The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-02
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND


y.ypE want Of some system by which the decisions
and judicial opinions OF the seyerai Courts oil
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
Az and cheaply furnished to the legal profession IN
this country, has long been seriously felt and nc-
knowledged. To meet similar want IN England !,
the Lao Journal Reports" and The JtriSt, y
which together report decisions in all the Courts an
Tatg and Eg,.ity, within n few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced number OF years
since, and have met with the universal approoa-
tion of the legal profession Inelr hlgh cost now
ever has hitherto prevented their general circu-
iation in this country and their merits are as yet
but little known among us.
The subscribers propose TO republish these re-
orts in full as fast as they appear in England and
can he 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 decisions OF Michael
mas (November) term, 1850, and will be carefully
edited by member OF the bar, with notes ana re-
ferences to analogous American decisions.
Each 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 COM
pIete volume by itself, well as part OF an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number Will
be PACED cousecutivey from the number iInme-
diately preceding, and will contain table OF cases.
and of contents to beth, and thus form a complete
volume ready for binding of oper sir hundred pages
In each volume the cases of the several courts VIII
be found arranged together, and, in point OF sty
aud typographical execution, this series Will be
fully equal TO the best reports OF England or this
country.
ltis designed to make this PERMAsENT 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 winch snail
furniah to the American lawyer the decisions OF
Westminster Hall, nearly tIoo years before they
could otherwise 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 Tor
twelve numbers, payable in advance or Tor the SIX
volumes Handsomely aad uniformly bound IN law
sheep, $l2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
81 each.
Sings volume, bound, 50 %
Parts l. 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 are among the opinions OF this
work expressed on the publication of the first num-
Letter from Hon. Miard Fillmore, President Of the
United States.
WAsHINeToN, April l3 1851.
JAMES Baows, esq: My DEAR SIR-Some days
since / received, by the hand Of the Postmaster
General the first number of the English Reports,
comprising every case reported IN England; and
now have your letter of the 9th instant, inquring
my opinion of the enterprise.
w lille 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 illuinined its profoundest depths. con
slider law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and In
their Ecclesastical Courts, and in Admiralty. For
some years had been in the habit OF receiving
these in a condensed" form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not in abbreviation OF each
case but q 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 peasure an effort which
was made some time since to republish the whole.
If the English Reports entire, can be republlshed
with despatch in this country, at price 50 low
10 bring them within the reach of the members OF
the bar generally, conceive that it will confer a
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, MILLARD FlLLhohE.
From Me Ne,r York Literary TVorld.
Messrs Little x 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
The basis of this series, of which the first num-
Der ia before us, arc the Lar Journal Reports and
the Jurist two En- lish serials which communicate
10 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
Inent might be followed with great advantage in 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
glad to see the enterprise OF our legal pub
hshe-s availing themselves OF IT. 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 higt
character OF the English judiciary gives to then
authorizations continued weight and decisive in
huence with courts. Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported casea there have grown ole
before they could be quoted and applied here, ant
there was no way in which the current jurispru
dence and adludicatons of the day in the Engliel
courts could be made available by the American
bar, except at great expenee and by continual vgl
lance. This difficulty Messrs. Little q Brown
Reports will remove; the cases decided in tbs
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Elk
cbequer Chamber in January, will be ready for de
livery here in April or May long before adJudget
cases of the date IN our own courts appear II
the regular reports in which they are perpetuated
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-
cent system, which requires delay until the larg
volume of authorized reports is published on th
other side and has then been reprinted on this.
One advantage OF the present series ia, that tn
decisions which it gives those of courts in bGnc
the deliberate judgments Of the bench, and not tn
less reliable decisions at Nisi Prius, which, how
ever interesting in many instances, do not carr.
with them the came authority and force.
The Reports are edited by f, II. Bennett ant
-Chauncy Smith, esqs., Of the Boston bar, and thei
systematic arrangement, and the care with whicl
The notes, index, &c, are prepared evidence Tia
thorough manner in which the proposed series wi
be carried out.
In this connexion take pleasure in advertn
10 Messrs. Little and Browns other legal publica
tions, among which are included many ofthe mos
conspicuous and authoritative treatses of our juris
prudence, Judge Story's works, for ming hbrar
almost OF Themselves and familiar for their hig
value and extensive reputation TO American read
ers in general, as well 20 the legal profession
have all issued from their press; have alec th
several works OF Professor Greenleaf Two yer
valuable and extensive annual publications are ais
issued by them, the United States Digest and ia
Sfatittes al Large the latter being the authorize
edition Of the Acts of Congress, got up in niue
better style, both for reference and preservation
than under the old regime of public printing q
Washington, which included the annual statutes
and sent them forth TO the world on thin paper an
In bad type.