The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-25
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
KOIUTY

VTNHE 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 cheaply furnished TO the legal profession in
this country, has long been seriously felt and ac
knowledged. To meet a similar want in England,
the "LGIo Journal REPORTS" and "Ihe Jtrist, -
which, together, report decisions in all The Courts IN
LGtD and Equity within few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced number OF years
Bince and have met with the universal approoa-
ton OF the legal profession. Their hlgh COST, now
ever, has hitherto prevented their general clrcu-
lation in this country, and their merits are as YET
but little known among u.s.
The subscribers propose 10 repupnsh these re,
ports in full as fast they appear IN England and
can be received here. They will contain reports
of cases decided in the House OF Lords, the FrlVy
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 (Novembcr) term, 1850, and will be carefully
edited by member of the bar, with notes and re-
ierences TO analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist of over three hundred
pages closely printed octave the best paper, and
in clear fair type, and will contain table OF cases,
and full table OF contents, thus forming COM
plete volume by itself, well part OF an en-
tire series. Every alternate second number will
be PACED consecutivey from the number imne-
daely preceding, and will contain table Of cases,
md OF contents to BON, ana thus form n complete
volume, ready for binding, of oUsr sir hundred pages
In each volume the cases 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 this
country.
tits designed to make this PERMANENT PUBL
CATION, and thus establish series of English
Law and Equity Reports, which shall, in all re-
spects, be far in advance OF any other reprint OF
English Reports in this country, and which shall
furnish TO the American lawyer the decisions of
Hall nearly ipO
could otei0iss Be obtained and long before the pub
LEGATION of the contemporaneous decisions OF most
of our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be $l0 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, or for the six
volumes, handsomely AID uniformly bound in law
sheep, 5 II.
The parts will be sold separately, ii desired, at
s | each.
Singis volume, bound, So %.
Parts l. and H., stitched, or Vol. H. bound in law
sheep, containing reports OF one hundred and
eighty eight cases, now ready for delivery.
The following are among the opinions OF this
work expressed on the publication OF the first num-
Letter from Hon. Milard Fillmore President of the
United States.
WAsHrHeToN, April IS 1851.
JAMES BRowN, ESQ.,: My DEAR SiR-Some days
since ] 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 no 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 a condensed'' form This condemnation,
however, consisted not in abbreviaton of each
case, but selection from the several cases, and
was often annoyed by finding reference to cases
in the Digests. which / deemed very important
wholly omitted in the condensed reports /
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made some time since to repubsh the whole !
If the English Reports entire, can be repubshed
with despatch in this country, at price SO low as
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. j am your obedient |
servant, WILLARD FILLMORE.
From the Mem York Literary World.
Messrs. Little & Brown, Of Boston, whose law
books, in point of typographical execution, vie
with the best similar issues 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 mum
Der is before US, the Lar Journal Repofis and
the J,Tist, two English serials which communicate
TO the British Bar WITHIN q lew 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
ght be followed with great advanta in this
country for the purpose of obviating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing of the regu-
lar volumes Of reports of particular courts and
we glad to see the enterprise OF our legal pub
fishers avang themselves of il, TO introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly to the pro-
fession. The authority of Westminster Hall has lost
af,It
character OF the English Judiciary gives to their
adjudcations a 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 way in which the current jurispru-
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 vigil
lance. This difficulty Messrs. Little & Browns
Reports will remove; the cases decided in the
Queen's 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 III our own courts appear
the regular reports In which they perpetuated.
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume of authorized reports ia published on the
other side and has then been reprinted on this.
One advantage Of the present series is that the
decisions which it gives are those of courts in banc,
the deliberate judgments of the bench, and 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 f. IL. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, esqs., of the Boston bar and their
systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the notes, index, &c, prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out.
In this connection take pleasure in adverting
to Messrs. Little and Browns other legal pubica-
tions, among which are included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative treases Of our iurs-
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, well to the legal profession,
have all issued from their press; have also the
several works of Professor Greenleaf. Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications are also
Issued by them, the United States Digest and the
Statutes al 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
in bad type.
From The Neto York EUening Post.
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