The republic., 1851-06-14
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
E0 uITY.

ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EQUITY.
ProposaIs by LITTLE & BRowN, ll2 Waskington
street, Bo.fon for Publishing by subscription neW
series Of Lao and Equity Reports.
TvHE want of some system by which the decisions
Il and judicial opinions of the several COD Of
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
~ 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 "Ihe Juvist,"
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts in
LaU and Equity, within few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced 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-
ation 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
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 over three hundred
pages closely printed octavo on the best paper, and
in clear, fair type and will contain table Of cases,
and full table Of contents, thus forming q COM
plete volume by itself as well part Of an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number imme-
diately preceding, and will contain table Of cases,
and of contents to both, and thus form complete
volume ready for binding, of sir hudrtd 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 best reports of England or this
country.
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 ttr0 years before they
could ohericise 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, $l2.
The parts will be sold separately. if desired, at
ST. each.
Single volume, bound, So 25.
Parts I. and H., stitched, or VOL L., bound in law
sheep, containing reports OF ono hundred and
eighty eight cases, now ready for delivery.
The following among the opinions of this
work expressed on the publication of the first num-
ber
Letter from Hon. 1Iilard Fillmore, President Of the
United States.
WAsHIsGroN, April 10, 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 repubsh 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 a 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 ilumined its profoundest depths. con-
slider no law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
some years had been in the habit of receiving
these in " condensed'' form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not in an abbreviaton of each
case, but a selection from the several cases, and
was often annoyed by finding a 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 some time since to republish the whole.
Ii the English Reports entire, can be repubshed
with despatch in this country, at price 80 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 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, MlLLARD FILLMORE.
From the Ne,c York Literary World.
Messrs. Little & 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 espesial
attention of the profession throughout the country.
The basis of this series, of which the first num-
ber is before u.s. are the Lato Journal Reports and
the JtYist, two English serials which communicate
to the British Bar, within few weeks after their
a - t-xl-
from the House of Lords to the Court of Bankrupt
cy, and other tribunals Of limited but practically
important jurisdiction. This excellent arrange
ment might 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 avaiing themselves Of it, 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
adiudicatioDs continued weight and decisive in
iuence 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 was no way in which the current jurispru-
dencc and adjudicaGons 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
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 system, which requires delay until the large
volume of authorized reports is published on the
other side and has then been reprinted on this.s
One advantage of the present series is, that the
decisions which it gives 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 E. 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.
TO Messrs. Little and Browns other legal publica.