The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-10
A Valuable Law Book

me american fepOTtS. SoHtttiuihS "E
Decisions of General Interest decided
in the Courts of Last Resort of the SIEVE.
raj States, with Notes and References by
ISAAC GRANT THOMPSON. Vol. l. In.
Guiding cases decided in the courts of Ma
ryland, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Iowa,
Vermont, Pennsylvania, and New York
Albany: JOHN D. PARSONS, JR., Pub
Usher. 1871. Price, s. per volume.
The preface to this valuable work ex.
plains its purpose so clearly and satisfacto.
rily that we cannot do better than copy it.
We quote
"To purchase and keep complete sets OF
the several State reports is now beyond the
pecuniary ability Of the great body Of the
profession. Nearly two thousand volumes
of these reports have been already issued,
and that number is being increased at the
rate of about fifty year. The reports Of
the Court of Last Resort in each State con-
tain cases of great general Importance, but
thew are buried beneath mass of practice
and local cases OF no value outside o! the
jurisdiction in which they were decided.
To obtain the few valuable cases the LAWYER
is compelled to buy volumes composed
mainly of matter of little or no value to
him. The result is that the greater number
of American lawyers are without access TO
the most valuable decisions of the country,
and are compelled to submit to the courts
for decision causes involving important
questions without an Investigation Of the
adjudged cases. While most OF the judges
have access to libraries more or less COM
plete, their time is so fully occupied as to
render it impossible for them to do more IN
any case than to examine the decisions
cited in the briefs of counsel. To remedy
this evil, by separating that which is I'M
portant from that which is local, is the OBJ
ject of The american Reports.
"These reports will contain all cases here
after adjudicated in the courts of Last re-
sort in the United States, having general
value, unincumbered by practice cases and
those of local importance only. The cases
reported will be selected from the last
volume Of the currentreports of each State,
Immediately after its publication, by coun-
Gil of three able and experienced lawyers,
and will be prepared for publication under
their direct supervision. The head notes
and statements of fact in each case will be
carefully rewritten. The opinions Will be
given in full, except where they dispose OF
practice and local questions in connection
with important principles, when the former
will be eliminated. The cases will be Sc
lected with direct reference to their value
and utility to the practlcing lawyer; and
notes giving references to the leading de-
cisions viii be added by the reporters,
whenever deemed necessary. The selec-
tions will be made from the reports OF each
State in the order of their publication, and
the date of the decision, and the number
and page of the State report where found,
will be given" g..
Messrs. j. W. RANDOLPH 81 ENGLlsK, Law
publishers, of this city, have furnished us
with copy of the first volume Of the Sc
ries. 1t contains 646 pages land each Of the
volumes will be of about the same size). It'll
handsomely printed and substantially
bound. 1t contains table of the cases re.
ported, the names of the judges Of the
court Of last resort in each State, and q
weIl-arranged index, which last consists Of
syllabus of each case arranged alphabet.
cally, that is, according to the subjects,
not as to the parties as for example, Gas
signment," "Baggage," "Bailment,"
"Breach of Promise" "Common Carrier"
" Confederate Money!" Consideration y
Unconstitutional Law" Contract" econ
version" covenant of Title p t.Crimlnal
Law" Damages" Declaration"
"Deed," sDeliyery," Divorce" "Dow-
er," :. Ejectment,n Eminent Domain"
I'VE quote the syllabus In this last case:
s"The Legislature cannot authorize the
"taking of private property for q private