The republic., 1851-12-13
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
IN ITIuII-


yI1HE want of some system by which the decisions
4 and judicial opinions OF the several Courts ct
law and Equity in England can DC more ptolIpt-
Iy and cheapy furnished 10 the legal recession in
this country has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowledged. To meet si-hilar want in England
the Lam journal Rrporis,'' and "The Jrisf,"
which, together, port decisions in all Lae Courts
Laio and Eo.ity, within few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced number OF years
since, aud have met with the universal approba-
tion OF the legal profession. Their high cost, how
ever, has hitherto prevented their general clrcu-
aton 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
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 Exohequer Chamber, the
Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts, the Court of
Bankruptcy, including also the Election cases, the
Crown Cases Reserved, aud 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-
ierences 10 analogous American decisions.
Zach 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 a com
plete volume by itself, welf as part OF mn en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number will
be PACED Consecutively from the number mme-
u
and Of contents TO both, and thus form n complete
volume, ready for binding, Of oUer siE hundred pages
I'm 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 or this
country.
ltis designed TO make this PERMANENT PUBLl-
CATION, and thus establish neto 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 ftoo years before they
could oferIuise be obtained and long before the pub
lication of the ccntemporancous 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, $l2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
s / each.
Sings volume. bound, 81 25.
Parts l. and H., stitched, or Vol l., bound in'lnw
eheep, containing reports OF one hundred and
eighty eight cases now ready for delivery.
The following are among the opinions Of this
work expressed on the publication of the first num-
Letter from Hon. 1Iillard Fillmore, President Of the
United States
WAsmNGToN, April 10 1851.
JAMES BRowN, ESQ: MY DEAR StR-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,
now have your letter of the 9th instant, nquiring
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 proioundest 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,
alH sfafa. IF aa.~k
cese but 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 pleasure an effort which
was made some tme since to republish the whole.
If the English Reports entire can be repubhshed
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 II viii confer a
great benefit upon the profession ara the judiciary,
and consequently upon the country at large. Know
ing your enterprise, | anticipate your success and
can only express the nope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. | am your o5edent
servant, WILLARD FILLMORE.
Frow the Ne,o York Literary World
Messrs Little s. Brown, Of Boston, whose law
6ooke, 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 mum
bef is before US, the LGtc Journal Rsporks nd
the Jt1ist, 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 bat practically
important Jurisdiction. This excellent arrange
ment might be followed with great advantagein this
country, for the purpose OF ohsiating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing Of the rcgu-
lar volumes Of reports OF particular courts f; and
are glad TO sec the enterprise of our legal pub
fishers availing themselves of il, to introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly to the pro-
fession. The authority of Westminster Hall has los
nothing of its sanction and the permanently higl
character OF the English judiciary gives to the
edjudications n continued weight and decisive in
fuence with our courts. Hitherto the difficulty ha
been that the reported cases there have grown oil,
before they could be quoted and applied here, ant
there way in which the current iurispru
dence and adjudications of tte day in the Englis
courts could be made available by the AmeGcal
bar, except at great expense and by continual vigi
lance. This difficulty Messrs. Little & Brown
Reports will remove; the decided in tn
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Tx
Chequer Chamber in January, will be ready for dc
livery here in April or May, long before adjudgc,
cases of the same date in own courts appear II
the regular reports in which they are perpetuatcd
Nearly two years viii thus be gained over the pre-
cent system, which requires a delay until the larg,
volume of authorized reports is published on tht
other side and has then been reprinted on this.
One advantage Of the present series is, that th
decisions which IL gives those Of courts in b0nc
tho deliberate judgments of the bench, and not th
css reliable decisions at Niyi Prius, which how
ever interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force
The Reports arc edited by +. H. Bennett anC
Cbauncy Smith, csqs., OF the Boston bar and thci
systematic Arrangement, and the care with which
the notes, index, &c, are prepared evidence tn,
thorough manner in which che proposed scries vii
be carried out.
In this connexion VIC take pleasure in advertinl
20 Mcssrs. Little and Browne other legal publica
tons, among which are included many of the mos
ConepiCuuus and authoritative treatscs iris
prudence. Judge Storys works, for ming library
almost Of themselves, and familiar for their higl
value and extensive reputation TO American read
ora in general as we'll as 10 the legal profession
have all ssued from their press; have also ID,
several works OF Professor Greenleaf Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications are als,
Issued by them, the United States Digtst and tn,
Statutes al Large; the latter being the authorizeC
edition Of the Acts Of Congress, got up in fnucl
better style, both for reference and preservation
than under the old regime OF public printing a
Washington, which included the annual statutes
and sent them forth to the world thin paper an,
in bad type.