The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-09

Proposals by LITTLE & BRowN, ll2 Washington
street. Boston, for publishing by subscription neto
series Of La1o and Equity Reports
TINE want of some system by which the decisions
n and judicial opinions OF the several Courts OF
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
y and cheaply furnished to the legal profession In
this country, has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowledged. To meet similar want in England,
the "Latp Journal Reports" and The JtTist,
which, together, report decisions IN all the Courts IN
Lao and Equity, within few weeks alter their
delivery, 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 are as yet
but little known among US.
The subscribers propose to republish these re-
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 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, the tpaper and
in clear fair type, and will contain table OF cases,
and a full table Of contents, thus forming COM
plete volume by itself, as well as part OF an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number VIII
be PACED consecutively from the number lmme-
diately preceding, and will contain table OF cases,
4 and of con tents TO both, and thus form complete
volume, ready for binding of oUT sir hundred pages
In each volume the of the several courts will
be found arranged together, and III point OF style
and typographical execution, this series will be
fully equal to the best reports of England or this
! country.
tits designed to make this PERMANENT PUBL
cATIoN and thus establish neic, 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 ttoo years before they
could oherlose 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 $40 for
twelve numbers payable in advance, or for the six
volumes, handsomely aad uniformly bound in law
sheep, IL.
The parts will be sold separately, If desired, at
81 each.
/ Single volume, bound So %.
Parts i. and H.. stitched or Vol. l., bound IN law
sheep, containing reports of hundred and
/ eighty eight cases, now ready for delivery
The following among the opinions OF this
work expressed on the publication of the first num-
ber
Letter from Hon BIiard Fillmore President of The
United States.
WAsHINaToN, April ID 1851.
JAMES BRowN, ESQ: My Dean 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 reported in Engand; 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 condensed form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not in Authorization of each
case but selection from the several cases, and
was often annoyed by finding reference to cases
in the Dgesta, which deemed very important,
wholly omitted in the 90 condensed reports' |
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made some time since to republish the whole.
If the English Reports entire, can be republished
with despatch in this country, at price 80 low as
10 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, WILLARD FILLMORE.
From The Ne,o 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 num-
Der is before US, the LdJc Journal Reports and
the Jtuist, two English serials which communicate
to the British Bar, within a 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 advantagein this
/ fh. Of OH, 49,, 81 Iola
/ which necessarily attends the issuing of the regu
| lar volumes of reports of particular courts and
glad to see the enterprise of our legal pub
fishers availng themselves of it, to introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly to the pro-
ession. The authority of Westminster Hall has lost
nothing of it's sanction and the permanently high
character Of the English Judiciary gives to their
adludicatious continued weight and decisive in
fluence with courta 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 iurispru-
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 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 Is published on the
other side and Iva hen been reprinted on this.
! One advantage the present series is, that the
decisions which IL gives those of courts in 6anc
! 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 E. ii. 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 advertng
| to Messrs Little and Browns other legal publica-
/ tons among which are included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative treatses of uris
| prudence. Judge Storys works, for ming library
\ almost OF themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation to American read
| crs in general, as well TO the legal profession
have all issued from their PRESS have also the
several works OF Professor Gneenleaf. Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications also
! issued by them, the United States Digest and the
Statutes at Large; the latter being the authorized