The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-09
EvGLisu uEpcRTs IN law AND
Equity.

Proposals by LITTLE & BRowE, II Jyashingio5
street, Boston, for publishing By subscription net'
series Of Lam and Equity Reports.
fINHE want of some system by which the decisions
4 and judicial opinions of the several Courts Of
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
~ and cheaply furnished TO the legal profession III
this country, has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowledged. To meet similar want in England
ti!e Lao Journal Reports" and "Ihe Jpisf, "
which, together, report decisions In all the Courts IN
Lar and Equity within lew weeks after their
delivery, commenced number OF years
since, and have met with the universal approba-
ton Of the legal profession. Their high cost, how
,ver, has hitherto prevented their general circu-
iation in this country, and their merits yet
but little known among us.
The subscribers propose to republish these re,
ports in full as fast Us they appear in England and
can be received here. They will contain reports
of cases decided In the House OF Lords, the Prlvy
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 a member of the bar, with notes and re-
,,erences to analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist OF over three hundred
gagcs closely printed octave, on the best paper and
clear, fair type and will contain table OF cases
and full table of contents, thus forming com
petc volume by itself, as well as part OF an en-.
ire series Every alternate or second number Will
lie PACED consecutively from the number imme-
dately preceding, and will contain a table OF cases
and Of contents to both, and thus form complete
volume, ready for binding orer siI 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 10 the best reports of England or this
country.
IL is designed TO make this PERMANENT PUBL
{ ALTON and thus establish series of English
Law and Equity Reports, which shall, in all re-
spects, be far i'll 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 tiro years before they
could otherwise be obtained and long before the pub
iication of the contemporaneous decisions of most
OF our own tribunals.
The price of this publication will be go for
twelve numbers, payable in advance, or for the six
volumes handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, Sl2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
81 each.
Single volume, bound, s. %.
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 mum
Letter from Hon, DTiliard Fillmore, President of tie
United States.
WAsHISGToN, April Is 1851.
JAMES BRows ESQ: My DEAR SlR- Some days
since ! received, by the hand of the Postmaster
Ceneral 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, inquring
my opinion of the enterprise.
Willie pursuing my profession, took deep in
tcrcst in publications of this kind. The able
Judges who have adorned the judicial tribunals of
England, have shed lustre upon the Common
Law. and iumined lie proioundest depths. con-
slider no law library complete that does not contain
a IN, 4
ia ir Ecclesiastica Courts and in Admiralty. For
come years had been in the habit Of receiving
these in condensed" form. This condensation,
however consisted, not in an Authorization of each
Essc, but a selection from the several cases. and
vas often annoyed by finding reference to cases
in the Digests, which | deemed very important,
wholly omitted in the &c condensed reports"
therefore Hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made some tame since to republish the whole.
II the English Reports entire, can be republishej
with despatch in this country, at price so oV
10 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, aud
! can only express the hope that your reward may
he equal 60 your merits. am your obedient
servant. WILLARD FILLMORE
From H.s Ne,o York Literary World
hiessrs Little 4 Brown, of Boston, whose law
books in point Of typographical execution, vie
with the beet similar issues Of the English press
and point oil value ana Importance are inferior
70 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 fret mum
Der il before US are the Lao Journal Reports and
the Jurist two English serials which communicate
~ 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
~ and other tribunals Of limited but practically
important jurisdiction. This excellent arrange
ment mghtbe followed with great advantagein tbi.
,ountry, for the purpose OF obviating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing OF the regu-
Jar volumes OF reports Of particular courts and
,rr are glad TO the enterprise Of cor legal pub
sbe~s avaiing themselves OF II, to introduce the
English Reports promptly aud regularly to the pro-
fcssion THE authority Of Westminster Hall has lost
nothing of ts sanction and the permanently high
character OF the English judiciary gives 10 their
rdudications q continued weight and decisive in
Rueucc with our courts. Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cascs thOre have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied mere, and
there waR no way in which the current jurispru-
dsncc and adiudicatons OF the day in the English
~gurts could be made available by the American
bar except at great expense and by continual yigi
lance. This difficulty Mcssrs. Little * Browns
Reports will remove; the cases decided IN the
gueen = Bench the Common Pleas, and the EI
chequcr Chamber IN January, will be ready Tor de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudgcd
clses Of the came date Ia our own courts appear IN
the regular reports in which they perpetuatcd
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-
srnt rystcm, which requires delay until the large
volume Of authorized reports il published on the
other side and has then been reprinted on this.
one advantage Of the present series is, that the
decisions which IL gives those Of courts a bac,
The deliberate Judgments Of the bench and not the
if.s reliable decisions at Nisi Pritu, which, how
ever interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
ii. Reports, are edited by y. II. Bennett and
Clauncy Smith, csqs., Of the Boston bar. and their
gystematic Arrangement, and the care with which
tie notes index, SC. are prepared, evidence tho
thorough manner ia which the proposed series will
be carried out.
Ia this connection we take pleasure in hdyerting
a. Mcssrs. Little aud Browns other legal pubhca-
t!ons among which are included many Of the most
rgnBpcuOus and authoritative trcatiscs Of Our Juris
prudence. lodge Story's works, for ming library
almost Of Themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation 10 American read
ers in general Ne wcll NJ to the legal profession,
have ~ issued from their press; have also ihe
s.sefai works 81 Professor Grccnleaf Two very
..trlbie and Extensive annual publications arc also
,.4upI by lhcm, the United SUITES Dtgfsf and the
.ilr,fes 81 Large; The latter being the authorized
edition Of the Acts Il Congress, got up in much
hotter style both Zoe reference and preservation,
than under the old regime u public printing az
Wasbington, which included the annual statutes,
aud ut them forth to the world on thin paper aud