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the General Assembly. I beg to assure you that this Association has the greatest influence with the General Assembly; and I can speak for one Committee of the General Assembly, the Judiciary Committee, a very important committee-I am almost prepared to say that this Association has such influence with that committee that its recommendation would almost be taken as a command.

Mr. Page's motion was then adopted.

Judge Duke: Mr. President, I do not know that this is the proper time, I think this matter should come under the head of new business, but I would like to read a letter I received this morning under special delivery.

AUGUST 7TH, 1911.

Judge R. T. W. DUKE, JR.,

My dear Judge:

Homestead Hotel,

Hot Springs, Va.

I am greatly disappointed and grieved at missing the State Bar
Association on account of having to try a case of some consequence in
Northampton County, N. C.

As you know, the writer has been very much interested in the ques-
tion of both the simplification and uniformity of pleading and proce-
dure. As a member of the sub-committee of five of the National
Civic Federation the opportunity was had of considering the matter
with people from many States. Upon its invitation I was the guest
of the Republican Club of the City of New York (of different
politics from myself) and met some of the leading thinkers of the
times. The "Central Law Journal" of St. Louis is likewise doing
valiant service.

I am convinced that in order to obtain simplification of pleading and procedure there must first be brought about a sentiment in favor of uniformity amongst the States. This is the history of the Negotiable Instrument Act and several others. Otherwise, each State will "simplify" according to local ideas. There is absolutely no excuse for a different system of pleading and procedure for each State. We might as well speak differing languages. It is an unnecessary burden upon commerce and it reflects no credit upon anybody concerned. It is an evidence of local conceit in that each State thinks it has the best

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system. Commerce is the sufferer from a financial view and lawyers are the sufferers in having their practise limited unless they make a study of the procedure of each State.

I am persuaded to believe that the way out of the trouble is to start a fight for uniformity amongst the States and it would be proper and fitting for Virginia to be the pioneer.

What do you think of the appointment of a Committee by the Virginia Bar Association for the purpose of promoting uniformity amongst the States, leaving it to the Committee to formulate all necessary plans, one of the objects being to encourage the appointment of a similar committee from each State in the Union? In a meeting somewhat similar to that held by the "Commissioners on Uniform State Laws" a compromise might be brought about. In the space of this letter it is difficult to outline the entire matter. Indeed, I would prefer leaving its development to your esteemed self. Will you advocate the appointment of a Committee of Five or Three from members who would be willing to spend some money and considerable time and thought on this subject, which I believe to be of the gravest importance to both commerce and society? There is enclosed a rough draft of a resolution which, if the matter meet with your approval, you will put into proper shape.

With kindest personal regards, I am,
Very sincerely yours,

THOS. W. SHELTON.

that

Mr. Page: Mr. President, in order to throw light upon letter, for the benefit of whoever acts on it, I beg to say to my friends that he may communicate to the author of that letter the fact that such a committee has been appointed and appropriation made, and the committee has already done good work.

Judge Duke: That is for uniformity of laws; this is for uniformity of practise.

Mr. Page: Why do you draw the distinction?

Judge Duke: They have not usually been construed as the same thing.

Mr. Page: That committee is not composed of members of the General Assembly, but Mr. John Garland Pollard and I

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forget the names of the other gentlemen, and they have done good work. I am sure that Mr. Shelton must have overlooked the fact that this committee was there, and of course this question of practise would be included in the matters under their charge. Why not refer that resolution to that committee?

Judge Duke: We can bring that up later under new business.

On motion, the Association took a recess until 8:30 o'clock P. M.

EVENING SESSION.

HOT SPRINGS, VA., Tuesday, August 8th, 1911.

The Association was called to order by the President at 8:30 o'clock P. M.

The President: The Chairman of the Committee on Admissions has a report to make.

Col. E. E. Stickley, Chairman, then read the third report of the Committee on Admissions, which, on motion, was adopted and the Secretary instructed to cast the unanimous ballot of the Association for the election of the applicants for membership named therein, which was accordingly done.

The President: My friends and members of the Association, a gentleman so distinguished as a law teacher and author as Professor Raleigh C. Minor needs no introduction at my hands to a Virginia audience. I therefore take pleasure in presenting Professor Minor, who will read a paper entitled "Centralization versus Decentralization."

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The President: On behalf of the Association I tender to Professor Minor our thanks for the very able, instructive and interesting paper which he has just read.

The next business in order is unfinished business. Is there any?

The Secretary: I do not know of any.

The President: Next is new business. Is there any new business?

Mr. Alfred P. Thom: Mr. President, I would like to know if any consideration has been given by the executive authorities of the Association to the desirability of endeavoring to hold consolidated meetings of this Association with the Associations, for example, of Maryland, West Virginia, or some adjoining State, as a means of improving the usefulness of our Association and enlarging the acquaintance of our lawyers with those of other States. I think that is an exceedingly desirable thing to be considered. A meeting of that class would be of much greater interest to the members of the bar and would ensure a very much better attendance. I hope that if no consideration has yet been given to that matter, our Executive Committee, or whatever body would have the matter naturally in hand, will give it attention.

The President: The Chair will state that, as Mr. Thom knows, we had a joint meeting with the Maryland Association last year, and steps were inaugurated on behalf of the West Virginia Association to have a joint meeting with this body this year, but, for some reason which originated with the West Virginia Association, that joint meeting could not be held this year. That was set forth in the report of the Executive Committee read this morning.

Mr. Thom: I would go further than that. I would suggest the formation of the lawyers into one centralized body, as Prof. Minor says, in several States with the object of forming a permanent Association.

Mr. Hill Montague: Mr. President, while the Executive Committee, as you just now stated, said that it found it impracticable to have a joint meeting this year with the West Virginia Bar Association, it did express the hope that there might be such a meeting in the comparatively near future. I agree with the suggestion made by Mr. Thom. It seems to me that we might very well have a sort of tri-State Association of Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia, and that every now and again, say every three or five years, we might have a meeting of the Bar Associations of those three States. However, the Executive Committee, the only committee which it seems had any authority to act in the matter this past year, did all that it could.

Mr. George A. Frick, of Norfolk: Mr. President, the facts about the West Virginia Association might as well be stated. They were informed when and where we were going to meet, and they did not come or send any message. I think that if we have any tri-State Association, the better combination would be Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina; and if we want to form any body I think the best and most feasible would be the lawyers embraced in this judicial circuit, which comprises Maryland, Virginia and the two Carolinas.

The President: There is no motion before the Association.

Mr. Thom: I move that the Executive Committee be requested to take such action as may be proper looking to the formation of such an organization for joint meetings of the Bar Associations of this and other States, and report to the next meeting of this Association.

Adopted.

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