Charles M. Blackford: I wish to give notice that after the adjournment of this body the next meeting will be at half-past eight o'clock, when we will have, not as intellectual, but an equally agreeable meeting in this room. We will form down stairs in the office. The President: There remains yet an important and, to individual members, an interesting matter of business; that is the announcement by the President-elect of the standing committees for the next year. I hope the members will keep their seats, and not withdraw. I appoint the following committee under the resolution of Mr. Patteson: S. S. P. Patteson, of Richmond; R. T. W. Duke, of Charlottesville; T. S. Martin, of Scottsville; George M. Cochran, of Staunton; and R. M. Hughes, of Norfolk. The next business is the announcement by the President-elect of the standing committees for the ensuing year. E. C. Burks, President-elect, then announced the standing committees for the ensuing year. (See the List at the end of the Annual Reports.) Judge Burks: I suggest that these committees meet this afternoon if convenient, or at least some time before they disperse. It is for the purpose of organization and for the facilitation of business; there may be some business to arrange for future action. They are all present, I believe, and it would be very desirable for the organization to take place. I am quite well satisfied that, in regard to some of these standing committees, the members are so far apart and there is so little intercourse or communication among them that no business is done; and as a matter of convenience as well as of sound policy the committees should have their meetings now. Geo. L. Christian: In obedience to the suggestion just made by the President-elect I desire to ask the Committee on Admissions to meet me this evening at five o'clock in the pavilion at the middle wharf for organization and to transact some business I want to bring before the committee this evening, and I desire any member here who sees another member, to give him notice of that fact. R. M. Hughes: I wish to make the following motion, that the special committee on the subject of Law Reform be authorized to expend a sum not exceeding $150 in the purchase of the necessary books to prepare themselves on the subject. Of course no one of us feels called upon to buy all the literature that is necessary on that subject, and it is not accessible to all of us, though it may be to some, and it may be necessary to make reference to some of the State codes. The President: It is moved and seconded that the special committee on Law Reform, to which the resolution offered this morning was referred, and which was announced just now, be authorized to expend not exceeding $150 in the collection of such books as they may find necessary to consult in preparing their report. A Member: I would like to ask who the books will belong to? Jas. P. Harrison: I would like to ask if the committee cannot get all the books they want from the library? And why we must go to the expense of $150 in buying numerous treatises on this subject? It seems to me everything can be found in the law library of the State or in the collections of the libraries of the various law associations. Mr. Hughes: I will change my resolution by making the sum $100 instead of $150. Of course we do not expect necessarily to spend all of this, but we want to have sufficient latitude. It may be that we will find some of the codes in the State library; I don't know what is there and what is not. It may be that we will find a good many of the books there and that will of course reduce the expense that much. But treatises like the one that one gentleman referred to that of Lord Coleridge-I am sure we will not find in the State library. There are a great many articles on that subject which are not text-books or codes, that will give valuable information to the committee, which we will not find in the State library; and, while I presume the committee will be as economical as they can and will not expend anything like $100, I think we ought to be allowed some little latitude. It is an important subject referred to the committee and the committee cannot pretend to much originality in it. The best way they can get up their work is to read books on the subject. mond. The only good library I know of is in RichThere is a very small one in Norfolk, which is said to be the second city in the state. I think the books are necessary to the committee. W. B. Pettit: I understand this committee to be composed of gentlemen in favor of this resolution; that is my understanding, that the gentlemen upon this committee are taken from those who are in favor of this resolution. The President: The committee is intended to be divided. Two of the gentlemen are outspoken reformers as to code procedure; as to one, I am not aware of his sentiments; two are known to be opposed to the adoption of a code of procedure. The committee is as nearly divided as a committee of five can be. Mr. Pettit: It was merely an inquiry. I say this committee in being authorized to purchase literature on this subject should be authorized to purchase also literature on the other side. If it is to be extended to literature and arguments on both sides, I have no objection. The President: The chair would suppose that to be a question of detail; the committee will have to settle for themselves what literature they will buy. It is moved and seconded that this committee be authorized to expend a sum not exceeding $100 in the purchase of such treatises or codes as they may desire for the purpose of accomplishing the task committed to them. Carried. S. H. Letcher: Mr. President, I move that the Executive Committee be instructed, if possible, to get some eminent law reformer to address this body next year in the interest of law reform. I believe it is a good thing, and we ought to get all the light possible, and that is the best way to get it. W. H. Sands: A point of order was sustained last year as to a proposition of that kind, and I make that point now-that the Executive Committee have that matter in their charge, and they can designate any one they choose. John F. Rixey, of Culpeper: This question of the report of this special committee will be looked to with a great deal of interest by the Association, and, in order that the members of this Association may act upon this question intelligently at the next meeting, I move that the special committee be directed to have their report printed and a copy mailed by the Secretary of this Association to each member thirty days before the next meeting. The Secretary: I rise to a point of order. The By-Laws provide for that express point; any report of any committee containing any recommendation for action on the part of the Association may be so printed and distributed beforehand, and must be if the committee desires it. S. H. Letcher: If the chair ruled my motion out of order because of its form, I now move that the body request the Executive Committee to secure the services of some eminent law reformer. Camm. Patteson: I beg to amend that, and ask this committee to invite the foremost law reformer of this country, that splendid example of a lawyer, David Dudley Field. W. H. Sands: I may be wrong, but as I understand it the Executive Committee are clothed with power to do as they choose in this matter. We should put a stop to such motions, because there will be no end to them. One gentleman will want one man and one another. Last year we decided to leave it in the hands of the Executive Committee, and they have thus far shown their willingness to select men able to prepare addresses to be read before us, and we can depend they will do their duty in the future as they have done in the past. The President: The chair will say that, as he understands the motion, this is not an instruction, but a request, that this invitation be extended by the Executive Committee to some eminent law reformer. This does not refer to the appointment that they are required by the constitution to make, but an additional one. They will make their selection under the constitution as heretofore, but, as I understand it, this suggestion is that they be requested to make another. W. R. McKenney, of Petersburg: The motion was that the speaker selected be an eminent law reformer. George L. Christian: I move to lay the whole subject on the table. R. M. McIntyre, of Warrenton: I would suggest in regard to enlightenment on this subject, that I do not see how we can get any more enlightenment than we got from our distinguished friend, Mr. Carter, of the New York bar, at the last meeting of the Association. Mr. Carter has examined it thoroughly, and Judge Robertson gave us his views on the opposite side, and I cannot see that an extra paper would be of any value. The President: A motion to lay on the table is not debatable. Camm. Patteson: It is not directly mandatory upon the committee to invite him; it is simply a request. They can accede to it or not as think proper. The motion to lay on the table was carried. George L. Christian: I move that we now adjourn sine die. Carried. JAMES C. LAMB, Secretary. ANNUAL REPORTS. 1890. REPORT OF THE TREASURER. To the Virginia State Bar Association : As required by the by-laws of your Association, the undersigned makes the following report for the year ending June 30, 1890: I. Receipts and Disbursements. As will appear from the accounts returned herewith (which have been examined and certified by the Auditing Committee), the total receipts for the current year have been $1,822.15, as follows: Admission fees from 98 members at $5 each Annual dues from 172 members at $5 each Add balance on hand per last report Total receipts, as above And the total expenditures have been Leaving in the treasury a balance of The expenditures are classified as follows: Annual dinner at White Sulphur Springs, July 25, 1889, Stenographer and other expenses at White Sulphur Springs $490 00 860 00 472 15 Salary of Secretary and Treasurer Printing, wrapping and mailing reports of first annual meeting Incidental expenses, Postage, blank books, forms, stationery, &c. Total expenditures, as above. II. Outstanding Obligations. 200 00 347 50 89 38 $1,305 68 There are at present no outstanding obligations of the Association. |