The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-29

|
| yINHE want of some system by which the decisions
| and judicial opinions OF the several Courts oi
| Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
~ and chcapiy furnished TO the legal profession ~
| this ntry, has long been seriously felt and ac
knowledged. To meet similar want in England
| the "Laip Journal Reports" and "1He Jpist,"
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts IA
La,o 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
aver, has hitherto prevented their general circu-
iation III this country, and their merits are as yet
but little known among US
The subscribers propose to rcpubllsh these re.
ports in full as fast they appear in England and
can be received here They will contain reports
of decided in the House of Lords, the Priv
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, tho
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, 1880, and will be carefully
edited by member of the bar with notes and re-
lerences 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 OF oases,
and full table of contents, thus forming com
plete volume by itself, as well part OF an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number VIII
"
dately preceding, and will contain table of cascs,
and Of contents 10 boh and thus form a complete
volume, ready for binding, of orer sa hundred pagss
In each volume the of the several courts vii!
be found arranged together, and. in point of sty lie
and typographical execution, this series will he
fully equal to the best reports Of England or this
country.
Its designed to make this a PERMANENr Punt
CArIoN, 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 IL Ibis country and which shall
furnish to the American lawyer the decisions Of
Westminster Hall, nearly too years before they
could otherwise bs obtained, and long before the pub
LEGATION OF the contcmporancous dee isions OF most
Of our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be so for
twelve numbers, payable in advance or for the SIX
volumes, handsomely aad uniformly bound in law
sheep, Sl2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
: each
Single volume, bound, 50 %.
Parts l. and H., stitched, or Vol. l., bound in law
sheep, containing reports of hundred and
eighty eight cases, now ready for delivery
The following are among the opinions Of this
work expressed the publication OF the first
Letter ON Hon. Miilard Fillmore, President Of lie
United States.
WAsHINGToN, April Ii 1851.
JAMES BRowS, ESQ: My Dean Sia-Sonc 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 reported in England; and
now have your letter of the 9th instant, inquiring
my opinion oi 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 profoundest depths. ! con-
slider no law library complete that does not contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
tho Ecclesiastical Courts, and in Admiralty. For
some years had been in the habit Of receiving
these in 40 condensed" form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not In Authorization of each
case but a selection from the several cases, and
often annoyed by finding a reference to cases
in the Digests, which deemed very important,
wholly omitted in the az condenssd reports" |
therefore hailed with great Pleasure effort which
was made some Tune since TO repubsh the whole.
Ii the English Reports tst.rs 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 "A
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 ] your obedient
servant. WILLARD FILLMORE
From Re Ne,o York Literary JPorid
Messrs. Little x 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 a legal series, deserving the especial
attention Of the profession throughout the country
The basis of this series, of which the first mum
Der is before US, the Lam Journal Reports and
the JUist two l-sh serials which communicate
tO the British Bar within a few weeks after their
delivery, the prominent decisions of ali the c,aIrts
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 advantagcin this
country, for the purpose OF oDviating the delay
which necessarily attends tho issuing of the regu-
lar volumes Of reports OF particular courts aud
glad to see the enterprise of our legal pub
fishers availing themselves OF il. TO introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly 10 the pro-
less.pp The authority OF Westminster Hall has lost
nothing oi ts sanction and The permanently high
character OF the English judiciary gives 10 their
adjudicatiUns a continued weight and decisive in
uence with courts. Hitherto the di ulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied nero, and
there was no way in which the current iurispru-
dence and adjudications Of the day i'm the English
courts could be made available by the American
bar, except at great expense and by continual vigil
lance. This difficulty Mossrs Little & Brown's
Reports will remove, the decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the En-
chequor Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adiudged
cascs OF the same date in own courts appear i'm
the regular reports in which they arc perpctuated
Nearly two years will thus DC gained over the pre.
sent system, which requires n delay until the large
volume OF authorized reports 10 published on the
other side aad has then been reprinted on this
One advantage oi the present series il, that the
decisions which il gives those of in bano
the deliberate judgments Of the bench, and the
lcss reliable decisions at Nisi Prius, which, how
ever interesting in many instance, do not carry
with them tho same authority and force.
The Reports are edited by r. II Bennett and
Chauucy Smith, esqs. OF the 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 out.
In this connection VIC axe pleasure in advcrtinr
~ Mcssrs Little and Browne other legal publica
tons among which are included many Of the iuost
conspicuous and authoritative reases Of our iuris-
prudence Judge Storys works, frr ming library
almost Of themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation to American rea,i-
IN general, 10 well as Co the legal profession,
have all is3ucd from their press; have also the
scvcral works 81 Professor Grccnleaf. Two very
valuable aud eztcnsivc annual publications are also
I,sued by them, the United States Iigsat and ,be
Statuies al Large; the latter bring the authorized
edition OF the Acts Of Congress, got up in much
better style, both for reference aud preservation.
than under the old regime Of public printing az
Washington, which included the annual statutcs
] 20 81, Il