The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-23
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EOUITY.

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
knowledged. To meet similar wantin England
the "LGio Journal Reports" and "1he JiTist, -
which, together report decisions in GHhe Courts al
/ Lao and Equity, within few weeks after their
delivery were commenced a number of years
since, and have met with the universal approba-
ton of the legal profession Their high cost how
ever, has hitherto prevented their general circu-
ation in this country, and their merits yet
! but little known among US.
The subscribers propose to republish these re-
ports IN full fast as they appear in England and
I 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
I 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, $780, 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
in clear fair type and will contain table of cases,
and full table of contents, thus forming COM
plete volume by itself, as well part of an en-
tire series. Every alternate second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number mme-
diatey preceding, and will contain table Of cases,
and of contents to both, and thus form a complete
volume, ready for binding, of ouer sr 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 beat 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
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 gears before they
could oteroise be obtained, and long before the pub
ication of the contemporaneous decisions of most
OF our own tribunals
The price of this publication will be $40 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance or for the elk
volumes, Handsomely AID uniformly bound in law
sheep, $l2
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
s. each.
Single volume, bound, So 25
Parts J. 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 are among the opinions of this
work expressed the publication Of the first num-
Der:
Letter from Hon. 1Tiliard Fillmore, President of the
United States
WAsHINGToN, April l3 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
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 ustre 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 50 condensed" form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not in an abbreviation of each
case, but selection from the several cases, and
was often annoyed by flndlng reference to cases
in the Digests, which | deemed very important
wholly omitted in the q condensed reports" ]
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
made some time since to republish the whole.
If the English Reports entire, be republished
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 a
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, WILLARD FILLMORE
From the Nep York Literary HJorld
Messrs. Little s. 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
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 is before us, the Ldlc Journal Reports and
the Jurist. two English serials which communicate
to the British Bar, within few weeks after their
delivery, the prominent decisions oEall 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 advantage 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
are glad to see the enterprise of our legal pub
I;sh fhnpna ,fi
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
fluence with our 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 way in which the current iurispru-
dence and adjudcations of the day in the Engsh
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
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Elk
chequer Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudged
cases of the same date in our own courts appear in
the regular reports in which they perpetuatcd.
Nearly two years will thus be gained oyer the pre-.
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume of authorized reports is published on the
other side and h hen been reprinted on this
One advantage # the present series ia, that the
decisions which /. gives are those of courts in 6anc,
the deliberate judgments of the bench and not the
less reliable decisions at Nisi Prits, which, how
ever interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by E. II. 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
to Messrs Little and Browns other legal publica
tons, among which included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative rcatsee 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
in general, as well to the legal profession,
have all issued from their press; have also the
several works of Professor Grcenleaf. Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications are also
issued 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
in bad type.
From the Neip York EceninR Post