The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-12
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EnUVTV

and judicial opinions Of the several Courts OF
law and Equity in England be more prompt
jv and cheaply furnished 10 the legal profession in
this country, has long been seriously felt and
knowledged. To meet similar want in England,
the "LGtp Journal Reports" and "1hs JtTisf, 4"
which, together, report decisions in all The Courts an
Lao and Equity, within a 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 clrcu-
latiOn in this country and their merits are as yet
but little known among
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
Cases.
These reports will be published in numbers or
parts, commencing with the deciaions of Michael
mas (November) term, 1850, and will be carefully
edited by q member Of the bar, with notes and re-
isrences to analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist of over three hundred
pages closely printed octave, on the stpaper, and
in clear, fair type, and will contain table of cases,
and full table OF contents, thus forming COM
plete volume by itself, well as part OF an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number imme
diatey preceding and will contain table OF cases.
and Of contents 10 both and thus form complete
volume, ready for binding, of oUer 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.
lite 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
NJ fD1ln RI INN hsf oro fbp.
could oterloise 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 s 10 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, for the six
volumes, handsomely AID uniformly bound in law
sheep, Sl2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
81 each
Sings volume, bound, So 25
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 Of the fret mum.
Der:
Letter from Hon. AfHard Fillmore, President of Le
United States.
WAsHINGToN, 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
nave your letter oil the YIN instant, lnQurlng
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
come years had been in the habit of receiving
these in a condensed' form. This condensation
however, consisted, not in abbreviation of each
case, but selection from the several cases, and
was often annoyed by finding reference to
in the Digests, which ! deemed very important
wholly omitted in the az 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
40 bring them within the reach of the members of
the bar generally, conceive that it will confer 4
great benefit upon the profession and the judiciary
and consequently upon the country at large. Know.
ing your enterprise anticipate your success, anu
can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. am your obedien
servant, WILLARD FILLMORE
From the Netu York LITERARY JForld
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 inferior
to none in this country, have just commenced the
publication Of legal seres deserving the especia!
attention OF the profession throughout the country.
The basic of this series, of which the first num-
the Jtrist, 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.
nent might be followed with great advantagein 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 are glad to the enterprise of our legal pub
fishers availing themselves oft, to introduce the
,n& and lorlry In
fession. The authority of Westminster Hall has los
nothing OF It's sanction and the permanently high
character OF the English judiciary gives TO their
zdiudications continued weight and decisive in
huence with our coarts, 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 jurispru-
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 vgi-
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
of the came 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 large
volume of authorized reports ia published on the
other side and Ia hen been reprinted on this
One advantage # the present series ia, that the
decisions which IL gives those of courts in banc
the deliberate judgments OF the bench, and not the
less reliable decisions at NtSt FTtus, WnCn, now
ever interesting in many Instances do not carry
9th them the same authority and force.
The Reports are edited by +. 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 connection we take pleasure in adverting
10 Messrs Little and Browns other legal publlca-
eioas among which are included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative reatses OF our Juris-
prudence. Judge Story's works, for ming Library
almost OF themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation to American read
ere in general, well as 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 at Large the latter being the authorized
edition Of the Acts Of Congress, got up in much
better style, both for reference and preservation,
Ihan under the old regime Of public printing at
washington, which included the annual statutes
md sent them forth to the world thin paper and
ia bad type.
From tie Hfig York Eoening Post.
Little x Brown, Of Boston, TO whose enterprise
~. oaGas, haan Aohf cd for