 Statutory Rules and Orders of a public general character. At the end of the two stout volumes issued by the Stationery Office to contain so much of the year's departmental legislation as was in force on December 31, 1920, there is a table showing that these Statutory Rules and Orders altered at least 69 Acts of Parliament during the year.

The administrative area covered by this system of subordinate law-making is prodigious. There are regulations about education and housing, health and unemployment insurance, the Air Force rules of procedure, Supreme Court and County Court rules and fees, important disciplinary codes under the Police Act, trade boards machinery, "appointed day" orders which press the button and bring Acts into operation, and orders which reshuffle statutory powers amongst various departments in consequence of the recent creation of the Health and Transport Ministries. More than half the Acts of Parliament passed in 1920 delegate to departments or other authorities the power to make supplementary legislation.

2. ISLE OF MAN.

1919.

[Contributed by LLEWELLYN KNEALE, ESQ.]

During 1919 seventeen Acts were passed by the Manx Legislature. 1. The Civil Registration (Births and Deaths) Amendment Act, 1919, amends the Civil Registration Acts, 1849 to 1910, by adding thereto sections similar to sections 10, II, 15, 20, 24, 39, and 40 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1874, 37 & 38 Vict. c. 88.

2. The Workmen's Compensation Act, 1919, is a reproduction, mutatis mutandis, of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1906, 6 Edw. VII, c. 58.

3. The House of Keys Election Act, 1919, amends the House of Keys Election Act, 1866, and makes certain alterations in the existing law, the most important of which is that a woman shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from being elected or sitting or voting as a member of the House of Keys.

4. The Wills (Soldiers and Sailors) Act, 1919, is a reproduction, mutatis mutandis, of the Wills (Soldiers and Sailors) Act, 1918, 7 & 8 Geo. V. c. 58.

5. The Attorneys Act, 1919, amends the Attorneys Act, 1826, and empowers the Governor to reduce the years of apprenticeship of law students who have served with His Majesty's Forces since August 4, 1914.

6. The Isle of Man Constitution Amendment Act, 1919, makes certain amendments in the Constitution of the Isle of Man. The Governor is to convene meetings of the Tynwald Court upon receipt of a request signed by a majority of the members of either branch of Tynwald, and is to convene a meeting of the Legislative Council upon receipt of a request signed by a majority of the members of the Council, and is to convene a meeting of the House of Keys upon receipt of a request signed by a majority of the members of the House. The Archdeacon, the Vicar-General, and the Receiver-General cease to be members of the Legislative Council, and, in future, the Council will consist of the Bishop, the first Deemster, the second Deemster, four members to be elected by the House of Keys, and two members to be appointed by the Governor. The members elected and appointed hold office for four years, and may be re-elected or reappointed. A person elected by the House of Keys must be a male not less than twenty-one years of age, and must, at the date of his election and so long as he continues in office, be resident within the Island; and every person appointed by the Governor must be a male not less than twenty-one years of age, and must, at the time of his appointment and so long as he continues in office, be resident within the Island and not be in receipt of a salary payable by the Imperial or Insular Government. The Act contains provisions for filling up casual vacancies, and specifies certain disqualifications upon the happening of which the member vacates his seat. Any member of the Council authorized by the Governor may appear before the House of Keys whenever a Government Bill is before the House, and shall enjoy such privilege of audience and speech as the House by Standing Order shall determine, but shall not have the right of voting. Power is given to the Tynwald Court to make rules requiring Boards and Committees appointed by Tynwald to make periodical reports of their proceedings; and power is also given to Tynwald at any time by resolution to declare that all or any of the members of any Board of Committee appointed by Tynwald shall cease to be members of such Board or Committee.

7. The Brewers Act, 1919, makes certain amendments in the Brewers Acts, 1874 to 1918.

8. The Adulteration Act, 1919, amends the Adulteration Act, 1912, and provides that in determining whether an offence has been committed under s. 4 of the Adulteration Act, 1912, by selling to the prejudice of the purchaser spirits not adulterated, otherwise than by the admixture of water, it shall be a good defence to prove that such admixture of water has not reduced the spirits more than twenty-five degrees under proof for brandy, whisky, or rum, or thirty-five degrees under proof for gin.

9. The Trustee Act, 1919, provides that trustees may, unless expressly forbidden by the instrument creating the trust, invest any trust funds for the time being in their hands in any investments authorized by the law of England for the time being as an investment for trust funds, and may vary such investments at discretion.

10. The Douglas Municipal Corporation (Honorary Freedom of the Borough) Act, 1919, empowers the Council to admit to be Honorary Freeman of the Borough persons of distinction, and persons who have rendered eminent services to the borough.

II. The Education (Amendment) Act, 1919, makes certain small amendments in the Education Act, 1893.

12. The Great Enquest Abolition Act, 1919, abolishes the Great En

quest Act. The Great Enquest was a jury who once a year were selected and sworn to watch and report upon interferences with public rights of way and such-like matters. The Act recites that for many years the Enquest had rarely been called upon to discharge any duties, and enacts that the Great Enquest and all proceedings before it shall cease and determine, and that any matter cognizable before it shall be tried and determined by, and fall within, the exclusive jurisdiction of the court of law having cognizance of the same.

13. The Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1919, is founded upon, and practically reproduces, 40 and 41 Vict. c. 68 and 7 Edw. VII.

14. The Tynwald Court Adjournments Act, 1919, provides that whenever it may be necessary to adjourn the Tynwald Court from one day to another or from place to place, without such Court having assembled, it shall be lawful for the Governor, or, in case of his incapacity, for a Deemster, by writing under his hand to authorize the Clerk or Secretary to such Court, or any Coroner, to attend at the place and time for which Court has been convoked, and adjourn the same to the day, time, and place which may be appointed by such writing. And any adjournment to be made in pursuance of such writing shall for all purposes be as valid as if made by the Governor when such Court was duly assembled.

The Act also validates certain adjournments of Tynwald made in 1918, doubts having arisen as to the validity of such adjournments.

15. The Educational Endowments Amendment Act, 1919, empowers the Council of Education to act as trustees of any Educational Endowment, and authorizes them to invest any personal estate in their hands upon the investments specified in the Act.

16. The Civil Registration (Marriages) Amendment Act, 1919, amends the Civil Registration Act, 1910.

17. The School Teachers' Superannuation Act, 1919, makes a provision with respect to the grant of superannuation allowances to teachers, and of gratuities to their legal personal representatives, and amends the Elementary School Teachers' Superannuation Act, 1901, and the Elementary School Teachers' Superannuation Act, 1913.

3. JERSEY.

[Contributed by E. T. NICOLLE, Vicomte of Jersey.]

1. The States of Jersey on March 11, 1920, passed an Act making the prescriptions of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act, 1919, applicable to Jersey.

2. Education Act, passed by the States on May 7, 1920, and confirmed by Order in Council on November 9, 1920.

This Act brings secondary education under the control of the States. A special committee for public instruction, consisting of twelve members, of the States (with power to co-opt four members from the public (with consultative but not voting powers), now supervises elementary, secondary (both sexes), and technical education.

Special education is to be provided for the blind, deaf, dumb, and weak-minded.

The children are subject to medical and dental inspection.

Scholarships from the elementary schools to the secondary schools are provided for the children of needy parents.

II. NORTH AMERICA.

1. DOMINION OF CANADA.

[It is hoped to publish the summary of legislation in the next Review.]

2. ALBERTA.

[Contributed by JOHN D. HUNT, Esq., K.C., Clerk to the Executive Council.]

The third session of the fourth legislature of the Province of Alberta opened on February 17, and closed on April 10. Very little time was spent in the discussion of the Speech from the Throne or in debates of a party nature, the Members appearing to be unanimous in the resolve to make the session a business one, to do the work required of them and to get away home. While there was not much legislation dealing with entirely new matters, that brought before the House was important, and received careful consideration in Committee.

Among the new Acts the first in importance is the Irrigation Districts Act. It provides for the formation of large areas in the southern part of the Province, where the drought has been a heavy set-back during the past few years, into irrigation districts.

Formation of a district may be started by filing petition with the Minister of Public Works signed by owners of at least one-half of the proposed area, and with the petition the report of an engineer that the scheme is feasible and a deposit sufficient to cover preliminary expenses. After due notice, if no substantial objection has been made in the opinion of the Minister, he may have a vote taken on the scheme and for election of a board of trustees to act in the event of two-thirds of those voting being in favour of going on, and in such cases the Minister may by order form the lands described in the petition into an irrigation district. While the local owners have all the powers necessary for the construction, maintenance, and operation of irrigation works, the Act further provides for an Irrigation Council of one, two, or three members to be appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, whose duty it shall be to advise every board upon the conduct of the affairs of its district and who may veto any act or course of conduct proposed by the board. No money received from sale of debentures can be expended, no rate of assessment be effective, no contract for the construction of any work be valid until the same has received the assent of the Council. The rate of interest, the form of debentures and arrangements for their disposal must be approved by the Provincial Treasurer. The procedure in cases of default in debenture charges is drastic, and those who go into the scheme do so realizing that they must meet their obligations and not depend upon Government assistance.

The Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District, which includes 100,000 acres now, and more is being added to it, comes under a special Act, the provisions of which are very similar to those of the general Act.

The Water Users' District Act supplements the Irrigation Act, and enables local communities to elect three persons as a board of management to take water from the canal controlled by an irrigation district, provide for its equitable distribution, for making and repairing of ditches, for the imposing of an annual rate per acre on the area irrigated, and generally for the conduct of the business of the association.

Realizing the necessity of giving assistance to settlers in crop-failure areas, the Municipal Districts Relief Act gives a municipal council power to supply relief to residents from money borrowed on Government guarantee.

Under an Act respecting Advances for the Purchase of Feed and for Assistance to Farmers provision is made for direct relief up to June 1 by advance of feed, hay, fodder, flour, and any other commodity necessary for the sustenance of life of man or animal, the advance being secured by him on land or chattels or both.

The Seed Grain Act, 1920, the Act to empower municipal districts to borrow money on Government guarantee to supply seed grain to settlers, along with the Mortgagees' Seed Grain Security Act, passed last year, gives ample opportunity for settlers to secure grain for seeding purposes.

Telephones are dealt with by an Act to Authorize the purchase by the Government of the Red Deer telephones for the sum of $85,000, and by power given to raise by loan the sum of $4,000,000 for the extension of the Provincial telephone system.

The possibility of having to take over the Ed. and B. C. Railway is anticipated by an Act giving the Lieutenant-Governor in Council authority to arrange with the company for the appointment of a receiver, upon the request of whom the Government may borrow and expend up to $1,000,000 for the purpose of improving the line, keeping it in repair, and effectively operating it. A further sum up to $100,000 may be borrowed and used for like purposes in the event of any other guaranteed railway making default and being taken over by the Province.

The chief work of the Session outside of the foregoing was amending Acts already in force. A number of new Acts were passed last year relating more especially to municipal and health matters, and in their administration during the year certain changes were found advisable.

Under the Municipal Hail Insurance Act, insurers are required in their return to the secretary-treasurer to state whether they want to insure for $6, $8, or $10 per acre, and if they do not do this they will only get $6 per acre in case of total loss. Hail indemnity under the Act is exempt from garnishment, attachment, or execution.

The amendments to the Municipal District Act include payment to councillors for fifteen days spent in laying out and inspecting municipal work, payment of expenses of members of the council on deputations to attend to matters affecting the district, the taking away of the power of the Minister to dismiss a council, the posting of the voters' list in each division for that division only, the increasing of the maximum amount of grant or guarantee to a local doctor from $500 to $2,000, complete provisions for the taking of lands for roads and fixing the compensation therefor, fixing by resolution from time to time instead of by by-law the places where and the persons with whom animals distrained may be impounded, providing that animals not released within ten days, instead of thirty, after last notice may be sold. Similar provisions in the Municipal District Act, Town Act, Village Act, and Improvement District Act make the municipality liable for due provision for the relief of the poor and the care and treatment of the needy sick, including actual hospital expenses, except medical or surgical fees. The municipal district assessor must assess land by valuation in 1920 and send a statement of the total assessment on completion thereof to the Department of Municipal Affairs for