Marie Louise (Appletons), by EMILIE CARLEN, the Swedish author--a domestic story in the usual fashion of that author, pleasant but not remarkable in any way.

European Reviews.--The reprints of the British Reviews and Blackwood's Magazine, come to us with proper punctuality--their contents always rich in interest, and, for the American reader, usually full of provocation. But, as we all know John Bull, through every medium, he need not ruffle our temper any longer, and we may study his through its various exhibitions in these pages. It is on the authority of holy writ that we are taught to be grateful when our enemy gives himself up to book-making. Listen to him, and we shall be quite as much taught by the confession of his faults, as by his denunciation of

ours.

Linny Lockwood is from the pen of Mrs. CATHERINE CROWE, the author of several very clever volumes. The story is a dark one, gloomy throughout, and bearing rather heavily upon the masculine gender, of whom it is very certain that our author entertains no very indulgent opinions. Her hero is a very pretty specimen of a rascal--with all the qualities of a fine gentleman, except manhood. Her women, with one exception, (unfortunately for her notions in regard to the other sex) are scarcely seen to better advantage than her men. In other words, her opinions do not square precisely with her facts, or justify her conclusion against the tough, in favour of the tender gender.

Merrimack, or Life at the Loom. (Redfield.)--A series of sketches of factory and common life in New-England, by DAY KELLOGG LEE, the writer of several other works of like character. A wholesome volume, but not very attractive or instructive.

Law School.--The plan of a Law School in Columbia, South-Carolina, as prepared by Mr. EDMUND BELLINGER, Jr., strikes us as promising to supply a want, of serious importance, in our system of home education. Why should our young men any longer go to the North, to acquire a proper knowledge of the law, when the South furnishes, and has long furnished, an equal proportion of the great lawyers, politicians and statesmen to the Union? Why should the South pay any more educational tribute to other regions, when we are fully competent to teach the future generations for ourselves? At all events here is a proper experiment which demands our hearty encouragement. Mr.

Bellinger proposes to prepare students for admission to the Bar, instructing them in all the essentials of practice, forms as well as principles; the grounds of Law and Equity, no less than the arbitrary dicta and decisions; and, in brief, thoroughly to imbue them with jurisprudence, taught, as it should be, as a science. For this we believe him fully capable by equal study, exercise and natural endowment. He has had the benefit of a long and extensive practice in our courts, is a man of great research and erudition, and has long been esteemed one of the best lawyers in the State. He will bring to his task a rare industry, as well as a competent mastery of his subjects.

The Speech of Mr. Hunter, of Virginia, in the United States Senate, on the Nebraska and Kansas Bill of Mr. Douglas, was one of the best efforts of the session; argued without anger, and after a calm and searching consideration of all the points which have been involved in the controversy upon this question. But the subject is one that it is scarcely worth while to discuss. Either the time for it has past, or it has not yet come. The important feature of this bill to the South, is simply the revocation of a disqualifying act-one which degraded, rather than wronged her of any very valuable material possessionand which, if revoked, would probably be of no great practical use. The mode by which the South is to be put rectus in curia, must be something more direct than this. The issue must be made with the North on some point which shall involve directly the question of our equality in all things. The question must be one upon which it will not be possible for any politician to sophisticate.

The Minority Report from the Committee on Banks, of the House of Delegates of Virginia (1853-4), submitted by Mr. John C. Rutherford, of Goochland, embodies a history of banking in that State from 1841-the details of which may interest a large class of persons. The question upon which this report was submitted, was upon an inquiry into the expediency of a general law to authorize banking. It will, perhaps, be quite sufficient to indicate the sources of information to those legislators who may hereafter be called upon to encounter a similar question. It is one upon which we are not disposed to enter. Mr. Rutherford appears to have entered into the discussion with zeal and industry, to have looked carefully into the usages and conclusions of other States, and to have conducted the investigation with thoroughness and eandour.

The Speech of the Hon. L. M. Keitt, of South-Carolina, on the Nebraska and Kansas Bill, delivered in the House of Representatives, March 30th, 1854, is one highly creditable to his research and industry, and honourable to his intellect. It covers all the points of the subject, is fully comprehensive upon all, and ought to be conclusive with every just and appreciative mind. Portions of it are urged with singular force, and it is marked with an eloquent warmth, which at no moment transcends propriety. Our young representative shows himself ambitious of improvement, and we rejoice at the superior cultivation and study, which, in every successive effort, he has shown. Let him but persevere in this course of application to business, and in this constant effort to procure, and store his intellect with, the proper materials for thought and argument, and he bids fair to become such a representativo as his people will confidently rely upon to urge their claims and assert their rights and liberties.

Romantic Incidents in the Lives of the Queens of England. By J. P. SMITH, Esq. New-York: Garrett & Co. 1854.-We notice that the author of this volume has recently acquired reputation in London as a new novelist, having written some score of romances, modeled upon those of Scott, Bulwer, etc. We are in receipt of several of these, upon which, as he is a new claimant for the honours of literary inspection, we may hereafter report. One of these only have we read. This under the aristocratic title of Ellen de Vere-may be supposed to afford a fair sample of the writer's qualities. We do not hold it to exhibit any remarkable proofs of original resource. It is animated enough; full of action, strife, crime, intrigue, and terrible passions; but these are brought into play after an old fashion, and, save for the interest of the story, the volume shows us nothing very striking, whether of design, sentiment or philosophy. It may be that we shall find proof of higher qualities in the other writings of the author. These, as they lie before us, are "Stanfield Hall," "Gus Howard," "Minnie Grey," "Harvey Ashton," "Amy Lawrence," etc., all from the same publishing house with the Queens of England. This last mentioned book does not propose to give us simple biographies of "the Queens." The excellent ladies are all in the masquerade costume of romantic fiction. Their stories are dressed up sparkingly, pearled and jewelled for the court yard and the assembly, and where the historian has drowsed over his records, the romancer steps in and fills the hiatus in his own more glowing manner. In other words, these are romantic sketches grafted upon real life

bits of biography draped in fiction. They form a volume of pleasant reading enough, but must be read as legends rather than records.

Scenes from the Life of an Actor, Compiled from the Journals, Letters and Memoranda of the late Isaac Hill. Garrett & Co: NewYork. Dr. Valentine aud Yankee Hill's Metamorphoses.-Geo. Handel Hill, the Yankee, must not be confounded with little Isaac Hill, the politician. They were both very clever in their way, though on different theatres. George Hill was, probably, one of the best personators of the low Yankee that ever went before the footlights, while Isaac Hill honoured New-Hampshire as a politician, playing a part at Washington which procured for him the political nickname of Cunning Little Isaac. But we dare not run a parallel between the politician and the actor. Sub rosu, however, the actor was the better performer of the two. He was on the stage what Sam Slick is in the closet-a good sitter for Haliburton. His life is sketchy, and not unamusing; but it fails to show him--to the life. As for the book called "Metamorphoses," it isdealing tenderly with it--to be described only as unmitigated trash.

Mrs. Partington's Carpet Bag of Fun. (Garrett & Co.)--A new jest book, of recent manufacture, with numerous comic illustrations;-a companion to Joe Miller. Recalling Joe, and comparing his good things with those of the venerable woman, whose name promises to become quite as frequent as his own "in mouths of wisest censure,” we shall be able to see what advances we have made, if any, on the humourous of a hundred years ago. The good things in the volume before us are all really picked up from the columns of the current news—— and other papers--of the day. Here are all our Yankeeisms; and Southronisms; the ludicrous and the ridiculous of our queer and impudent; our hyperbole, and the vulgar concetti of city and border life; slang, flash and folly in general.

Pamphlets.--MEEK's Report of the Committee of Education (Alabama Legislature) on the system of public schools, in that State, insists properly on the importance of these schools, but shows their condition to be of as doubtful, or partial advantage, in Alabama as with us. The subject is one of vital interest, yet few of those who discuss it appear to us to begin rightly at the beginning. That, perhaps, is the true reason why we can get no legislation upon it. It is so easy, among democratic philosophers, to confound the tail with the head of a sub

ject. Mr. Meek's report may be taken up hereafter, in connection with the scheme of education contained in the bill which follows it. He is a well known and able gentleman, whom we are glad to see once more in position in the councils of his country. "The Scholar and

the Gentleman" is the title of an Address, by W. C. Moragne, Esq., delivered before the young men at Greenwood, Abbeville District. Mr. Moragne, whom we already know as a thoughtful and spirited writer, adopts the right standard from which to indicate the true aims to his youthful auditory. He shows himself well read, and very able to bring his reading to bear upon the practical demands of society. . "The Mercantile Library Association," of New-York, shows by its last report a highly prosperous progress. A large and daily growing library, and frequent courses of lectures, which yield regular increase to the funds, afford proofs of social advancement in taste and education, which are of the most encouraging complexion. The library of this institution, which is a new one, already contains over forty thousand volumes. "Female Medical Education," is the text of a Lecture by Jos. S. Longshore, M. D., of Philadelphia, in which he urges. the practical importance of training women in medical knowledge; but the theme is one scarcely within our province. No doubt woman may be made eminently useful in the arts of healing. She is the natural nurse, and there are some departments in which she would seem to be the natural physician;-but whether there does not need a good physical and social training first, of a masculine sort, to precede the mere education of the medical schools, is a subject which none of the writers seem to consider. To make a woman a surgeon, you must not merely teach surgery and anatomy-you must give her a preliminary physical and moral training-so that her nerve, on trying occasions, may not be wanting her strength-her calm of mood, the admirably based and balanced judgment.

A Year with the Turks; sketches of travel in the European and Asiatic dominions of the Sultan. By WARRINGTON W. SMYTH, M. A. Redfield: New-York. 1854.-The social character, condition and resources of the Turks, all more or less illustrated in this little volume, are matters of present interest and inquiry, in view of the great struggle pending between that people and the power of the Czar. The reader will find much in the narrative of Mr. Smyth, which is unaffected and seems quite truthful, to help him in the formation of a judgment. Life in Turkey, as all readers sufficiently well know already, is not a rosecoloured prospect. The civilization of the Turks will not be a power in