The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-17
EN0LISB REPORTS IN LAW AND
EQUITY.

' the Lac Journal Reports" and "1Ae Jnist,
winch, together, report decieions in aIthe Courts
A Lap and Equity, within few weeks after thei
delivery, were commenced n number of year
r since, and have met with the universal approba
toh OF the legal profession. Their high cost, how
| ever, has hitherto prevented their general circu
iation III this country, ond their merits are ye
| but little known ancng us.
The Subscribers propose to republish these re-
ports in felt as fast as they appear in England ano
can he received here. They will contain reports
OF cases decided in the House of Lords, the Privy
! Council the several Courts OF Equity the Court oil
Queens Bench the Court of Common Pleas the
Court of Exchr1uer and Exchequer Chamber, the
Ecc!esiastical and Admiralty Courts, the Court OF
| Bankruptcy, Including also the Election cases, the
crown Cases Reserved, and the Railway and Canal
Cascs
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 e. the bar, with notes and re-
ierences 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 cases,
and full table of contents, thus forming n COM
! pete volume by itself, as well part of an en-
| tire series. Every alternate 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 oper 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.
It'll designed to make this PERMANENT PUBL
CATION and thus establish a ne,o series of English
Law and Equity Reports, which SHALL in all
specs, be far in advance Of any other reprint Of
English Reports ~ This country, and which shall
furnish to the American lawyer the decisions Of
Westminster Hail. nearly ttcO years before Mey
co5d otertcise be obtained and long before the pub
licaton OF the contemporaneous decisions OF most
OF our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be SO for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, for the six
volumes, handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, Sl2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
81 each.
Singl2 volume, bound, So %.
Parts l. and H. stitched, or Vol l., bound in law
sheep, containing reports of hundred and
eighty-eight cases, now res!y for delivery.
The following among the opinions Of this
work expressed on the publication OF the first num-
Letter from Hon Hiiard Fillmore, President of the
United States.
WAsHINdToN, April Is 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 III this country
comprising every reported in England; and
now have your letter of the 9Th instant inquripg
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 profoundest depths. con-
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 condemnation
however, consisted, not In abbreviation of each
Cnse, but selection from the several cases. and
ftftn hos al
in the Digests, which | deemed very important
wholly omitted in the "condsnsed reports" 4
therefore hailed with great pleasure an effort which
was made some TIME since 20 republish the whole
IL the English Reports entire, can be republishcd
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 il 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
1 can only express the hope that your reward NAV
be equal TO your merits. ! am your obedient
servant. WILLARD FILLMORE.
From Ae Ne,y York Literary World
Messr5. 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
10 none N this country, have Just commenced the
publication Of legal series, deserving tho especial
attention Of The profession throughout the country
The basis OF this series, Of which the first mum.
lff u before Ne, arc the Lar Journal Reports and
the Jtuist. two Enrlish serials which communicate
O. the British PcT within a few weeks after their
delivery, The prominent decisions Of all the courts
from the House Of Lords 90 the Court OF Bankrupt-
cy, and other tribunals Of limited but practically
important Jurisdiction. This excellent arrange
ment might be followed with great advantage in this
country, for the purpose Of obyiating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing Of the regu-
lar volumes Of reports Of particular courts ; and
we are glad 20 the enterprise Of our logal pub
tngmHcyCa % [ Ia rpfl tnp
English Reports promptly and regularly 20 the pro-
fcs-on. The authority OF Westminster Hall has lost
nothing OF its sanction and the permanently high
character Of the English judiciary gives 10 their
adludicati0us a continued weight and decisive in
hucncc With our courts. Hitherto the III iculty 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 iurispru.
dcncc and adjudicstions Of the day in the English
courts could be made available BY the American
bar, except 40 great expense and by continual yigi-
lance. This difficulty Mcssrs. Little & Browns
Reports will remove, the casrs decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the En-.
chcqucr Chamber In January, will be ready for de
livery here in April Or May, long before adiudgcd
cascs OF the same date in our courts appear IN
the regular reports in which they arc perpctuated.
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-.
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume Of authorized reports 10 published on the
other side and has then been reprinted on this
One advantage u the present series IT, that tho
]
the deliberate judgments Of the bench, aud not the
lcss reliable decisions al NiN Prius, which, how
ever interesting in many instances DO not carry
With them the same authority and force.
The Reports arc edited by +. n Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, esqs., Of the Boston bar and their
systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the notes. index. &c, are prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out.
90 this connection We take pleasure in advcrting
b. Mcssrs. Little aud Browns other legal publca-
tons among which are included many OF the most
c8nspcu0us and authoritative trcatscs Of our urls
prudence. Judge storys works, for ming a library
alm0st Of themsevos, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation 10 American read
ere in general, a. we'll as 10 the legal profession
have all issued from their prcss; have also the
several wOrks OF Professor Grecnloaf Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications arc also
lssucd by them, the LHitsd Siotss Digesf md the
stalutes ~ Lavgs; the latter being tie authorized
edition Of the Acts II Congress, got up in much
better style, both for reference and preservation
than under the old regime ~ public printing at
Washington, which included the annual statutes.
and sent them forth 90 the world on thin papcrand
in bad type
From me .Neg York Erening pot.
Little & Brown. OF Boston, to whose enterprise
the reading public has 81 often been indebted for
g.. IL Il