The republic., 1851-06-13
ENGLISH REPoRys IN Law AND
EOUUTY.

EQUITY.
Proposals by LITTLE & BRows, ll2 Washington
street, Boston, for publishing by subscription
series Of Lato and Equity Reports.
rXNHE want of some system by which the decisions
Il 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 a similar want in England
the "LaiD Journal Reports" and "THs Jurist,"
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts in
LaD and Equity, within few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced q 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-
lation III this country and their merits are as yet
but little known among
The subscribers propose to republish these
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 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 three hundred
pages closely printed octave, the best paper, and
in clear fair type, and will contain table of cases.
and full table of contents, thus forming a com
pietc volume by itself, as well as part of an
tire series. Every alternate second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number imme-
diatcy preceding, and will contain table of cases,
and of contents to both, and thus form complete
volume, ready for binding, of 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.
Itis designed to make this PERMANENT puBLr-
CATION, and thus establish series of English
Law and Equity Reports, which shall, in all
spects, be far in advance of any other reprint Of
Eng gish Reports in this country, and which shall
furnish to the American lawyer the decisions of
Westminster Hall, nearly fieo years before they
could 0theroise 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 aad uniformly bound in law
sheep, s. IL.
The parts will be sold separately, if desired, at
s each.
Single volume, bound, So 25.
Parts i. and H., stitched, or Vol. L. bound in law
eighty eight cases, now ready for delivery.
The following are among the opinions of this
work expressed on the publication Of the first num-
ber:
Letter from Hon. Millard Fillmore, President Of the
United STATES.
WASHiNGTON, ApTll 10, 1901.
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
now have your letter of the 9Th 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 ustre 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
some years had been in the habit of receiving
these in % condensed" form. This condemnation
however consisted, not in an abbreviation of each
case, 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 "condsnsed reports"
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made some time since to repubsh the whole
If the English Reports entire, can be republished
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
ing your enterprise, anticipate your success, and
can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. ] am your obedent
servant, MlLLARD FILLMORE.
From the Neo York Literary World,
Messrs. Little & Brown, of Boston, whose law
DOCKS, III pony OI 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 ofa 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 Latc Journal Reports and
the Jtirist. 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
men might be followed with great dvanta in this
country, for the purpose OF obvating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing of the regu
lar volumes OF reports Of particular courts and
we are glad to see the enterprise of our legal pub
lishers avaling themselves OF it, to introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly to the pro-
fession. The authority of Westminster Hall has lost
nothing of ts sanction and the permanently high
character Of the English judiciary gives to their
adjudications continued weight and decisive in
fluence with courts. 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 tho current jurispru-
denoe and adjudications of the day in the English
courts could be made available by the American
bar, except at great expense and by continual vigi
lance. This difficulty Messrs. Little & Browns
Reports will remove; the decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Ex.
chequcr Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudgcd
cases OF the same date in our own courts appear in
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 6anc
the deliberate judgments of the bench, and not the
less reliable decisions at Nisi P:ius, which, how
eyer interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by f. 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 connexion take pleasure in advertiug
to Messrs. Little and Browns other legal pubca-
tions, among which are included many OF the most
conspicuous and authoritative reatses of jurs-
prudence. Judge Storys works, for ming a library
almost OF themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation to American read
ers in general, as we'll as to the legal profession,
have all issued from their press; have also the
several works OF Professor Grcenleaf. Two very