The motion to refer to the Committee on Judicial Admin istration and Remedial Procedure was adopted. Report in the Appendix.) Charles S. Bradley, of Rhode Island: (See the I suggest that they shall report to the Association. I believe that there is no such clause in the preceding resolution, in regard to what I may term "the Philadelphia plan." Is it or is it not understood that the committee has power to act, without reporting to this Association? The President: If it is for the Chair to decide, the answer would be that it has not. The committee has no power to act unless it is distinctly given. They would only have power to report. Edward Otis Hinkley, of Maryland: There is nothing in the reference, Mr. President, of the matter to the Committee on Judicial Administration to give them power to act in any matter. Nathaniel W. Ladd, of Massachusetts: In regard to the resolution offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, as I understand, the committee will report at the next Annual Meeting of this body. If that is not so. I now move that they be requested to make such a report. The motion was seconded. The President: It is virtually an addition to the resolution of reference, that the committee to whom that resolution has been referred be requested to make a report at the next Annual Meeting of this Association. W. II. II. Russell, of New York: I accept the amendment. The President : As the resolution has already been passed, it is necessary for the Association to act upon it, otherwise I would allow the gentleman to accept the amendment at once. Upon a vote being taken to add to the resolution as stated by the President, the same was adopted. The President: There seems to be no further reports from the official bodies provided by this Association, and therefore any miscellaneous business is in order. Frank P. Pritchard, of Pennsylvania, offered the following: Resolved, That the paper read by Judge Thompson on "Abuses of the Writ of Habeas Corpus," he referred to the Committee on Jurisprudence and Law Reform, to report as to the best method of remedying such abuses. The resolution was adopted. J. Hubley Ashton, of the District of Columbia: I desire to call attention to a brief resolution in relation to an event which has saddened the hearts of a great many members of this Association, and has occasioned, I think, a loss almost irreparable to the profession and to the country. I refer to the death of Jeremiah S. Black. Judge Black was not a member of this Association, and some doubt has been expressed by a number of the members in regard to the propriety of our noticing the death of any member of the profession, however distinguished, who was not connected with us. I myself have no difficulty in regard to that. As a general rule, of course, this Association has not felt itself called upon, and will not in the future feel called upon, to notice the death of distinguished lawyers throughout the country who are not members of this Association: but the case of Judge Black seems to me, and I think has seemed to many members of the Association, an exceptional one. He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished men of our profession. He was beyond all question one of the greatest advocates that the legal profession has ever embraced within its ranks. He was Attorney General of the United States, and I think it may be said that he was one of the greatest law officers of this government. I think the Association may well consider that in honoring his memory it is honoring itself. I therefore offer this resolution: Resolved, That the American Bar Association has learned with deep regret of the recent death of Jeremiah S. Black, an eminent citizen and jurist of the state of Pennsylvania, formerly Chief Justice of that state, and Attorney General and Secretary of State of the United States, and hereby express the sincere and heartfelt sympathy of each and all of its members with the family of the deceased in their great affliction. Resolved, That the President and Secretary of the Association and the Chairman of the Executive Committee are requested, as a special committee of the Association, to transmit to the widow of the late Judge Black a copy of the foregoing resolution. The President : Since reference has been made to the fact that this is an extraordinary case, and that some doubt may have been expressed as to its coming within the purview of the ordinary action of the Association, as your presiding officer. I have no hesitation in saying that I feel it is competent to put this question to the American Bar Association. The circumstances in the life of the distinguished deceased, the position which he held, and the fact that he was carried to his tomb at the very moment of our assembling, would seem to call upon us to give utterance to the effusions of our hearts; and though the notes of lamentation do burst forth from every quarter of this great country, yet we. the members of the bar, mourn the loss of our illustrious brother with a sadness of our own. I therefore have no hesitancy in putting this resolution before you for adoption. The resolution was adopted by a rising vote. Luke P. Poland, of Vermont: As there is no further business to be brought before the Association at this time, I move that the public meetings of the Association be adjourned. The motion was seconded. The President: The motion is that we now adjourn the public meetings of this our Sixth Annual Convention, with the understanding that we meet for the purpose of partaking of our annual dinner at half-past eight o'clock this evening. The meeting was then adjourned sine die. EDWARD OTIS HINKLEY, Secretary. |