The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-01-17
ENGLISH REPORTS IN LAW AND
E0IlITK.


the LAG Journal Reports" and "7he Jtuisi,
which, together, report decisions in all the Courts IN
La,o and Equity, within few weeks after their
\ delivery, were commenced a number of years
since, and have met with the universal approba
ton OF the legal profession. Their high cost, how
eyer has hitherto prevented their general circu-
iation in this country and their merits are as yet
but little known among
The subscribers propose to republish these re-
ports IN full as fast az 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 oil
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
Caacs.
These reports will be published in numbers or
parts, commencing with the decisions OF Michael
mae (November) term, 1850, and will be carefully
edited 10y member of the bar, with notes and re-
ferences 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 well part of en-
tire series. Every alternate second number will
be PACED consecutively from the number imme-
diatey preceding, and will contain table of cases,
and of contents TO both, and thus form complete
volume, ready for binding of over sir 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 to the beat reports of England or this
country.
tits designed to make this PERMANENT PULL
! CATION, and thus establish 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 10 the American lawyer the decisions Of
Westminster Hail. nearly too gears before they
could otertcise be obtained and long before the pub
LEGATION Of the contemporaneous decisions of most
of our own tribunals
twelve numbers, payable in advance, for the elk
volumes, Handsomely and uniformly bound in law
sheep, Sl2.
The parts will be sold separately, il desired, at
s each
Single volume, bound, So 25.
Parts l. 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 are among the opinions OF this
work expressed the publication Of the first num-
Letter from Hon. Miliard Fillmore President of The
United States.
WAsHINeToN, April Is 1851.
JAMES BRowN, 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 republish in this country,
comprising every reported in England; and
have your letter of the 9th instant, inquring
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 illumined its profoundest 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 Z" condensed form. This condensation,
however, consisted, not In an abbreviation of each
case, but selection from the several cases. and
was often annoyed by finding reference to cases
in the Dgests, which | deemed very important,
- H.
therefore hailed with great pleasure effort which
was made somc Nme since to repubish the whole.
II the English Reports entire, be republished
with despatch in this country, al a price so low
10 bring them within the reach of the members OF
the bar generally, conceive that it will confer q
great benefit upon the profession aud 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 she Nelr York Literary World
Messrs. Little s. Brown, Of Boston, whose law
books, in point Of typograp hical execution, vie
with the best similar issues Of the English press
and in point OF value and importance arc inferior
90 none in this country, have just commenced the
publication Of legal series, deserving the especial
attention Of the profession throughout the country
The basic Of this series, Of which the frst num-
Der IL before Us, the Ldtc Journal Reports and
the JHist two English serials which communicate
20 the British Bar within a few weeks after their
delivery, the prominent decisions Of all the c1lrts,
from the House Of Lords TO the Court Of bankrupt
cy, and other tribunals Of limited bat practically
important jurisdiction. This excellent arrange.
mcnt might be followed with great advantage in this
country, for the purpose Of obyiating the delay
which necessarily attends the issuing Of the regu-
lar volumes of reports Of particular courts aud
glad TO see the enterprise Of our legal pub
lishers availing Themselves of it, TO introduce The
EuElish Reports promptly and rcgularlyto the pro-
fcssiun. The authority OF Westminster Hall has Lost
nothing Of its sanction and the permanently high
character Of the English Judiciary gives 10 their
adiUdicatiOns n continued weight and decisive in
huencc with our courts Hitherto tho difficulty has
been that the reported cases there have grown old
before they could be quoted and applied mere, aud
there was no way in which the current iurispru-
dcncc and authorizations Of tho day in the En- gsh
courts could be made available by the American
bar except at great expense and by continual vigil
lance. This difficulty Mcssrs. Little & Browns
Reports will remove; the decided in the
Queens Bench, the Common Pleas, and the Ell
chcquer Chamber in January, will be ready for de-
livery here in April or May, long before adjudgcd
c1scs Of the same date in our own courts appear in
the regular reports IN which they pcrpetuatcd.
Nearly two years will thus be gained over the pre-
sent system, which requires delay until the large
volume Of authorized reports 10 published the
other side and has then been reprinted on this
one advantage OF the present series H., that the
decisions which gives IRE those Of courts in banc
toe deliberate judgments Of the bench aud not the
lees reliable decisions at Nisi Pris which, how
ever interesting in many instances, do not carry
with them the same authority and force.
The Reports edited by +. III. Bennett and
Chauncy Smith, esqs., OF the Boston bar. and their
systcmatic 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 this couneKion We take pleasure in advcrtinV
~ Mcssrs Little and Browns other legal pubhca,
tons, among which are included many Of the most
conspicuous and authoritative treatises Of our urs
prudence. Judge Story's works, for ming library
almost Of themselves, and familiar for their high
value and extensive reputation TO American read
crs in general, well TO the legal profession,
have all issued from their press; az have also the
scycral works Of Professor Greeneaf Two very
valuable and extensive annual publications are also
Jssuod by them, the United States Digest and the
Stafufes at Lugej the latter being the authorized
edition Of the Acts Of Congress, got up in much
better style both for reference aud preservation,
than under the old regime Of public printing AT
Washington, which included the annual statutes,
and sent them forth 10 the world thin paper and
m bad type.
From. he N15 York EDening Post.
Little Brown Of Boston, to whose enterprise
tho reading public has ~ often been indebted for
the most valuable American and foreign books,
propose to publish, by subscription, series q
the English Reports IN Law and Equity. This &C.
,.flI contain autborit4fiyg derfs.po of