with cases; and it is especially important where there is no further appeal.

I am very glad that Mr. Middleton mentioned the few facts that he did about the appeals in various cases. There are extremely important cases in which the appeal is limited to the Divisional Court, which might very well, considering the interests involved, go a great deal further. That court ought to be more systematic.

I thoroughly agree with what Mr. Middleton has said as to practice. It is now impossible for anyone in advising on any proceeding other than the simplest proceeding to say what course to take without again going through the Rules in Holmested & Langton. We should, however, remember when the system of procedure is attacked that we are not directly responsible for it; the Judges of the High Court are responsible for the Rules of Practice, and if the profession get the odium of involved practice, it seems to me that an organization like this might very well take up the whole subject and at all events clear their skirts of responsibility by framing as far as they can a code of practice, and then asking the Judges to adopt it.

The President.-Gentlemen, I might say that Mr. Charles Elliott, who has been very active in the formation of this Association and has assisted by his own efforts as well as in his legal publication, is, on account of illness, unable to be here to-day. He has, however, made a very generous offer which is embodied in the following motion:

Moved by Mr. R. J. Maclennan, seconded by Mr. F. M. Field, That Mr. Charles Elliott having offered to publish the proceedings of the Association in full in the January number of the Canadian Law Review, without charge, the Association accept the offer and ask him to publish the addresses and such of the discussion as the Council may consider desirable, and that the Council arrange that a sufficient number of extra copies be printed so that there may be a wide distribution of the proceedings. Carried.

The Constitution as amended and read was adopted, and the Council was directed to have the Constitution and Bylaws printed and distributed amongst the members.

The Treasurer's report was then read, received and referred to the Auditors to be appointed.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The following officers were then elected:

:

Mr. A. H. Clarke, K.C., President.

Mr. F. E. Hodgins, K.C., Mr. R. J. McLaughlin, K.C., and Mr. F. M. Field, Vice-Presidents.

ney.

Mr. W. C. Mikel, Recording Secretary.

Mr. R. J. Maclennan, Corresponding Secretary.
Mr. George C. Campbell, Treasurer.

Auditors: Mr. M. H. Ludwig and Mr. W. J. McWhin

The following gentlemen were elected members of the Council:-Messrs. W. A. Boys, J. H. Denton, Chas. Elliott, M. Houston, F. P. Betts, Geo. F. Henderson, J. Parker Thomas, D. Urquhart, C. L. Dunbar, M. H. Ludwig.

Mr. W. A. Boys.-Would it not be well to have some idea as to what the Legislature is going to do along the lines of Law Reform?

The President.-The Secretary will see that a copy of these proceedings is sent to the Attorney-General. They will also be published in full in The Canadian Law Review. Then a legislation sub-committee is provided for in the Constitution and By-laws, whose duty it will be to watch legislation and put the views of the Association before the Legislature.

Mr. G. C. Campbell.-I suppose in the interval between the meetings of this Association, the Council will have the duty of endeavouring to give effect to the views of this Association and have those presented to them. There are a great many matters which should have been discussed at this meeting to a far greater extent than time has permitted us to do; at the same time I do not think there is any alternative unless a meeting of the Association should be called more frequently than once a year, or if cause should arise, it might be called in the interim.

Mr. W. C. Mikel. Of course, Mr. President, as this meeting was necessarily a formative one at which we were really constituting the Association. I had not the oppor

tunity of taking up and discussing fully the matters of Law Reform; but provision is made in the Constitution for the Council to deal with matters of this kind in the interval, and also have power to call the Association together at any time it may be needed, and no doubt it would be necessary if it were understood that any measures of Law Reform were about to be introduced. Probably by next year we will have a number of amendments to the Constitution and By-laws that will be useful. We could not expect to do it all at once. We are growing gradually, and we think we are laying a foundation which will make a strong, vigorous and useful organization.

It was moved by Mr. W. A. Boys and seconded by Mr. W. J. McWhinney, that should a Law Reform Bill or other legislation of a similar character be introduced in the Ontario Legislature before the next regular meeting of this Association, that the Council of the Association and the Law Reform Committee be authorized and directed to attend upon the Ontario Cabinet or the Committee of the House having the Bill in charge, with a view to suggesting to the House any matters in connection with Law Reform which they deem in the interests of the profession or the administration of justice in the province. Carried.

Mr. W. A. Boys.-Mr. President, it seems to me that if a resolution were adopted requesting every County Law Association in the province to send at least one delegate to all these meetings and pay his expenses as it seems to me that it is to some extent a matter of expense, as men do not want to come a hundred miles at their own expense-that they might come in and that by so doing we would get a very representative gathering, and I think that it would ensure a fairly satisfactory meeting.

Mr. G. C. Campbell.-I must say that I am in favour as far as possible of this Association and feel with Mr. Boys that there is a good work for it to do. It is not merely to listen to addresses by eminent men, which is all very well, but it is also to consider the points or questions raised. We have the newspapers continually harping on the question of Law Reform. We have Mr. Armour here to-day, a man of long and wide experience, a most astute man, and he has expressed to us his ideas on that question. There were others

that were more radical in their views. Now this Association - should discuss these matters in detail, and if there are any questions in which the law can be reformed we should be prepared to point out wherein that can be done, and we should be prepared in advance if necessary to do so. That is one of the most important duties of this Association. The Bar has always been in the forefront in these matters of legislation, and matters affecting the public interest as well as matters affecting their own interest. That has been set clearly before us. Why should we not stand in that position? Why should matters of Law Reform be discussed by those who are not lawyers, and those who read the articles will see how really and effectively they would be, and I think if we took some attitude on that line by passing some resolutions in regard to any points that appear to be reforms, we would disarm a great deal of criticism, at all events we would be placing the matters in the light where criticism would fall harmlessly upon us. I would like at this meeting to have some matters of this kind discussed in detail. There are two or three matters which I would have liked to have brought forward myself, but time has not permitted it, but the Council of course can discuss and consider any resolutions which may be passed in the meantime and our members might possibly find an opportunity to be present at a meeting to be called, if it is proposed that any measure of Law Reform should be introduced at the coming session of the Legislature, and it might be well that the Association should take into consideration matters of that sort. I simply give expression to these views because I feel that if the Bar of Ontario is going to discharge its public duty apart from its private duty we must be active along that line.

Mr. J. Parker Thomas.-I expect to see before long a sufficient membership to enable us to have someone whom we can pay and who will be able to answer some of the criticisms which appear in the public print, where aspersions are cast on the Bar. As it is now, in our own journals the public never see them, and if we could get a reasonable membership we would have funds on hand to reply to these general criticisms as well as in watching legislation.

Moved by Mr. W. A. Boys, and seconded by Mr. W. J. Tremeear, that the various County Law Associations in the

province be requested to send at least one delegate to the regular meetings of this Association and that a copy of this resolution, together with a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association be sent to the Secretary of each County Association requesting the favourable consideration of the same at their regular meetings to be held in January.Carried.

Moved by Mr. C. W. Plaxton, seconded by Mr. George C. Campbell, that in case the Legislature shall introduce any important measure of law reform or law procedure that the Council shall call a special meeting of this Association to consider the same, with the object of presenting their views before the Committee of the House charged with such proposed legislation before it shall become law.—Carried.

Mr. W. J. McWhinney.-Before separating I would like to say one word. While the circular sent out did deal with the subjects which were brought before the Association, a great many did not get that circular until the last moment, and judging from what I heard to-day, I do not think that any real preparation was made by anybody except those who were asked to address the Association.

Now we have our Constitution and our By-laws and we have a general outline of the objects of the Association, and I think it would be well before long to call a meeting of the Association and ask the membership to come prepared with an expression of their views. I am strongly of the opinion that Mr. Armour really expressed the sentiment of the Bar, and at the same time I am strongly of the opinion that in regard to the matter of bills of costs that we should if possible do away with that friction which is caused between clients and their solicitors over bills of cost. The most successful professional men do not render any bills of costs; but as we know, there are times when it has to be done. We have already a practice in administration matters where costs are fixed by commission, and I think that could be largely followed in general practice as opposed to the idea of contract. The idea of contract is going to work very injuriously to a large portion of the profession. We have all got sufficient from the meeting to-day to create an interest in this matter, and I think it would be well if the Council should decide to call a meeting at an early date, after the different county associations have been notified