The Express.
London, England, 1864-07-02 00:00:00

LAW REPORTING.

A meeting of the bar was held yesterday in Lin-
coln's-tea Hall, to consider the report of the committee on
law reporting. The ATTOLNIri•GEIERAL presided, and
there was a very large attendance of harriaters. This report
has been already published.
The CHAIRYAN explained that on the god of December
last a committee was appointed to consider whether some
improved plan might not be devised for preparing and pub-
lishing law reports. That committee bad endeavoured to
perform their duty conscientiously, and whatever opinion
might be entertained as to the plan recommended, the
profession generally must feel indebted to them
for the trouble they had taken. It was no
part of his (the Attorney-General's) duty to say a word
on the report itself, or to prejudice the opinions of any one
present on the one way or the other. He should be glad
if the meeting could have been Mild at a later period, so
that more time might have been afforded to the profession
to consider the report before they were called upon to vote
upon it, but there was no option between bolding the
meeting now and leaving the whole matter to stand over
until after the loot vacation. Under these circumstances
the committee thought it right that the bar should be
• invited to meet that day to consider the report.
Mr. ANirill.trr moved the firat resolution :—" That the
report of the committee appointed at the general
meeting of the her held in Lincoln's-inn Hall en
Wednesday, the god day of December, 1863,
and the scheme recommended therein, be adopted."
Mr. F. J arcs, Q.C., seconded the motion, (keening that
he did not agree in all the details of the proposed scheme,
but on the understanding that it was to be subject from
time to time to such modificatioos as might be necessary
for the benefit of the profession, he was induced to recom-
mend the adoption of the report in its entirety.
Mr. Brat, who was very indistinctly beard, commented
upon that part of the scheme which proposed that editors
should be appointed at high salaries to revise the reports,
and asked whether they were to have the power of ex-
punging, or whether they were to be merely clerks at a
high salary. He moved as an =madman that that part of
the recommendation which referred to the sopervision by
editors be omitted.

Mr. 31u.i.ga (reporter of Vies-Chancellor Wood's court),
who argued that the scheme u proposed would deprive them
of all control over their own reports. and put an end to the
iodependence of the reporters, seconded the •roeridroeut. He
objected to the proposed superintending council, es well as
to editor, _ _

Mr. N% ORDSWORTH, Q.C., urged that they ought to have
more time to consider the report before they were celled
upon to decide upon it, and moved the adjournment of the
discussion to some day in November next, to be fixed by
the Attorney-General.
Mr. MALI.III. Q.C., secotided the motion of adjournment.
Sir H. CAIRNS thought it very reasonable that the profes-
sion should have more time to consider the scheme.

After wale remarks from oue or two other barristers,
The motion for adjourning the debate, se proposed by lir.
Wordsworth, was agreed to.
The AITOILIIZT•GVIZRAL, in putting the question, Viand
a laugh by remarking that he supposed It was meant that
the Attorney-General who might be in office in November
should fix the day when the adjourned meatus& should take
place.