GENERAL PROCEEDINGS.

FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

ATLANTA, GA., August 8, 1888.

The Georgia Bar Association met in Fulton Superior Courtroom and was called to order by President Walter B. Hill.

The President: Gentlemen, the Association will please come to order. Under the power given by the by-laws to the Executive Committee to arrange business for the Association, they have furnished me with the following programme: First, the report of the Executive Committee, Hon. A. O. Bacon, chairman.

Mr. Bacon: Mr. President, the duties of the Executive Committee are largely those which lead to the arrangement for the meetings of the Association and consist of details which are not necessary to report upon to the Association; the committee therefore directs me to limit the report simply to those matters which are of present importance.

First. That we have examined the accounts of the Treasurer and find them correctly and properly kept. The publication of the proceedings of the last meeting of the Association was delegated by the committee to Mr. Lumpkin, and that duty has been discharged by him in a manner which I am sure will be gratifying to every member of this Association who has had occasion to examine it.

The only other matter which they deem proper now to call to the attention of the Association is the order of exercises which has been furnished to the President, and which will be found published in to-day's paper. I do not know whether it

will be the desire of the Association that that shall be read or not. If so, the Secretary will furnish it for that purpose. In it will be found the arrangement which has been made for the

business and for the pleasure of the Association during this meeting.

I will simply add that in addition to what will be found stated in the published programme, there have been rooms secured at the Kimball House as head-quarters of the Association, for social and other purposes. Rooms number 102 and 104 are open for the convenience of members of the Association and all are invited to make themselves at home there during the session of the Association.

There is nothing further, I believe, for the committee to report upon.

The President: If there is no objection the report of the committee will be received and considered adopted. The next item of business is the report of the Treasurer, Mr. Bar

nett.

Mr. Barnett rendered his report. (See Appendix No. 1.)

The President: Is any action suggested by the Association relative to the Treasurer's report? If not it will be considered as received and adopted.

Gentlemen, the next item on the programme is the delivery of the President's address.

The President then delivered his address. (See Appendix No. 2)

The President: Gentlemen, the next item of business is the presentation of the report of the special committee on the relations of this Association to the National Bar Association. Mr. Bishop is the chairman of that committee.

Mr. Bishop: Mr. Chairman, that report has been lodged with the Secretary by the committee.

The President: Will the Secretary please read the special report, or else designate some gentleman who will read it ?

The Secretary: I have another duty to perform in behalf of the Association, and I will request that Mr. Bishop, who is a member of the committee, read it. I will state that there are printed copies here and the members will perhaps find it very convenient to follow the reading.

Mr. Bishop then presented the report. (See Appendix No. 3.)

The President: The report of the committee is before the body. What action shall be taken? Judge Thompson has not yet come from the Kimball House, and there is time to discuss and act upon this report, perhaps, while we are awaiting his arrival.

Mr. Fleming: I would like to ask for information from the committee whether or not they think it advisable to affiliate with the National Bar Association this year. I see by the report that it meets to-morrow. I ask for information, for of course some motion will be made.

Mr. Bishop: I think if this Association should see fit to act with them, and delegates are appointed to-day, they can leave here to-night and arrive there to-morrow or to-morrow night. That association will remain in session for at least three days, I presume. If we desire to connect ourselves with it at all, I think there is time to be represented there at this meeting.

The President: Gentlemen, we will suspend the further consideration of this report and will now listen to Judge Thompson's address. Gentlemen, there devolves upon me now the pleasant duty of introducing Judge Seymour D. Thompson, of Missouri, who will deliver the annual address.

Judge Thompson was received with applause and read his paper. (See Appendix No. 4.)

The President: The hour for the afternoon session has been fixed at 4 o'clock by the Executive Committee, and this will be so understood unless changed by a vote of the Association. The programme for this afternoon will be taken up at the point where it was left off at the hour of 12. A disposition will be made of Mr. Bishop's report and then we will have a report of the Committee on Legal Ethics, of which Mr. Dessau is chairman, who is present, and then we will go on.

Mr. Hillyer: Mr. President, I hope I do not trespass upon the order in the suggestion which was made, and that is I desire to make a motion that our distinguished orator, to whom we have listened with so much pleasure, be requested to remain in the hall a few moments in order that those of us who have not had an opportunity to be presented to him be allowed to meet him.

Mr. Thompson: I will remain with pleasure.

Adjourned to 4 o'clock.

AFTERNOON SESSION-4 O'CLOCK.

The President: The Association will come to order. The order of business before the meeting at the time of the suspension of the regular order, was the consideration of a report of the special committee on the relations of this Association to the National Bar Association.

Mr. Bishop: I offer the following resolutions:

"Resolved, That this Association connect itself with the National Bar Association, and that the President appoint sixteen delegates to that association, dividing them into three classes, for one, two and three years respectively, their appointment to take effect, however, from the next annual meeting of said National Bar Association,

Resolved further, That the Treasurer of this Association remit to the Treasurer of the National Bar Association the sum of $80 at its next annual meeting to pay the annual dues of said delegates.

Resolved further, That the report of the special committee appointed to report upon the relations between this Association and the National Bar Association be adopted, and that the Treasurer pay the expenses incurred by said committee as set forth in said report."

Mr. Bacon: Mr. President, I think that is a matter that ought not to be voted on without some discussion and consideration, and I only rise because the chair was about to put the motion, and I desire some information myself before I vote on it. I regret very much that we have so small an attend

ance.

I think this is a very important matter. I do not wish to be understood at present as opposing the resolutions. I want some information before I can give them my support. We have now

a National Bar Association under the name of the American Bar Association, which has annual meetings and which is an organization which contemplates an association and an affiliation with all the State Bar Associations, and which has a representative in each State. I forget the names of the particular officers, but there are in the organization officers who represent each State; and the information I want is this: in what particular will the new organization, denominated the National Bar Association, accomplish any purpose which cannot now be accomplished by the American Bar Association? That is an association which, as I have said, is already organized, which has a membership of between two and three thousand ―possibly more than that-distributed into every State and Territory of the United States. It may be true, and doubtless is true, that the new association, the National Bar Association, will promote some particular ends which it has in view which have not been

announced as the particular purpose of the American Bar Association. But the enunciation which has heretofore been made of the American Bar Association is not to be considered exhaustive of all the purposes which may hereafter be promoted. I do not think it is to the interests of this Association, which always has an official connection with the American Bar Association, to an extent that it has sent delegates or representatives I do not think it is to the interest of this Association to connect itself with two National Associations, unless the purposes which we havs in view cannot be fully subserved by the one we are already connected with. I would be glad if the honorable gentleman who was a delegate to the National Bar Association, and who now offers these resolutions, would give us the information in what particular will a new organization advance the general purposes which we have in view, and which the American Bar Association cannot also equally advance. If there are things which it is desired to be done, and which the American Bar Association has not already done, it seems to me it is entirely competent for the membership of that association to bring it to the attention of that association, and if it is a worthy object, and if it has a commendable purpose, it seems to me it would certainly secure attention and support, and with that thought in my mind only, and with no feeling of hostility to the association, I desire to have information before I can vote, and for the purpose of eliciting information from the gentleman, and with the hope of eliciting expressions from other members present, I have ventured to make these suggestions.

Mr. Reese: Mr. President, if I heard that resolution read right it speaks of an appropriation. Is that so?

Mr. Bishop: Yes. The resolution is for the Treasurer of this Association to remit to the Treasurer of the National Bar Association $80 at the next annual meeting, for the purpose of paying the annual dues of delegates.

Mr. Reese: All that I wish to bring to the attention of the gentleman further is to this point, that it seems in relation to the other bar association, the American Bar Association, that all these expenses devolve upon the gentlemen who were admitted as members. I know I was made a member several years ago of the American Bar Association, and I have always paid my own dues, and I suppose it is the same with those other gentlemen from Georgia, and it looks to me that it is the right way to continue it on the same line and not to pay the admission fees