The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-02
EOVJITY.


| Proposals. by LITTLE & BRowN, ll2 Washington
street, BosiOn for publishing by subscription ne'r
series Of La,o aud Equity Reports.
THE want of some system by which the decisions
| l. 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 &C
knowledgcd. To meet similar want in England
the "Laic Journal Reports" and "Ihe Jurist, y
which, together, report decisions in aHhe Courts M
Lar 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-
lation in this country, and their merits are yet
but little known among US.
The subscribers propose TO repubsh these re-
e aI as they appeal In
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
Caaes. b.
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-
erences to analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist of over 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 COM
plete volume by itself, as we'll part Of an en-
TIRE series Every alternate or second number Will
be PACED consecutivey from the number immc-
diately preceding and will contain table of cases,
and of contents to both and thus form a complete
volume ready for binding, of SIR hundred pages
In each volume the Of the several courts will
be found arranged together, and in point of styi lie
and typographical exc ution, this series will be
fully equal to the best 'cports of England or this
country.
It's dcs sned to make this a PERMANENT 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 which shall
furnish to the American lawyer the decisions of
Westminster Hall, nearly tioO years before they
could otherwise bs 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 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, or for the six
volumes, handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, Sl2.
The parts will be sold separately, II desired, at
81 each.
Single volume, bound, So 25
Parts /. and ii stitched, or Vol ! 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-
DER:
Letter from Hon. Miard Fillmore, President of The
United States.
WAsHINeToN, April Is 1851.
JAMES BRowN, ESQ: My DEAR SlR-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 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 illumined its proioundest depths con-
slider no law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
their Ecclesastical Courts, and in Admiralty. For
come years had been in the habit of receiving
these in 90 condensed" form. This condensation
however, consisted, not in an abbrevaton of each
case, but 4 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 an effort which
was made SOME time since TO republish the whole
If the English Reports tntire, can be repubished
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
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. WILLARD FILLMORE.
From 2.e Netv 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 scries, deserving the especial
attention Of the profession throughout the country
The basis OF this series, Of which the first nuf.-
Der "a before US, are the Lao Journal Reports and
the Jtuisf two English serials which communicate
to the British Bar within few weeks after their
the prominent decisions of all the courts
from the House OF Lords to the Court of Bankrupt.
,y, and other tribunals OF limited but practically
important jurisdiction. This excellent arrange.
ment might be followed with great advantage la this
country, for the purpose 81 obviating the delay
which necessarily attends tte issuing Of the regi-
lar volumcs Of reports Of particular courts and
we glad 10 see the enterprise Of our legal pub.
fishers ayailing themselves Of IT, 60 introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly 20 the pro-
fession. The authority Of Westminster Hall has lost
nothing Of lie sanction and the permanently high
character OF the English judiciary gives 10 their
,dJudications a continued weight and decisive in
huencc with our courts. Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied mere and
there was no way in which the current jurispru-
dcncc and adjudicstions Of The day in the English
courts could be made available By the American
bar, except at great expense and by continual vg-
lance. This difficulty Mcssrs. Little & Browne
Reports will remove; the cases decided in the
Queens Bench, tho Common Pleas, and the En-.
chequer Chamber in January, will be ready for de.
livery here in April or May, long before adjudgcd
cases OF the same date In our courts appcar IN
the regular reports ia which they porpctuatcd.
Nearly two years will tnus be gained over the pre-.
sent system, which requires a delay until the large
volume Of authorized reports 10 published on The
other side and has then been reprinted on THE
One advantage OF the present scrics Ia, that the
decisions which II gvcs are those Of courts in bane
the deliberate judgments Of the bench. and not the
Ice reliable decisions at Nisi Prius, which how
ever interesting in many instances do not carry
with them The same authority and force
The Reports arc edited by f.. ~ Bennett aud
Chauncy Smith, esqs., 81 tho Boston bar and their
systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the nOtcs, index, &c, arc prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried oct
IN this connection We take pleasure in advcrtinr
20 Mcssrs Llttlc and Browne other legal publica
tons, among which are included many Of the most
conspicuous and authoritative trcatscs Of DOR uris-
prudence. Judge Story's works, flr ming library
almost vi themselves, and familiar for their high
naIr nd Initl