The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-02
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EQUITY.


Proposals by LITTLE < Bows, ll2 Washington
street, Bosfon, for publishing by subscription
series Of Lato and Equity Reports
rINHE want of son,c system by which the decisions
Il 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
knowledged. To meet similar want in England.
the "Lato Journal Reports aud "1hs Jurist,"
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts
LaD and Equity, within few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced 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-
aton in this country, and their merits are as yet
but little known among
The subscribers propose to republish 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 Privy
Council the several Courts Of Equity, the Court Of
Queens Bench the Court of Common Pleas, the
Court of Exchequer and Exchcqucr 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 (Novenlber) term, 1850, and will be carefully
edited by member of the bar with notes aud re-
ferences to analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist of three hundred
pages closely printed octave, the beet paper and
in clear, fair Type and will contain table Of cases,
and a full table OF contents, thus forming COM
pete volume by itself, well part Of an en-
tire series Every alternate second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number mme-
dately preceding, and will contain table of cases,
and Of contents to both, and thus form complete
volume, ready for binding, of 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 a PERMANENT puBLI-
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 tic0 years before they
could oer,oise be obtained, and long before the pub
LEGATION Of the contcmporancous 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 AID uniformly bound in law
sheep, $l2
The parts will be sold separately, if desired, at
S each.
Single volume, bound, So 25.
Parts l. 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
ber:
Letter from Hon. MiIlard Fillmore, President of the
United STATES.
WASHINGTON, April 10, 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 rcpublish in this country,
comprising every case reported in England; and
now have your letter of the oh 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 lustro upon the Common
Law, and illuniined its profoundest depths. con-
slider law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
their Ecclcsiastieal Courts, and in Admiralty. For
some years had been in the habit of receiving
these in " condensed form. Ths condensation,
however, consisted, not in an abbrevation of each
Gaze, but selection from the several cases. and l
was often annoyed by finding reference to cases
in the Digests. which / deemed very important,
wholly omitted in the "c0ndensed reports' l
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was 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 tho judiciary,
and consequently upon the country atlargc. 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 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 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 Ldtc Journal Reports and
the Jurist. 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 jprisdiction. This excellent arrange
.i>II ~ a.
country, for the purpose Of obviating the delay
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 awaiting themselves of it, to introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly to the pro-
fession The authority of Westminster Hall has lost
nothing of it's sanction and the permanently high
character OF the English judiciary gives to their
ndjudicatons continued weight and decisive in
huence 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 way in which the current iurispru-
dence and adjudcations 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
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
of the same date in our own courts appear in
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 is 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 those of courts in banc,
the deliberate judgments of the bench, and not the
less reliable decisions at Mai Prius, which, how
interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by E. II. Bennett and
Chnuncy Smith, esqs, of the Boston bar, and their
systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the notes, index, Sc, are prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out
In this connection we take pleasure in adverting
to Messrs. Little and Browne other legal pubca
tons, among which are included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative treatscs of jurs
prudence. Judge Storys works, for ming library
almost OF themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation to American read
in general, as well as to the legal profession,
have all issued from their press; as have also the
several works OF Professor Greenleaf pDp very
valuable and extensive annual pubcation8Jfe also