The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-12
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EQUITY.


FINUE want OF some system by which The decisions
Il and judicial opinions OF the several Courts OF
law and Equity in England can bc more prompt
ly and cheaply furnished 10 the legal profession III
this country, has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowedged. To meet similar want in England
the "Lato Journal REPORTS and "Ihe JWist,"
which, together report decisions in all the Courts
La'c 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
hut little known among us.
The subscribers propose to republish these re-
ports IN full fast 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 o!
Quccn's Bench the Court of Common Pleas, the
Court OF Exchequer and Exchequcr Chamber, the
Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts, the Court OF
Bankruptcy, including also the Election cases, the
Crown Gases Reserved and the Railway and Canal
Gases.
rhcsc reports will be published in numbers
parts commencing with the decisions of Michael
fnas (Nuveinber) term, $780, 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 ana
IN clear, fair type, and will contain table Of cases,
aud full table of contents, thus forming com
pete volume by Itself, AS well as part OF an en-
series. Every alternate or second number Will
be PACED consecutivcly from the number iniine-
diatcly preceding, and will contain table OF cases.
and of contents to both, and thus form IA complete
volume, ready for binding peer sir hundred pages
In each volume the cases 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.
Itis deairned to make this n rERmANEST PUBL
CATION, and thus establish series of English
Law and Equity Reports, which SHALL in all re-
spccts be far III advance ut any other reprint OF
English Reports ia this country, and which shall
|, TO lnuy he IrIs of
Westminster Hall, nearly fip0 years before they
could otherwise tn obtained and long before the pub
LEGATION OF the contemporaheous decisions oil most
OF our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be + 10 for
twelve numbers, payablc1n advance, or for the Elk
volumes, handsomely aid uniformly bound IN law
sheep, 3 II.
The parts will bc sold separately, il desired, at
s each.
Sings volume, bound, 81 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 first num-
Iotts, from Hon. NiHad Fillmore, Prsstderi Of the
United States
WAsHiseroN, April - 1851.
JAMES BRows, 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 republish IN this country,
comprising every case reported in England; and
now have your letter of the 9th instant, nquiring
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 it's proioundest depths. | con-
cider no law library complete that does contain
their principal reports in Law and Equity, and in
their Ecclcsiastical Courts, and in Admiralty. For
some years bad been in the habit OF receiving
these in condeseyi" form. This condemnation
tod Ihraxt ~ Oh
rsse, but selection from the several cases. and
was often annoyed by finding reference to cases
in the Digcsts, which deemed very important,
wholly omitted in the condensed reports.' |
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
made sourH time since to republish the whole.
II the English Reports entire, can be rcpublshcd
with despatch In this country, at price so low az
20 bring them within the reach of the members of
the bar generally, conceive that ii 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
j can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. | your obcdient
servant. WILLARD FILLMORE.
From Ne Ns,c York Literary Igorld
Ncssrs Little 4 Brown, of Boston, whose law
looks, in point OF typographical execution, vie
with the beet similar Issues OF tho English press
and in point of value and importance arc inferior
Co none in this country, have Just commenced the
publca alton Of legal series deserving the especial
attention of the profession throughout the country
The basis of this series, of which the first num-
Der is before Va, the Lam Journal Reports and
tho Jtuist. 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 might be followed with great adya ntagc ia the
country, for the purpose pf obyiating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing of the rcgu-
lar volumes OF reports Of particular courts +; and
glad to zee the enterprise Of our legal pub
shcrs avsiling themselves OF il, to Introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly To the pro-
icsson. The authority Of cstminscr Hall has lost
nothing Of its sanction and the permanently high
character Of the English judiciary gives To their
adJudications a continued weight and decisive in
hucnCc with our courts Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could he quoted and applied here, and
there was no way in which tho current jurispru-
dcnco and adjudicauons of the day in the English
courts could be made available by the American
bar, except at great expense and 10y continual yigi
lance. This difficulty Mcssrs. Little & Browne
Reports will removes tie cases decided ia the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Elk
Cbcquer Chamber in January, will bc ready Tor de
livery here in April or May, long before adjudged
OF the same date In own courts appear IN
the regular reports ia which they arc per pctuatcd
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-.
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume al authorized reports - published on the
other side and has then been reprinted on this.
One advantage Of the present series il, that the
decisions which II gives those Of courts in bdnc
the deliberate judgments Of tho bench and not the
lcss reliable decisions al Nisi Prius which how
ever interesting IN many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority aud force.
The Reports are edited by r.. ~. Bennett and
tbauncy Smith, esp, Of the Boston bar, and their
systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the notes, index, &c, arc prepared, evidence the
thorough manner ia which the proposed series will
bc carried out.
In this CONNECTION We take pleasure ia advcrting
80 Mcssrs. Little and Browne other legal pubca-
tons, among which arc included many OF the most
cOuspicuOus and authoritative trcatscs Of Iuris
prudence. lodge StOry's works, for ming n library
almost 81 themselves, and familiar Tor their hi Oh
value aud extensive reputation 20 American read
crs in general, we'll as 10 the legal profession,
have al issued FROM their press; have alec tho
several works al Professor GrccnlcaE Two very
valuable aud cHtcnsiyc annual publications arc also
Issued by them, the tniied Stofes Digest md the
STATUTES al Large the latter being tho authorized
edition Of the Acts 81 Congress, got up in much
Isttcr style both for reference and preservation
than under the old regime Ut public printing al
Washington, which included the annual statutes
aud sent them forth 90 the world on thin paper nd
IA bad type.
From the NoD Y0rt EJeuing Post.
4. Of