The republic., 1851-09-11
THE REPUBLIC.
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EQUITY.

FEtHE want OF some system Dy wnch tne decisions
n and judicial opinions of the several Courts OF
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 ac-
knowledged. To meet similar want in England,
the "Lato Journal Reports" and sIhe JuTist,
which, together report decisions in all the Courts IN
Lal1 and Eqliity, within few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced number OF years
since, and have met with the universal approba-
tion Of the legal profession Their high cost how
ever, has hitherto prevented their general circu-
lation in this country, and their merits are as yet
but little known among US.
The subscribers propose to republish these re-
ports in full as fast as they appear in England and
of cases decided in the House of Lords, the Privy
Council, the several Courts OF Equity, the Cepr 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 octavo the best paper, and
in clear, fair type, and will contain table Of cases,
and full table Of contents, thus forming COM
plee volume by itself, as well as part OF an en-,
tire series. Every alternate or second number VIII
datey preceding, and will contain table of cases,
and of contents to both, and thus form complete
volume, ready for binding OF ooer sT hundred pages
In each volume the cases Vi the several courts VIII
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.
ltis designed TO make this a PERMANENT PUBL
CATION, and thus establish neio 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 tioo 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 $40 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, or for the six
volumes, handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, $l2
Tie parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
S each.
Single volume, bound, So %.
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 are among the opinions OF this
work expressed on the publication OF the hrst num-
Der:
Letter from Hon. Millard Fillmore, President of the
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 republisf in this country
every reported in England and
now have your letter of the 9Th instant, inquirng
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 it's profoundest depths con-
slider no law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
fb.ir Fec al onHs dp1ira lfu Enr
some years had been in the habit OF receiving
these in 90 condensed" form. This condensation
however, consisted, not in abbreviation of each
case, but a selection from the several cases, and
was often annoyed by finding reference to cases
in the Digests, which | deemed very important
wholly omitted in the " condensed reports"
therefore hailed with great p,easure effort which
was made some time since to republish the whole
If the English Reports entire, can be repubhshed
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
great benefit upon the profession and the judiciary,
and consequently upon the country al 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, MILLARD FILLMORE.
FROM me ye,c Tork Ettevury r,orid.
Messrs, Little g. Brown, of Boston, whose law
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 mum
Der is before u.s. the Laio Journal Reports and
the Juyist, two English serials which communicate
to the British Bar, within few weeks after their
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 mightbe 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 glad to see the enterprise of our legal pub
fishers availing themselves oft, 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
adjudications a continued weight and decisive in
fiuence 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 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 s. Browns
Reports will rernove 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
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 systein which requires delay until the large
volume Of authorized reports is published on the
other side and lhen been reprinted ON this.
One adyantag, # the present series is, that the
decisions which IL gives are those of courts 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 same authority and force
The Reports edited by f. II. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, esqs., of the Boston bar and their
systematic arrangement, and the with which
the notes, index, SC, are prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out.
In this connexion we take pleasure in adverting
to Messrs. Little and Browns other legal publica.
tons, among which included many ofthe most
conspicuous and authoritative treatises of our iurs-
prudence. Judge Story's works, for ming a library
almost Of Themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation to American read
crs in general, as we'll as to the legal profession
have all issued from their press; as have also the
several works Of Professor Greencaf. Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications are also
issued by them, the United States Digest and the
Statutes al 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.