Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-27

IN 1874 TO $la5, DAB, $40 during the fiscal year
1882
THE VERMONT BAR ASSOCIATION.
Annual Neeting-Addrcss BY Hon.
Daniel Roberts.
The annual meetings Of the Bar Association
were begun n, Montpelier Tuesday evening,
in the court room. There were prestn', Hon.
Daniel Roberts the president Hon. Hoyt
II. Wheeler of Jamaica Judge Of the United
States District Court; Hon. Luke p. Poland !;
Hon. James NJ. Tyler of Brattcboro; Hon.
James l.. Martin, Speaker of the House ;
Hon. kittredge Haskins of Brattleboro ;
United States District Attorney Hon. Rod
ney G. Abel of West Haven; Hon. &. p.
Hogan of sheldon Hon. Warren G. French
of Woodstock Hon. William G. Shaw of
Burlington Hon. James j. Wilson of
Bethel Gilbert A. Davis, Esq, OF Windsor ;
Hon. William p. Dillingham; Clarence II.
Iitkin, Esq, secretary of the association ;
Phn. Chamberlain, Esq, and John II.
Watson, Esq, of Bradford Hon. L. Ii.
Thompson of lrasburgh Col. Aldace +.
Walker; Hon. b. +. Fitield -; George W.
Wing, Esq. Hon. Charles II. Heath; lIir-
am Carleton, Esq. Hon. NJ. A. Bingham
of Essex junction; W. d. Wilson, Esq !;
Col. Willard Harrington Guy G. Noble
Hon. HcnryC. Idc; &C. Bodies, Esq, of Bel
lows Falls; +. W. Smith, ESD, OF Wells
River: Ex-Governor Farnham; Waldo Big
ham, Esq, and G.. W. Burlcson, Esq, of
Bakersfield; Joseph A. Wing, Esd $. c.
shurtlen, Esq. Hon. John w. Stewart ;
Ashton II. Willard, Esq Hon. +. j. Orms.
bee of Brandon Hiram "A. iiuse Esq. F.; Hon.
George W. Harmon of Bennington w. w.
Stickney, Esq, Of Ludlow Salmon b.
Hebard, Esq, OF Chelsea Heman S. Royce
Esq, of St. Adams; George NJ. Fisk, Esq,
OF Norhfeld John W. Senter, Esq, of
Warren; c. G. Austin, Esq, of Hishgate :
Robert Roberts, Esq, .ot Burlington; Myron
Buck, Esq, of st. Adams; I. j. Dcavitl,
l.. l.. Duran, Esq, Zed NJ. Stanton, Esq.
the Hon. Lyman 4. Knapp of Middlebury !;
Col j. II. Lucia of Nergenues and others.
Governor Batstow, Chief Judge Royce and
Judges Redfisld. Ross, Powers, Neazcy and
Rowells State Treasurer Dubois, and large
assemblHgc Of the general public were prcs-
emit The courthouse was filled.
MIR. Roberts Address.
Mr. Roberts called the meeting to order at
half-past seven and then delivered the annual
address He first referred to the neurology
of the year Chief Judge Picrpont, the Hon.
A. Il. Gardner, Bennington; Charles n.
Davenport, Esq, of Bratteboro, and others.
He said that the new rules of the Bar had
been adopted and were in force in BGnning-
ton Rutland, Chittendcn, franklin, LamOillc,
Caledonia, Windsor and Windham. lie then
proceeded to review the progres of the law
during the last fifty years, which was the main
subject Of his address. His description OF
the amcoration of the debtors law was
very interesting. Imprisonment for deb,
lasted in this State until sometime in 1882,
and had once been very harsh indeed. Money
was scarce in those early days and goods
were payable in barter, and lawyers were
dependent for Il livelihood upon the bringing
of an immense number of small collecting
suits. There was plenty of business of Il
small kind. Mr. Roberts then ajverted to
the present state of our law of attachment
upon mcsne process and of attachment OF the
body, and deprecated their existence. They
need not now be upon the statute books, il
the people were not better than the law. He
favored the abolition of all attachment pend.
ing the suit and the increase OF the means OF
collecting the judgment upon execution.
Our law was as detective IN giving the plain
ill proper machinery for collecting his deb,
after executions, as 1t was unjust IN allowing
the plaintiff to harass the defendant before il
was shown that he had any real basis for his
suit. Mesne attachment should only he nj
lowed in extreme cases, made plain to the
court by affidavit. Mr.. Roberts then traced
the growth Of the beneficent homestead act
and of the enlargement OF the rights oil
women, married and single the permission
| Of parties to testify "a revolution in itself
| in the processes OF invostgation), and
| in which, as has always been the case, We were
| more conservative than England herself; the
abolition of the religious test of the qualltica
ton of witnesses. lie glanced at the amcli
Grafton Of the criminal law the simplificaliOr
of indictments, and eulogized the plain
practical and humane way in which criminal
Jurisprudence was now administered. In
| reference to the learning of the bar he mus,
say that the lawyers of fifty years ago were
better read in their Gritty, and better vcrscd
| IN the art of the law than now cases were
more closely tried than now with nicel
adherence to rules and teChnicalties Still
he need not be iauddtor tempOris acG. The
| younger members of the bar were in every
way worthy of unfolding its pristine reputa
ton and honor, and he could safely leave tht
| welfare OF the profession in their hands.
Mr.. Roberts was rewarded with hearty APP
plausc.
The remainder of the evening was takel
up with the reading of sketch of the late
| Charles n. Davenport Of Brattleboro by
| Hon. kittredge llaskins and OF u sketch Of
| the late ID. lien Rogers of Wells River by
Hon, Roswell Farnham.
The Business Meeting.
The business meeting was held in til,
grand jury room at the court house at II
o'clock Wednesday morning. The report o.
tue last annual meeting was read. On mo
ton of the Hon. Luke p. Poland com
mittee of five was appointed by the presdcn
to report nominations for officers Of the as
ISOLATION for the ensuing year, and Mr., Rob
erts appointed rs such committee Roswell
Farnham, 5. G. Shurtletf, +. f. Woodbridge
ii. c. Adams and kit,redge Haskins. On
motion Of the Hon. c. ii. Heath the commit
tee was instructed to report at an adjourned
meeting to be held at s p. m. The treas
urer's report was read and accepted showing
q balance h the treasury OF over $500. Thu
report of the committee to draft revised rule
for The admission of attorneys to county ant
Supreme Courts was read and laid on tn
table for future action. The proposed rule
make several changes, the most important 0
which are that person proposing to stud
law shall file notice of his intention aud
certificate of where, when, and with whom
he began the study, and the certificate Of tn
attorney with whom he studies that he is 81
engaged with the clerk of the county wher
he so begins and that the three years stud
required shall date from such filing; tina
every applicant for admission shall file wit
the clerk of the county where he resides, u
least IA days before the session of the gener
al term of the Supreme Court, his applica
ton for admission and aiidavits that he ha
actually performed the studies requiIed, AN
of his good moral character; that such ap
picants shall be thoroughly and impartial
examined publicly on the I'd Tuesday.of sue
general term at the place where it is held b.
a committee Of 3 to be appointed by sue
CONT, who shall report in writing. The pro
posed amendment to the constitution of til