The republic., 1851-12-19
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EQUITY


Proposal. by LrTTLE BRowS, ll2 Washington
street. Boston for publishing by subscription heo
series Of LGw and Equity Reports.
FINHE want of some system by which the decisions
IL and judicial opinions Of the several Courts Of
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
ly and cheapy furnished to the legal profession in
this country has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowledged. To meet similar want in England,
the ''Lai1 Journal Reports and "Ihe Jurist," "
which, together, report decisions in all The Courts az
LGlo and Equity, within a few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced number Of years
since, and have met with the universal approba-
tion OF the legal profession Their high cost, how
ever, has hitherto prevented their general clrcu-
laton in this country, and their merits are as yet
but little known among
The subscribers propose TO republish these re-
ports in full fast they appear In England and
can be received here They will contain reports
of cases decided in the House OF Lords, the Prlvy
Council the several Courts Of Equity the Court OF
Queens Bench the Court of Common Pleas, the
Court of Exchequer and Exchequer Chamber, the
Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts, the Court Of
Bankruptcy, including also the Election cases, the
Crown Cases Reserved, and the Railway and Canal
Cases.
These reports will be published in numbers or
parts commencing with the decisions of Michael
mas (November) term, 1850, and Will be carefully
edited by member of the bar, with notes and re-
ferences to analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist of over three hundred
pages closely printed octave, on the best paper, and
clear fair type, and will contain table of cases,
and full table of contents, thus forming COM
tire series. Every alternate second number will
be PACED consecutivey from the number imme-
dately preceding, and will contain table OF cases.
and of contents 10 both and thus form complete
volume ready for binding, of ouer sir hundred pages
In each volume the Of the several courts will
be found arranged together and, in point of style
and typographical execution, this series will be
fully equal to the best reports of England or this
country.
Its designed TO make this PERMANENT PUBL
CATION, and thus establish a series of English
ToKy and 0uifu Rennrta w
spects, be far in advance OF any other reprint Of
English Reports in this country, and which shal
furnish to the American lawyer the decisions of
Westminster Hall, nearly ttco years before they
could otherwise be obtained and long before the pub
Hcaton of the contemPoraneous decisions OF most
of our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be SO for
twelve numbers, payable in advance for the elk
volumes, handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, $l2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
81 each
Singie volume, bound, 50 %.
Parts l. and H., stitched, or Vol. l., bound in law
sheep, containing reports of one hundred and
eighty eight cases, ready for delivery.
The following are among the opinions of this
work expressed onthe publication of the fret num-
Der:
Letter from Hon AfiHard Fillmore, President of the
United States
WAsHINeToN, April l3 1851.
JAMES BRowN, ESQ.,: MY DEAR SIR-Some days
Eince received by the hand of the Postmaster
General, the first number of the English Reports,
which you propose to republish in this country,
comprising every case reported in England; and
now have your letter Of the 9th instant, inquiring
my opinion of the enterprise.
While pursuing my profession, / took deep in
terest in publications of this kind. The able
Judges who have adorned the judicial tribunals Of
England, have shed lustre upon the Common
Law, and illumined its profoundest depths. con-
slider law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
their Ecclesiastical Courts, and in Admiralty. For
some years had been in the habit of receiving
these in IS condensed" form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not in abbreviation of each
case, but a selection from the several cases. and
was often annoyed by finding a reference to cases
In the Digests, which deemed very important,
wholly omitted in the sc condensed reports
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made t1rne since to repubish the whole.
If the English Reports entire, can be repubished
with despatch in this country, at price 30 low
to bring them within the reach of the members of
the bar generally, conceive that it will confer
great benefit upon the profession and the judiciary,
and consequently upon the country at large. Know
ing your enterprise anticipate your success, and
can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. | am your obedient
servant, MILLARD FILLMORE.
From Me Nelp York Literary World
Messrs. Little s. Brown, of Boston, whose law
books in point of typographical execution, vie
with the best similar ssues of the English press,
and in point of value and Importance are inferior
to none in this country, have just commenced the
publication of legal series, deserving the especial
attention of the profession throughout the country.
The basis of this series, of which the first num-
Der ia before US, the LGtc Journal Reports and
the Jtuist two English serials which communicate
to the British Bar within few weeks after their
delivery the prominent decisions of all the courts,
from the House of Lords TO the Court Of Bankrupt
cy and other tribunals of limited but practically
important jurisdiction. This excellent arrange
nent might be followed with great advanta in this
country, for the purpose Of obviatng the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing Of the regu-
lar volumes Of reports of particular courts and
we are glad to the enterprise of our legal pub
fishers avaing themselves of it, to introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly to the pro-
fession The authority OF Westminster Hall has lost
nothing Of its sanction and the permanently high
character of the English judiciary gives to their
adiudicatons continued weight and decisive in
fiuence with courts. Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied here, and
there was no.way in which the current iurspru-
dence and adjudications OF the day in the English
courts could be made available by the American
bar, except at great expense and by continual vigi
lance. This difficulty MessrB. Little & Browns
Reports will remove; the decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Ex-
chequer Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudged
cases of the same date in own courts appear in
the regular reports in which they are perpetuated
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-.
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume of authorized reports 10 published the
other side and has then been reprinted on this.
One advantage of the present series ia, that the
decisions which il gives those of courts in bGnc
the deliberate judgments of the BENCH and not the
less reliable decisions at Nisi Prius, which, how
ever interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by L. II. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, csqs, of the Boston bar, and their
Systematic arrangement, and the with which
the notes, index, &c, are prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out.
In this connexion take pleasure in adverting
10 hIessrs Little and Browns other legal publica
tions among which are included many ofthe most
conspicuous and authoritative treatises Of our uris
prudence. Judge Story's works, for ming library
almost OF themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation TO American read
ers in general as well 20 the legal profession,
have all issued from their press; have also the
several works OF Professor Greenleaf. Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications also
lssued by them, the United States Digest and the
Statutes at Large; the latter being the authorized
edition of the Acts Of Congress, got up in much
better style, both for reference and preservation
than under the old regime OF public printing at
Washington, which included the annual statutes,
and sent them forth TO the world on thin paper and