The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-20

ESGLisn REPORTS IN LAW AND
EQUITY.
| Proposals by LITTLE x BRowN, Il2 Washington
street, Boston, for publishing by subscription
series Of Lar aud Equity Reports.
'fNiiE want OF some system by which the decisions
Il and judicial opinions of the several Courts %
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
y and chcapiy furnished to the legal profession in
this country, has long been seriously felt and &C
knowledged. To meet a similar want in England
the "Law Journal Reports" and "1hs Jurist, "
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts IN
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
syer has hitherto prevented their general circu-
lauon IN this country, and their merits are as yet
| but little known among
The subscribers propose to repubsh 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 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 aud Admiralty Courts, the Court of
Bankruptcy, including ALEC the Election cases, the
Crown Cases Reserved, and the Railway and Canal
Ca5cs.
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-
lcrences TO analogous American decisions.
Each number will consist of over three hundred
pages closely printed octave, the beet paper and
in clear fair type, and will contain table of cases,
and full table of contents, thus forming com
plete volume by itself as well as part of an en-
tire series. Every alternate or second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number mme-
diatey preceding, aud will contain table Of cases
and OF contents to both, and thus form a complete
volume ready for binding Of oper 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 PERMANENT PUBL
CATION, and thus establish series of English
Law and Equity Reports, which SHALL in all
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 ttco gears before they
could oteroise b. 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 six
volumes, handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, Sl2
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
S. each.
Sings volume, bound, 50 IS.
Parts !, and H., stitched or Vol. l., bound in law
sheep, containing reports of hundred and
q ghty eight cases, now ready for delivery.
The following among the opinions of this
york expressed on the publication OF the frat num-
DER:
Letter from non. IBtftGfQ Fiun0fc PTesent of The
United States.
WAsHrsoros, April 10 1851.
JAMES Brown, ESQ.,: My Dean SlR-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 gland; 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 THE kind; The able
judges who have adorned the judicial tribunals of
England, have shed ustre rpon the Common
Law, and illumined its profoundest depths. con-
slider nc 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 80 condensed form. This condensation
however, consisted, not in abbreviation of each
case, but selection from the several cases. and
often annoyed by finding a reference to cases
in the Digests which | deemed very important
wholly omitted in the "condsnsed reports" |
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made SOM tfme since to republish the whole.
II the English Reports entire, be republished
with despatch in this country, 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
! can only express the hope that your reward may
be equal to your merits. am your obedient
servant. WILLARD FILLMORE
From He Nelc York Literary World.
Mcssrs. Little & Brown, of Boston, whose law
books, in point Of typographical execution, vie
with the best simnr issues of the English press
and in point of value and importance arc inferior
20 in this country, have Just commenced the
publication of legal series, deserving the especial
attention of the profession throughout the country
The basis oi this series, OF which the first num-
Der is before us, the LGtg Journal Reports and
the Jtuist, two English serials which communicate
% the British Bar. within few weeks after their
delivery, tic prominent decisions Of all the clJrs
from the 1ouse Of Lords to the Court Of Bankrupt
y, and other tribunals Of limited but practically
important jurisdiction. This excellent arrange
meut might bc followed with great adyantagcin this
country, for the purpose of obyating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing of the regu-
lar volumes Of reports Of particular courts ; and
glad 10 see the enterprise Of our legal pub
shcrs svailing themselves of IL, TO introduce tho
Englsh RCpOrts promptly and regularly 90 the pro-
fCs-on. The authority Of Westminster Hall has ost
nothing Of its sanction and the permanently high
character OF the English judiciary gives 20 their
authorizations a continued weight aud decisive in-
nuonce with our courts. Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied bere and
there was no way IN which the current jurispru-
dcncc and sdludrntionc OF the day In the nglish
courts could be made available by the American
BAR except at great expense and by continual vigil
| lance. This difficulty MeFsrs. Little 4 Browne
Reports will remove; the cases decided in the
| Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Ex-
chcaucr Chamber IN January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudged
cases Of the same date in our own courts appear in
the regular reports in which they arc pcrpctuated
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume Of authorized reports IL published on tho
other side and has then been reprinted on this.
One advantage Of the present series "a, that the
decisions which gives arc those Of courts Ia bdnc
the deliberate Judgments II the bench, and not the
lcss reliable decisions at Nisi Prius, which, how
ever interesting in many instances. do not carry
With them the came authority and force.
The Reports arc edited by T.. II. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, osqs., Of the Boston bar and their
5ystcmatis arrangement, and the care with which
The notes, index, &c, are prepared evidence the
thorough manner in which the proposed series will
| Be earned out
10 this conneri0u We take pleasure In advcrting
| % Mcssrs. Littc aud Browne other legal yublica
/ tons, among which are included many ofthe most
conspicuous and authoritative trcatisos u urs-
/ prudence. Judge StOry's vJrks for ming a library
almost d themscivcs, and familiar Tor their high
value and extensive reputation 81 American read