, 1873-06-29
Revival of the War Between Hembers
of the Bar and Members Of
the Law Institute.
Bill Filed By Member Of the Bar for
the Possession Of the Law.
Books Sent to Chicago
After the Fire.
Allegations Of an Extraordinary
Nature---For Whom: We're
the Books Intended?
The Troubles and Responsibilities Of Interpreting
The Intentions of the Charitable

The Troubles and Responsibilities OF Interpreting
The intentions Of the Charitable.
Thomas 7. Sutherland, " on behalf Of himself
and ell other unsatisfed persons equally lnter-
ested with himself, who shall come IN ano con- ;
+rhnte to the expenses Of this sui" yesterday I
filed bill in the Superior Court, praying that
the Chicago Law Institute may be compeueo W I
render full and perfect account OF oil the INV
books aud all the suns Of money "hco i
vcro sent to Chicago Subsequent 20 tne
great 1iro Of 1871, to the baF OF the cl's'
and also to the Institute for the use OF saao o*1'
and all uaettors and things connecteo tne1o".'u'
and that said books enc money may DO placeo ~
the possession and under the oons:o1 OF Lie oa'o
Bar of the city, to be controlled and taken cte
AZ the ucnbors Of the Bar may SEQ MT tha1 Inc
snid Institute Re restrained BY n2unc81on Ill a.s
yay refusing complainant, or persons oauan5
interested with himself, the privilege OF iooAlns
ut and using said books without cost ano 1of
further relief.
Complainant shows that in July, 1871, no ne~
came practising lawyer OF respectapln'S III t1,o
courts OF Chicago, and has been contanuAl1S
since and is now, lawyer Of respectsbilty, prao-
~AAN
bor Of the bar and legal profession !; that On the
8t}, and 9Th of October, 1871, nearly all the Inv
offices Of Chicago wc1o destroyed in the greas
fire.. i>.ludine the law-books contained therein
~ ven es the public library, so-caled, OF
the Chicago Law Institute that nearly every
layyec in tie city lost all the law-books he pos
seesed. the entire profession, 600 in NUMBER
being lett entirely without books to aid them IN
ti,<r pursuits; that complainant's law Abrary
vas Of the Value of $500. and that he Taa 1e1t
entirely without the books necessary to him to
oractica. and deprived Of all his earthly pos
aeseions except the sui. Of clothes upon his per
son that the extent Of the calanity caused by
tha fra moved the whole world to 3
generous and indiscriminate sympathy tof
the sufrcrere and also to q special
sv7nnathy for tho unfortunate lawyers;
and that, for many months Afterwards etate7:
cities. and individuals sent lnrgo numoe17 OF
laE-books, md large Sums OF money 20 W
used in tho purchase Of la~,b books as as .;e iIGe
Gift to the lawyers Of the city who had !oss 1ao!1
iew-books in the fire, with the infant that sucn
hooks should be placed in and form pubic
liIrery to DO forever thereafter devoted to the
free use Of each and every one o. sa'd a@ye1S,
current Current expenses for taking caro- Of and keep,
;nr mn said donated books and Library and
that tic valu: Of such donated books and tne 1
money donated aggregated $lo,o9 OF 5la "Mcn
donntions was ono from the Hon. Joel Parker,
tn tha Nayor Of Chicago, for the free use and
Further, that large proportion Of said books
md money vas sent to the Bar OF Chicago py
addrtss. OF TO certain individuals, for the Tree
use and benefit of said Bar, and the balance to 3
certain corporation known as the Chicago Law
Institute, the latte, as the complainant charges
the fact TO- be- for ne nar tFe' Of use t6o ctg ag
that the whole Of said books and money SO sent
to tle said Institute were forwarded with the be-
lief and Intention that they would in that man-
ner more certainly reach tbs Bar; that mmea1-
atelv after the fire, the members OF the sald IN
stitu5e and their friends circulated statements
throughout the world that the 6aid 1nstlt 1te
contained in it's membership all or aear
ly all Of the members sanno OF +he 'n9 i1nn1es pa
y aua and money norego that % might Be- made 70 tht
sud institute would in reality be
gift to said Bar and that john Il. "l1sGn, ~. "
the 2Sth OF October, 1871, also sent out . clrcu'
lar asking contributions to the Bar Vi me G!ty,
representing TINT the better way Of sending
would be direct to 6ald institute, as oeng ~ ot
appeals we're published at the time IN the city
newgpapc-s, and a1e familiar to the reader and
that in response to said ~. appeal p.;4x: many my
donations were .rEao aent t%at 10 the i; elt no
true, as represented III eaid appeals: that nearly
ali the LAWYERS Of tho city we're members ofsaie
Institute, or that they afterwards became mem
bers. the fact being that not moro than lou la"
vors were members, out Of tho GOO members Of
the Bar then practicing in the city and nj
charges that not more than fifty members hav'
ioined the Institute since the fire, and that ever
those would not have joined had 1t not been L 10
the conduct of said Institute Us hereafte
stated
Further, that said 1aw-books aud money, q
they arrived, were taken possession Of ~ tn
said Institute, and appropriated to tne ne e1clueas
use and benefit Of the members OF sad corpora
ton. to the disregard of the rights OF tho Ba
who we're not members, said institution 1efusl1'
ever since to allow the members Of the Bar nc
members of the Institute, to e1am1ne or @
any way derive benefit from any OF such dona
tions, even on the payment by each OF 6al
lawyers Of his pro rata share OF tn
current expenses of caring for SAID BOOKS
that the institution is stock company, and
one member were fortunate enough to bu
up the stock Of the other members, he Woul
become the Institute, and might appropriate tn
whole Of said property to bus Individual use
That, with the money thus donated, the Inst!
. tute purchased books, and added them to thel
own private stock, then Of the value Of $3.50
only.
command of the douauon ethus received and ap
proprated by the Institute, and charges tia
zach donation was accompanied by eEidenc
that it Was intended for the Bar generally
and not such members OF the Bar only a
belonged to the Institute. de tnen goes on :
say tha: on the lat Of March, 1872, he vent
the rooms of said Institute, and took down frol
the shelves three law-books, part Of tho book
donated to the Bar, Of which he WAS membot
for the sole purpose Of examining them whe
an officer Of said Institute told him he could nc
look at said books unless he became membe
OF the Institute, and complainant asked th
terms ct membership, which were state
at s25 per year for the first two year.
and S25 per year, together with the assess
ments for the next two years, S25 bein
payable on joining, whereupon complnir
Int, refusing to become member, was o'
dered to leave, and afterwards having gon
through q simi1ar scene with the librarian, lef
protesting ttat he was willing to pay ii
ebargo for the cost Of keeping the books, br
would not enter close and high tariff corport
ton, since which peiod he has never ;a entere nte
And ho charges that the said Inst
tute has deprived him of the mucl
needed and wished for privilege OF feferr11