"The single heading Macaulay of course takes up a large space of the Index, and will be found, together with a few other headings, to contain everything directly touching him. The list of his published writings refers of course only to writings mentioned by his Biographer, and lays no claim to be considered an exhaustive bibliography of his works. The books Macaulay read that were 'mostly trash' have their places in the body of the Index, while those that stood by him in all vicissitudes as comforters, nurses, and companions, have half a page to themselves under one of the sections of Macaulay. The particulars of his life and work in India are given under India; localities in London under London; various newspapers under Newspapers, and certain French and Italian towns visited by Macaulay under their countries respectively."
Just such an index one would like to see of the History of England.
It may be added that the popular edition of the Life published subsequently has an index.
A large number of official indexes are excellent, although some very bad ones have been printed. Still, it may be generally stated that in Government Departments there are those in power who know the value of a good digest, and understand that it is necessary to employ skilled labour. The work is well paid, and therefore not scamped; and plenty of room is devoted to the index, which is printed in a satisfactory manner in type well set out.
We have no modern statistics to offer, but the often quoted statement that in 1778 a total of £12,000 was voted for indexes to the Journals of the House of Commons shows that the value of indexes was appreciated by Parliament in the eighteenth century. The items of this amount were:
"To Mr. Edward Moore £6400 as a final compensation for thirteen years labour; Rev. Mr. Forster £3000 for nine years' labour; Rev. Dr. Roger Flaxman £3000 for nine years' labour; and £500 to Mr. Cunningham."
One of the most admirable applications of index making is to be found in the series of Calendars of State Papers issued under the sanction of the Master of the Rolls, which have made available to all a mass of historical material of unrivalled value. How many students have been grateful for the indexes to these calendars, and also for the aid given to him by the indexes to Parliamentary papers and other Government publications!
It is impossible to mention all the good official indexes, but a special word of praise must be given to the indexes to the Statutes of the Realm, the folio edition published by the Record Commission. I have often consulted the Alphabetical Index to the Statutes from Magna Charta to the End of the Reign of Queen Anne (1824) with the greatest pleasure and profit. It is a model of good workmanship.
The lawyers have analytical minds, and they know how important full indexes and digests are to complete their stock-in-trade. They have done much, but there is still much to be done. Lord Thring drew up some masterly instructions for an index to the Statute Law, which is to be considered as a step towards a code. These instructions conclude with these weighty words:
"Let no man imagine that the construction of an index to the Statute Law is a mere piece of mechanical drudgery, unworthy of the energy and ability of an accomplished lawyer. Next to codification, the most difficult task that can be accomplished is to prepare a detailed plan for a code, as distinct from the easy task of devising a theoretical system of codification. Now the preparation of an index, such as has been suggested in the above instructions, is the preparation of a detailed plan for a code. Each effective title, is in effect, a plan for the codification of the legal subject-matter grouped under that title, and the whole index if completed would be a summary of a code arranged in alphabetical order." [15]
[ [15] These instructions, with specimens of the proposed index, are printed in the Law Magazine for August, 1877, 4th Series, vol. 8, p. 491.