The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-11-08
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND



4 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 ''Laio Journal Reports" and The Jnrtst
which, together, report decisions in all The Courts "a
Lao and Equity, within a few weeks AFTER their
delivery, were commenced number Oh years
since. and have met with the universal apProoa-
ton Of the legal profession. Their high cost now
ever, has hitherto prevented their genera clrou,
lation in this country, and their merits arc as ye'
but little known among US 80.
The subscribcrs propose to republish these re-
ports in foil as fast as they appear IN England ana
can be received here. They Will contain reports
of casea 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
Conf of Exchequer and Exchequer Chamber, the
Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts, the Court OF
Rankruptcy 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 a member of the bar, with notes and re-
ierences 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 vi cases,
and full table Of contents, thus forming com
pIste volume Ivy itself, we'll as part OF an en-
tire series. Every alternate second number viii
be PACED consec utively 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 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 beat reports of England or this
country.
IL - zee igned TO make this a PERMANENT PUBLI-
CATION, aud 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
Westminster Hall, nearly fJco gears before they
could otherwise be obtained and long before the pub
LEGATION of the contemporaneous decisions vi most
of our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be IS 10 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, for the elk
volumes. handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, 9l2
TIE parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
B each
Sings volume bound, So 25.
Parts l. and H., stitched, or Vol. l.. bound in law
sheep, containing reports Of one hundred and
eighty eight oases, now ready for delivery.
The following among the opinions of this
work expressed on the publication of the fret mum
Der:
Letter from, Hon. Bfiilard Fillmore, President of the
United States.
WAsHINeToN, April ID 1851.
JAMES BRowN, esq MY DEAR SlR-Some days
since received, by the hand of the Poet master
General, the first number of the English Reports,
which you propose to republish in this country,
comprising every case reported In gland; and
now have your letter of the 9th nstant, inquiring
my opinion OF the enterprise.
While pursuing my profession, took deep in
terest in publications OF this kind. The able
iudges who have adorned the judicial tribunals of
England, have shed ustre upon the Common
Law, and illumined its profoundest depths. con-
slider law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
their Ecclesiastcai Courts, and in Admiralty. For
some years had been in the habit Of receiving
these in " condensed form. This condemnation,
however, consisted, notin an abbreviaton 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 " condensed reports %
therefore hailed with great Pleasure effort which
was made SOM tune since to republish the whole
If The English Reports entire, be republished
with despatch in this country, at price low as
20 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 at large. Know
ing your enterprise, anticipate your succees and
can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal TO your merits. | your obedient
eervant, WILLARD FILLMORE
From the Neic York Literary IForld.
Messrs. Little & Brown, OF Boston, whose law
books, in point of typographical execution, vic
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.
Der is before ua, the LatU Journal Reports and
the Jluist two English serials which communicate
20 the British Bar, within a 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
ment nigh 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
glad to see the enterprise of our legal pub
fishers awaiting themselves OF it, to introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly to the pro-
fession The authority OF Westminster Hall has lost
nothing of lie sanction and the permanently high
character oil the English judiciary gives to their
adiudications a continued weight and decisive in
fuence with our Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied here, and
there was no way in which the current jurispru-
dence and adiudica tons 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 Elk
cheouer Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudged
Of the same date In our own courts appear in
the regular reports in which they perpetuated.
Nearly two years will thus be gained the pre-.
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume Of authorized reports ID published on the
other side and l. hen been reprinted on this.
One advantag 4 the present series is, that the
decisions which IL gives those of courts in bane
the deliberate judgments of the bench, and 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. H. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, esqs, of the Boston bar. and their
systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the notes, index, &c, prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out.
In this conucxion take pleasure in adverting
TO Mesers Little and Browns other legal publlca.
tions, among which are included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative treatscs Of uris
prudence Judge Storys works, for ming library
almost Of themselves, and familiar for their high
value aud extensive reputation to American read
ere in general as well TO the legal profession,
have all Issued from their press; as have also the
several worEs OF Professor Greeneaf. Two very
valuable aud extensive annual publications are also
lssued 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
than under the old regime OF public printing at
Washington, which included the annual statutes
and sent them forth to the world thin paper and
in bad type.
From the Neto York HUening Post.
little a. Hrown. @ BOstOn 10 VT enterprise