BOOKS OF BEPREENCX.—The Politician's Handbook. By H. Whates. (Vacher and
Sons. 6s. net.)—Of the two hundred and forty pages of this volume more than eleven- twelfths are given to the " Political Section." This is no more than the title of the book would lead us to expect. The difficulty is to criticise. Mr. Whates has opinions of his own, and to review these would be practically to summarise a great part of our political articles during the year. We are not always in agreement with Mr. Whates. On the very first question that he discusses, for instance, our relations with the United States, "especially in the matter of the Isthmian Canal, hie views are divergent from those set forth in the Spectator. But we find him, on the whole, a sensible and moderate thinker. And whether the reader accepts or rejects the opinions, he will anyhow find -the facts. We may quote a compendious state- ment on the concentration camps "The moral of the whole matter lies on the outface—that the camps were a political necessity; that they greatly mitigated the horrors of war to the Boer women and children ; that the military authorities managed them as well as could be expected having regard to other and more pressing duties in the field and in the difficulties of communication; that the deplorable child mortality was due in part to the ignorance and sloth of Boer parents in the camps ; and that the condition of the country in a state of war did not earlier admit of the transference of the control of the camps to the civil authorities." He adds an expression of regret that the Government declined at the outset Sir W. Foster's suggestion of a Sanitary Commission. This last may very probably be just; but it is certain that the action of sundry partisans in the matter is one of the most deplorable incidents in our history.—Whitaker's Peerage (J. Whitaker and Sons, 3s. 6d. net) is at the same time a "Directory of Titled Persons." It contains, therefore, all that is commonly found in volumes of this class. There are also lists of the houses of distinguished persons, and generally a variety of useful information such as we expect to find in a volume bearing this name.—The Year's Art Compiled by A. C. R. Carter. (H. Virtue and Co. 8s. 6d.)—Mr. Carter begins with a general review of " The Past Year," so far as the external history and interests of art were concerned. This is followed by a state- ment of " State Aid to Art" (this mounts up to something like 890.1,000, of which two-thirds go to the Science and Art Depart- ment) and by a detailed account of art institutions. Then we have a list of societies, &c., and a record of art sales. Finally, there is an index of artists and art workers. We cannot but think that a certain injustice is done by limiting this list. to "artists who have exhibited at [certain] representative Exhibi- tions during 1861." Take the case of an artist whose work is ac. cepted at the Academy or elsewhere, and then shut out for want of space. Or take the yet harder case of an artist who has been disabled by sickness. It may well be that this sentence of ex. elusion is passed upon him when it is most damaging to him and not in the least deserved. As for the excuse of want of space, why not cut out the almost useless diary, not likely, we should think, to be used by a twentieth of the purchasers of the book P
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