The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-02
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
E0IJITY.

EQUITY.
Proposals by LITTLE & BRows, ll2 Washington
street Boston, for Publishing by subscription
series Of Lap and 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 chcapy furnished to the legal profession In
this country, has long been seriously felt and &C
knowlcdged To meet a similar want in England
the "Laio Journal Reports" and "1He Jurist,
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts IN
| Lao and Equity, within few weeks after their
| delivery, were commenced number OF yeara
| 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 republish these re-
ports in full as fast as they appear in England and
can be received here. They will contain reports
of cases decided in the House of Lords, the Prvy
Council the several Courts of Equity, the Court OF
! Queens Bench, the Court of Common Pleas, the
| Court of Exchequer and Exohequer 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 re-
Ercnces 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
plcte volume by ITSELF us well as part of an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number immc-
djately preceding and will contain table OF cases,
and of contents to both, and thus form complete
volume ready for binding, of oUer sir hundred pages.
In each volume the 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.
tits designed to make this PERMANENr PUBL
CATION, and thus establish netD 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 tDo years before they
could ote,oiss be obtained and long before the pub
LEGATION OF the contemporaneous decisions OF most
of our own tribunals
The price of this publication will be $40 for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, or for the
volumes, Handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, $l2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
5 each.
Single volume, bound, So 25.
Parts !. and H., stitched, or Vol. J., 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-
Letter from Hon. Willard Fillmore, President of the
United States.
WAsHIsoToN, April Is 1851.
JAMES BRowN, ESQ.,: My DEAR SIn-Some days
since resolved, 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 inquiring
my opinion ofth 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 proioundcst 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 .' condensed" form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not in an abbreviation of each
case, but a selection from the several cases. and
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 tlme since to republish the whole.
If the English Reports entire, can be republlshcd
with despatch in this country, at price so low
TO 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
can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. ! am your obedient
servant WILLARD FILLMORE.
From the Nep York Literary ITorld
D
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 Lac Journal Reports and
the Jurist two English serials which communicate
20 tho 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
ment mghtb followed with great advanta ge in this
country, for the purpose of obviating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing of the regu-
lar volumes Of reports Of particular courts and
glad 20 see the enterprise Of our legal pub
fishers availing themselves OF IL, TO introduce the
English Reports promptly and regularly To the pro-
fesson. The authority of Westminster Hall has Lost
nothing of its sanction and the permanently high
character Of the English judiciary gives to their
authorizations n continued weight and decisive in
iuencc with our courts Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before rhey could be quoted and applied here, and
there was no way in which the current jurispru-
dcncc and adJudications of the day in the English
courts could be made available by the American
BAR except at great expense and by continual vigil
lance. This difficulty Messrs. Little & Browns
Reports will remove; the cases decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Er-
choquer Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudgcd
the regular reports in which they arc perpotustcd
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 -
Ono advantage OF the present series is, that the
decisions which IL gives those Of in banc
the deliberate judgments Of the bench, and not the
lcss reliable decisions at Nisi Prius, which, how
ever interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by r.. II. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, esqs. Of tho Boston bar. and their
systematic arrangement, and the care with which
the notes, index, &c, arc prepared, evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
be carried out.
In THE connection we take pleasure in adverting
10 Messrs Little and Browne other legal publica-
tons among which are included many Of the most
conspicuous and authoritative treatiscs Of our uris
prudence. Judge storys works, for ming library
almost Of themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation TO American read
ers in general, well as to the legal profession,
have all issued from their press; have also the
several works OF Professor Grecnleaf Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications arc also
issued by them, the United States Digest and the
Statute, at Large the latter being the authorized
edition of the Acts of COnrrcas got IN in much