20 MARCH 1880, Page 24

The Dead Hand: Addresses on the Subjects of Endowments and

Settlements of Property. By Sir Arthur Hobhonse, Q.C. (Chatto and

Windus.)—The author enlarges on various aspects of the thesis that

the will of the dead ought not to interfere with the advantages of the living. Possibly, he *states his views a little too strongly ; but the "will of the founder" is not likely to be too lightly esteemed for some time to come in this country, and it is well to have the case for freedom vigorously stated. The common objection that bene- factions will be checked by dealing with endowments is well answered by the remark that the Reformation period, which began with whole- sale assaults on endowments, ended by producing a very rich harvest of them.