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

seTieS OF I.dtc ana Equity AHpO'S'
TIIHE want of some system by which the decisions
and judicial opinions of the several Courts Of
law and Equity in England can be more prompt
iv and cheaply furnished TO the legal profession in
+hia country, has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowledged. To meet a similar want in England,
the "LGio Journal Reports" and "Ihe JHisf, .
which, together, report decisions In oil the Courts an
Lao and Equity, within few weeks after Their
delivery, were commenced a number of years
since and have met with the universal approoa-
ton Of the legal profession. Their high cost how
ever has hitherto prevented their general clrcu-
lation in this country, and their merits are as yet
but little known among US
The subscribers propose TO republish these
ports in full fast as they appear in England and
can be received here. They will contain reports
of cases decided in the House of Lords, the Privy
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
CaSee.
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-
ierences to analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist of over three hundred
pages closely printed octave, on the paper ana
in clear fair type, and will contain table OF cases
and full table OF contents, thus forming a com
plete volume by ieef, well part OF an en-
tire series. Every alternate second number viii
be PACED consecuuvely from the number imme
diately preceding and will contain table of cases,
and Of contents TO both, and thus form complete
volume ready for binding of ouer 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 this
country.
It's designed to make this a PERMANENT PULL
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
Westminster Hall, nearly tico years before they
could otherwise be obtained and long before the pub
lication Of the contemporaneous decisions of most
Of our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be s 10 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, or for the sx
volumes, handsomely ald uniformly bound in law
sheep, 8 IL.
TIE parts will be sold separately, il desired Mt
81 each.
Sings volume, bound, 81 20.
Parts !. and H. stitched, or Vol. L., bound in law
sheep, containing reports of one hundred and
eighty eight cases, now ready for delivery.
The following among the opinions OF this
work expressed on the publication fthc first num-
Letter from Hon. MiAdrd Fillmore, President of he
United States.
WAsHTNeToN, April 10 1851.
JAMES BRows, ESQ: MY Dean SIR-Some days
since received, by the hand of the Postmaster
General, the first number Of the English Report5
=
comprising every case reported in England; and ]
now have your letter of the 9th instant, inquirina
my opinion OF the enterprise.
While pursuing my profession, took n deep in
terest in publications of this kind. The able
Judges who have adorned the judicial tribunals of
England, have shed lusre 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 bad been in the habit Of receiving
thaaa in Eror,d iia~ a.
however, consisted, not in abbrevaton of each
case, but selection from the several cases, and
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
made some time since to repubish the whole.
If the English Reports entire, can be republishcd
with despatch in this country, at price 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 NAV
be equal TO your merits | am your obedicnt
servant, WILLARD FILLMORE.
From the Nelp York Literary World
Meesre. Little Brown, of Boston, whose law
books, in point of Typographical execution, vie
with the beet similar issues of the English press,
and in point of value and importance 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 ID before US, the LGlo Journal Reports and
the Jirist, 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
ment might be followed with great adyantagein this
country, for the purpose of obyiating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing of the regu-
lar volumes of reports of particular courts /; and
we are glad TO see the enterprise of our legal pub
lishe-s 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
ndiudications a continued weight and decisive in
huence 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 adjudicatons 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 & Browne
Reports will remove; the decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas and the Ex-
chequer Chamber in January, will be ready Tor de
livery here in April or May, long before adjudged
cases of the date in our 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 rye
volume OF authorized reports ia published on the
other side and tf- hen been reprinted on this.
One advantage II the present series is, that the
decisions which IL gives those Of in banc
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 came authority and force.
The Reports are edited by f. H. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, esqs. of the Boston bar. and their
Systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the notes index, &c, are prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out.
In this connexion we take pleasure in advcrting
20 Messrs Little aud Browns other legal pubica-
tions among which are included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative reatscs OF jurs-
prudence. Judge Storys works, for ming a library
almost Of themselves, and familiar Tor their high
value and extensive reputation to American read
era in general, as well to the legal profession,
have all issucd from their press; have also the
several works OF Professor Greenleaf. Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications are asc
issued by them, the United States Digest aud the
STATUTES al Large; the latter being the authorized
edition of the Acts of Congress, got up III muct
better style both for reference aud preservation
than under the old regime OF public printing a
Washington, which included the annual statutes
and sent them forth 10 the world on thin paper AND
IN bad type.