TRANSACTIONS

OF THE

FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING

OF THE

VIRGINIA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION

HELD AT

HYGEIA HOTEL, OLD POINT Comfort, Va.,

JULY 12TH, 13TH, AND 14TH, 1892.

HYGEIA HOTEL, OLD POINT COMFORT, VA.,

Tuesday, July 12th, 1892.

Frank H. McGuire, of Richmond, Chairman of the Executive Committee, called the Association to order at 11 o'clock A. M., and said:

It is my duty, gentlemen, as Chairman of the Executive Committee to call to order this the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Virginia State Bar Association. By the programme arranged for your edification and enjoyment, it will be your pleasure now, and your privilege, to hear an address from your President. I have not the temerity to introduce him to you. That he does not need to any American audience. He has long been known-I will not say how long, for it is a delightful characteristic of these annual reunions of the Bar, that, as we are always good fellows,

at them we all become young fellows again; yet he has been known for some time at least—and he always will be known-to Virginia audiences and to the Virginia people everywhere as "Our Ran." To the world at large, he is the Honorable John Randolph Tucker, of Virginia.

The President then read his address.

(See Appendix.)

The President: Gentlemen of the Association,—Having disposed of the most disagreeable part of my duties, I now proceed to the regular business of the Association; and as the first duty that is imposed upon the Chair is to name the Committee on Publications, I name as the members of that committee, Holmes Conrad, of Winchester; L. T. Hanckel, of Charlottesville; Alexander Hamilton, of Petersburg.

The Committee to Recommend Officers for the ensuing year : I name as members of that Committee, Charles M. Blackford, of Lynchburg; John H. Fulton, of Wytheville; George A. Mushback, of Alexandria; William B. Taliaferro, of Gloucester; and W. W. Old, of Norfolk.

These committees, gentlemen, have their duties to perform in the recess. The next business in the order of proceedings is the reports of the Secretary and Treasurer.

Secretary Jackson Guy, of Richmond: Mr. President,—In obedience to the By-Laws I proceed to give a brief summary of the transactions of my predecessor, Hon. James C. Lamb, as Secretary of the Association from July 1, 1891, to December 31, 1891, and of myself as Secretary from the latter date to the present time, and an outline of the business which is to come before the Association at this meeting..

Immediately after the last annual meeting, a list of the committees then appointed was prepared and distributed, and each committeeman notified of his appointment.

The proceedings of the last annual meeting, together with the reports of the officers and committees and the addresses and papers read-constituting Volume IV of our Annual Reports— were printed and published in the usual manner, and in due time.

A copy thereof was mailed to each member of the Association, as required. There was also printed a special edition of 1,500 copies of the address of Hon. E. C. Burks, President, and distributed to members and others as required by the resolution of the last meeting. It is pertinent to say in this connection that there are a number of these addresses still on hand with the Secretary, which are at the disposal of members.

A programme of the proceedings to be had at this meeting, was prepared some weeks ago under the direction of the Chairman of the Executive Committee, and was mailed to each member of the Association. Copies thereof can be had at the Secretary's table for the use of the members present.

It will be observed that under this programme, the Presidentelect will announce the several Standing Committees for the ensuing year before the adjournment of this meeting, in time for the meeting and organization of those committees on Thursday evening. It is scarcely necessary to say that the object of this is to enable the committees, whose members are scattered widely over the State, to meet and organize immediately upon their appointment, and while they are assembled here. A list of these committees will be posted in the office of the hotel immediately after the adjournment on Thursday morning next.

On page 74 of the proceedings of the last annual meeting, will be found a memorandum of subjects referred to special committees for report. One of these is a resolution respecting the grave of Chancellor Wythe, referred to a special committee consisting of Messrs. W. W. Henry, R. G. H. Kean and Ro. M. Hughes. (See Minutes Annual Meeting, 1891, p. 26.)

Another is the report of the Special Committee on Law Reform, which, although made at the last meeting, was continued over and made the special order for the consideration of the Association on the morning of the second day of this session. The members of the special committee on the subject of Law Reform were S. S. P. Patteson, R. T. W. Duke, Thomas S. Martin, George M. Cochran and W. M. Lile.

I renew the request always made by my predecessor that the members in attendance here, both active and honorary, will not fail to enter their names in the Register of the Association.

In conclusion, I desire to announce that we have now on the rolls 435 members, being a net increase for the year of 48 members; and that during the year we have lost by resignation three members, and by death two-Mr. Henry E. Barksdale, of Danville, and Mr. Jno. G. Mason, of Fredericksburg.

The President: Gentlemen,-What disposition do you propose to make of the report of the Secretary? The Chair is ready to hear any motion.

On motion the report was received.

Mr. Guy then read his report as Treasurer.

(See the Report at the end of the Minutes.)

The President: Gentlemen,-You have heard the report of the Treasurer. What disposition does the Association make of it?

Thos. D. Ranson, of Staunton: I move that it be accepted. The President: The motion is made that the report be received. Carried.

The President: The next subject is the reports of the Standing Committees. The first is the report of the Executive Committee. Frank H. McGuire, Chairman of the Executive Committee, then read his report.

(See the Report at the end of the Minutes.)

The President: Gentlemen,-You have heard the report of the Executive Committee. Shall it be received and filed?

On motion, the report was received.

The President: The report of the Standing Committee on Admissions.

Roy B. Smith, of Roanoke: Mr. President,-In the absence of Mr. John H. Lewis, the chairman of the committee, who is detained in his room at the hotel by indisposition, I will read the report of that committee.

(See Report at the end of Minutes.)

C. M. Blackford, of Lynchburg: Mr. President,—I move that the report be adopted, and that the members therein referred to who have not been elected for failure of the member of the Com

mittee on Admissions from their judicial circuit to sign their application, be extended the privileges of this session.

Carried.

The President: The next on the list is the Committee on Legislation and Law Reform. Is there any further report to be made by that committee, or do they rest on the report made at the last session of the Association, which report is set for to-morrow?

William B. Pettit, of Fluvanna: Mr. Chairman,-The report referred to by you was made by the Special Committee on Law Reform. I am a member of the Standing Committee on Law Reform, and am not aware that that committee has any report to make.

The President: The Committee on Judiciary.

William B. Taliaferro, of Gloucester: Mr. Chairman,-I have to say for the gentlemen on that committee who were present that while they did not constitute a majority, yet they did constitute a quorum. We held a meeting last night, and they directed me to say that they had not formulated any report and would not be able to do so at this session of this body. Therefore they have no report to make.

The President: The Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar.

L. H. Cocke, of Roanoke: Mr. President,-I am a member of that committee. So far as I know there has not been anything before that committee; we have not had a meeting, and I am not aware that the committee has any report to make.

The President: The Committee on Library and Legal Literature.

Thomas C. Elder, of Staunton : Mr. Chairman,-I think Prof. Graves is chairman of that committee; so far as I am advised, the committee has no report to make.

The President: That will be passed. Committee on Griev

ances.

John H. Ingram, of Manchester: Mr. President,-That committee takes great pleasure in making its usual report—that is, that it has not a grievance to report.