The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-21
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
C0VIIX.

which together report decisions in all the Courts
Lao 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-
lntion in this country, and their merits are as yet
| but little known among us.
The subscribers propose 10 repubiish these re-
ports in full as 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 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 (November) term, 1850, and will be carefully
edited by member of the bar, with notes and ro-
terences 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 fall table of contents, thus forming COM
plee volume by itself, as well part of an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number will
be PACED consccutivcly from the number immc-
daely preceding, and will contain table OF cases,
and of contents TO both, and thus form complete
volume ready for binding, of orer sir hundred pages
IN each volume the of the several courts win
be found arranged together, and, in point of style
and typographical execution, this series will be
country.
Its designed TO make this a PERMANENT PUBL
CATio:;, 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 too years Gefore they
could osrtcSe BE- obtained, and long before the pub
LEGATION of the contemporancous decisions 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 and uniformly bound in law
sheep, 8 II.
The parts will bc sold separately, il desired, at
S each.
Sings volumc bound, So %.
Parts J. and H., stitched, or Vol. H. bound in law
sheep, containing reports of one hundred and
eghty eight cases, now ready for delivery.
The following are among the opinions of this
work expressed on the publication Of the first num-
oer
{effer from Hon NillGrd Fillmore Presiden. of The
United States
WAsHNGToN, April l3 1851.
JAMES BsowN, 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 repubiish 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 n lustre upon the Common
Law and iumined it's profoundest depths. con-
slider no law library complete that does not 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 a" condensed" form. This condensation
however, consisted, not in an abbrevaton Of each
caec, but a 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 "c0radfrised reports" |
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made some time since TO repubish the whole.
II the English Reports entire, can be republlshed
with despatch in this country, AT price so low as
70 bring them within the reach of the members of
the bar generally, conceive that il 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 obedent
servant, WILLARD FILLMORE.
From sNs Ne,o York Literary Irorld.
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 first num-
Der il before Us, are the Lar Journal Reports and
the Juuiat two English serials which communicate
10 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
mi gh be followed with great advantage in this
country, for the purpose Of obYiating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing Of the rcgu-
lar volumes Of reports Of particular courts and
VIC arc glad 90 the enterprise OF our legal pub
ishcrs avniling themselves OF 1t, 70 introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly TO the pro-
fcssion The authority of Westminster Hall has lost
linn of ia bff,k
character OF the English judiciary gives to their
adludicatlOus a continued weight and decisive in
luencc with our courts. Hitherto tie difficulty has
been that the reported Cascs there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied here, and
there was no way in which the current iurispru-
3Cnce and aIjudcations OF the day in the English
courts could be made available by the American
bar, except al grest expense and by continual vigil
lance. 1h'7 difficulty Mcssrs. Little s. Browns
Reports will remove; the cases decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Ex.
chcqucr Chamber IN January, viii be ready for de-
livery here in April or May long before adudeed
cascs OF the same date in own courts appear in
the regular reports in which they perpctuatcd.
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 II gives arc those Of courts in bdnc,
the deliberate judgments VI the bench, and not the
lcss reliable dCcisiOns al Nisi PriIu, which, how
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by r. IL. Bennett and
Chouucy Smith, csqs. Of the Boston bar, and their
systcmatg arrangement and the care with which
t,iU notes, index, &c, prepared, evidence the
thorough manner IN which the proposed scrics will
be- carried out
Ia tls connection We take pleasure in adycrting
go Mcs1rs Little and BioNn's other legal publIca.
tons, among which arc included many OF the most
picruus and authoritative trcatscs Of our iurs-
prudence. Judge Story's works, for ming library
almost a Themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation % American read
ere in general, well 10 tho legal profession,
have all is5ucd from their prcsE; have alsO the
several Wor;s OF Professor t.recnleaE Two very
valuable aud cStcu5it annual publications arc also
issued by thou, the iHiitd Sjqics Digrsf and the
St4fuf,s NJ LaJSG the latter being the authorized
edition O' the Acts oi Congress, got up in much
better style, both for reference aud preservation
than under thc old regime Of public printing AZ
Washington, which included the annual statutes
aud sent them forth to the world on thin paper aud
IN bad typo.
From ne Ne,c York Ercu1g Post,
Little & Brown, Of Bostou, CD whose cntcrvrilc
tho reading public has 80 often been indebted for
the most valuable American and foreign books,
propose to publish by subscription, new series of
fhe English Reports IN Law and Equity. This &C.
,gfII contain authoritative i.risipps 1l