The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 3, July 1899 - April, 1900 Page: 222

222 Tewas lHistorical Association Quarterly.
The second volume of Annotated Civil Statutes of Texas, com-
piled by Hon. R. L. Batts, Professor of Law in the State University,
has been published, and completes what is unquestionably the most
perfect and most perfectly arranged digest of laws and decisions
now offered to the people of Texas.
'The entire work contains 2710 pages and there are 15,077 notes,
the latter embracing, in addition to all reported Texas decisions, and
those of the United States courts bearing on Texas statutes, com-
plete copies of many repealed statutes and much historical data.
It is impossibl, to review a work of this size and give any clear idea
of its scope within the limits of a notice of this kind, but some idea
of its magnitude and the amount of labor required to complete it
may be gathered from a reference to one or two topics.
The notes on Article 2396 .of the Revised Statutes of Texas,
relating to "Homestead" cover twenty-six pages of fine printed
matter (pp. 64 to 90, Vol. II); the article defining a homestead as
amended by Act of April 26, 1897, is first given; next comes note
(8620) stating when the above mentioned amendment took effect,
and giving its language, together with the title and enacting clause;
then follows the first homestead law of Texas, enacted by the leg-
islature on January 26, 1839, with synopsis of decisions construing
it; next is the constitutional provision of 1845, the Act -of February
2, 1860, the constitutional provisions of 1861 and 1866, the Act
of November 10, 1866, the constitutional provision of 1869, the
Act of 1870, and the constitutional provision of 1876, in the order
named, each followed by notes of decisions construing it. After
.all legislation upon the topic has thus been treated in historical
sequence the decisions on the general subject are exhaustively taken
up and grouped under the following heads.: Forced Sale, Liens,
Incumbrances Existing at or Before Acquisition, Right of Husband
to Adjust Incumbrances, Statutory Liens, Mortgages and Pretended
Sales, Sale of Homestead by Husband and Wife, Sale by Husband,
Sale by Wife, Sale by Unmarried Head of Family, Sale by Surviv-
ing Husband or Wife, Executory Sale, Proceeds of Sale, The
Family, The Homestead Defined, I-Head of Family May Select, In-
tent, Use, Occupancy, When Homestead Right Attaches, Intent and
Preparation to Use, Enlargement of Homestead, Abandonment,
Limitation as to Value and Amount, 'The Rural Homestead, Urban
Homestead, Urban Place of Business, Combinational of Rural and