The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-19
ENGLISH REPORTS In LAW AND
EnVTUTK

EQUITY.
Proposals Jy LITTLE & BRowN, ll2 Washington
street, Bo.ion, for publishing by subscription neU
series Of LaD and Equity Rfports
TNHE want of some system by which the decisions
i and judicial opinions Of the several Courts Of
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
y and cheaply furnished to the legal profession in
this country, has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowlcdged. To meet similar want in England,
the "Lato Journal Reports" and "Ihe JuriH"
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts in
LaD and EqIity, within few weeks after their
delivery, were commenced a humber 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 in this country, and their merits are yet
but little known among
The subscribers propose to republsh 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 (Novcmber) 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 octave on the best paper, and
and full table of contents, thus forming COM
plete volume by itself, as well part Of an en-
tire series. Every alternate second number will
be PACED consecutivey from the number imine-
datey preceding, and will contain table OF cases,
and of contents TO both, and thus form complete
volume, read for binding, Of ov sir hundred pages
In each volume the of the several courts will
be found arranged together, and, in point Of style
and typogra phica execution, this series will be
fully equal to the best reports Of England or this
country.
Its designed to make this pEaMANENT PUBL
CATION, and thus establish netc series OF English
Law and Equity Reports, which shall, in all re-
specs, 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 Hail.. nearly ttco gears before they
could otroise be obtained and long before the pub
LEGATION of the contemporaneous decisions of most
of our own tribunals.
twelve numbers, payable in advance, or for the six
volumes, handsomely aad uniformly bound in law
The parts will be sold separately, if desired, at
ST. each.
Single volume, bound, So 25.
Parts !. 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 among the opinions of this
work expressed on the publication Of the fret num-
ber
Letter from Hon. Millard Fillmore President Of the
United States.
WAsHiNGToN, April l3, 1851.
JAMES BRowN, ESQ.,: My Dean SIR-Some days
since ! received, by the hand of the Postmaster
General, the first number of the English Reports,
which you propose to rcpublish III 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 lustrc upon the Common
Tau md iur iuedit nrnf deatd Il
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 a condensed form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not in an abbreviation of each
Gaze, 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" L
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made some time since to republish the whole.
If the English Reports entire, be republished
with despatch in this country, at price SO low
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
l can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. am your obedient
servant, WILLARD 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 especial
attention of the profession throughout the country
The basis of this series, of which the frat num-
Der is before US, the La,o Journal Reports and
the Jurisf 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
ment light 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
are 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-
fesson. The authority of Westminster Hall has lost
nothing of its sanction and the permanently high
character OF the English judiciary gives to their
adjudications continued weight and decisive in
iuence 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 the current jurispru-
dence and adjudications OF the day in the English
courts could be made available by the American
bar except at great expense and by continual vigil
lance. This difficulty Messrs Little Browns
Reports will remove; the cases decided in the
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 adjudgcd
of the same date in our own courts appear in
the reports IN WHICH tncy pcrpctuatCO.
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 Prius, which, how
eyer interesting in many instances, do not carry
| with them the same authority and force.
| The Reports edited by E. II. 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 connection take pleasure in advertng
| to Mcssrs. Little and Browns other legal publica
| tons, among which arc included many of the most
conspicuous and authoritative treatscs of our uris
prudence. Judge Story's works, for ping library
| almost of themselves, and familiar Tor their high
value and extensiYe reputation to American read
| era in general, we'll az to the legal profession
| have all issued from their press; have also the
several works Of Professor Grcenleaf. Two very