The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-16
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
EOIITX

ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
! EQUITY.
| Proposals by LITTLE Il BRows, III Washington
street, Boston, for publishing by subscription
| sefies0t LGio and Eq,iify Reports.
! 'NHE want of some system by which the decisions
Il and judicial opinions of the several Courts OF
Law and Equity in England can be more prompt
y and cheapy furnished to the legal profession in
this country, has long been seriously felt and ac-
knowledged. To meet similar want in England
the ''La,o Journal Reports" and "Ihe Jurisf, -
which, together, report decisions in all The Courts
Lar aud Equity, within few weeks after their
| delivery, were commenced n 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-
lation in this country, and their merits yet
but little known among us
The subscribers propose to republish these re-
ports IN iul as ias 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 Exchequcr 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 re-
ferences 10 analogous American decisions
Each number will consist of over three hundred
III clear, fair type and will contain table of cases,
and full table of contents, thus forming com
plete volume by itself, as well part of an
tire series. Every alternate or 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 orer sirhunded 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 a pERMANENr PUBL
CATION, and thus establish ne,p 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 Hail. nearly ttco years before they
could otherwise 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, for the six
volumes, handsomely AID uniformly bound in law
sheep, sl2
The parts Will be sold separately; II desired, at
s each.
Single volume, bound, 50 25.
Parts |. and H., stitched, or Vol. l., bousd in law
sheep, containing reports of one hundred and
eighty eight cases, now ready for delivery.
The following are among the opinions of this
work expressed on the publication OF the first num-
DER
Letter from Hon. Willard Fillmore, President of tbs
United States.
WAsHISGToS, April IS 1851.
JANE. BRowS, ESQ: My DEAR 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 England; and |
now have your letter of the 9th instant, inquirng
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 llluInined its prooundest depths / con- |
slider no law library complete that does not contain
heir principal reports in Law and Equity and in |
their Ecclesiastical Courts, and in Admiralty. For |
some years had been IN the habit Of receiving
hese in a 80 condensed" form. This condensation,
however, consisted not In an abbreyiation of each
Gaze, but selection from the several cases. and |
was often annoyed by finding a reference 10 cases
in the Digess, which ! deemed very important
wholly omitted in the 'cordsnsed reports" |
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made som1 tTune since to republish the whole |
If the English Reports entire, be repubshed |
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
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 E,e Netr York Literary World
Messrs. Little Brown, of Boston, whose law
books, in point OF typographical execution, vic
with the best similar Issues of the English preRs,
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 Is before us, the Ldic Journal Reports and
the Jtui-f, 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 10 the Court Of Bankrupt
-y, and other tribunals Of limited but practically
I'M porant jurisdiction. This excellent arrange
nent might be followed with great advantage in this
country, for the purpose Of obviating the delay !
which necessarily attends the issuing Of tho rcgu-
ar volumes Of reports Of particular courts and
we are glad 90 the enterprise Of our legal pub
she-s avaling themselves Of IL, % introduce the
EngliSh Reports promptly and regularly 10 the pro-
cssion The authority of Westminster Hall has lost
nothing Of ns sanction and the permanently high
rharactcr OF the English Judiciary gives To their
ldl publications n continued weight and decisive in.
huencc with our courts. Hitherto the difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied mere, and
there was way in which the current iurispru-
iencc and adJudlCatiOus Of the day in the English
courts could DC made available by tho American
bar. except az great expense and by continual vigil
lance. This difficulty Mcssrs. Little & Browns
Reports will remove; the CAGES decided in tho
Queens Bench the Common Pleas, and the FIX.
-hcqucr Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
.ascs Of the came date in own courts appear in
The regular reports in which they arc perpciuatcd.
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 the
Dthcr side and has then been reprinted on this.
Ono advantage Of the prcseut series il, that the .
decisions which u gives are those Of courts in banc
he deliberate judgments Of the bench, and not the
ess reliable decisions at Nisi Prius, which, how
,yer interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by =. II. BENNETT and
Chauncy Smith, esqs., Of the 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.
la this connection VIC take pleasure in advcrting /
70 Mcssrs Littlc and Browns other legal publica.
tons, among which are included many ofthe most 4
conspicuous and authoritative trcatscs Of our iuris-
prudence. Judge Siory's works, for ming library |
almost Of Themselves, and familiar for their high /
value and extensive reputation 90 American read
ers in general, az well az 20 the legal profession I
have all issued from their prcs7; have also the
several works Of Professor Grceulcaf Two very /