St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-08
STATE BAR ASSOCIATION.
Election Of Officers and Banquet-Interesting
Paper by Judge BabcOck.

Wilson, the meeting was called to order BY
I. V. D. Heard.
After the reading and approval of the min
utes, the report Of the committee on admis
sion was read. The report recommends the
admission of the following persons to mem
bership:
F. B. Hart, Frank T. Davis, j. B. Gilfllan,
J. c. Worrall, Albert B. Ovitt, Minneapolis
E. P. Sanborn, Ansel Oppenheim, st. Paul ;
G. s. Fernald, A. T. Foster, Brainerd; j. L.
Twomley, Faribault 81. j. Peck, Shakopee
H. s. Bassett, Preston; Fl. c. Grass, Currie
s. H. Hudson, Benson.
The report was approved and adopted.
On motion, Messrs. Williston, Williams
! and Levi were appointed by the chair COM
mittee on nomina atoms.
The secretary announced that he had re-
ceived a letter from Judge Wilson, statfng
his inability to be present and thanking the
association for the honor conferred upon
him.
Hon. G. G. Williston of Rochester offered
the following resolution, which was adopted
ResoI0ed, That a committee of three be ap
pointed by the chair to report at the October
meeting upon the ACCESSIBILITY of codifying OF
revising the probate laws and practice of the
Hon. E. A. Hendrickson ofSt. Paul offered
resolution that committee of three be
appointed by the president of this associa-
ton for the purpose of reporting at the Octo-
Der meeting upon the ACCESSIBILITY of revis-
ion of the laws of this state relating to cor
porations. The resolution was adopted.
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES.
The committee on nominations presented
the following names:
For President-P. NJ. Babcocb, Mime
apolis.
Vice Presidents-J. N. Searles, Saltwater;
c. E. Flandrau, St. Paul; G. G. Wilson,
Rochester; J. N. Shaw, Minneapolis; George
n. Barton, Faribault; Daniel Buck, Mankato;
j. w. Mason, Fergus Falls; E. Southworth,
Shakopee; G.. S. Ives, st. Peter;H R. Wells,
Preston: w. W. Billson, Duluth; I. A.
Plumley, Litchfeld; Fl. G. Grass, Currie,
Secretary-H. F. Stevens, ST. Paul.
Treasurer-W. H. Sanborn, ST. Paul.
Committee on Admssion-First district,
L. E. Thompson, Saltwater: Second, Charles
E. Otis, St. Paul; Third, Arthur L. Gore,
Rochester; Fourth, R. c. Benton, Minneap-
oils; Fifth, L. L. Wheelock, Owatonna;
Sixth, W. J. Wilkinson, Wells; Seventh, D..
B. Searles, St. Cloud; Eighth, H. j. Peck,
Shakopee; Ninth, John Lind, Tracy; Tenth,
j. HI. Parker, Albert Lea; Eleventh, j. D..
Ensign, Duluth; Twelfth, L. C.. Spooner,
Morris.
Executive Committee. V. D. Heard, St.
Paul; W. j. Hahn, Minneapolis; j. n.
Castle. Saltwater; W. H. Gale, Winona; s.
R. Kitchell, Minneapolis.
Committee on Professional Conduct-C.
K Davis, st. Paul; E NJ. Wilson, Minneap.
oils; M. P. Wilson, Winona; Stanford New
ell, st. Paul; Gordon E. Cole, Faibaut.
Committee on jurisprudence and Law Re-
form-A. B. jackson, Minneapolis; G. D.
Kerr, St. Paul; Henry Kinds, Shakopee
Homer G. Eller, st. Paul; B. S. Lewis, Wa
SEGA.
Committee on Legal History and Biography
Isaac Atwater, Minneapolis; Henry !. Horn,
st. Paul; C. H. Berry, Winona.
The report of the committee was unani-
mously adopted.
On motion the meeting adjourned to meet
the first day Of the October term of court at
O'Clock P. IN.
FEDERAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM
The secretary read the following address
by Judge P. M. Babock of Minneapolis upon
the Federal judicial SYSTEM:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the State
Bar Association: In the hurry and tumult of
the active business life of the present we are
apt to forget the difficulty and importance of
the formation of our federal judicial system,
and propose to suggest for your considera-
ton some of the circumstances and difficult
ties under which the system was nodded {.
At the close of the revolution one of the
most important and difficult problems which
confronted the founders of our government
was how to frame a judicial system of
government, and which should be at the
same time accep table, agreeable and just to
the people, and not infringe upon the rights
of the several states nor upon the other CO.
ordinate branches Of the government.
Happily for the country the men who were
charged with this important and difficult task
fully understood and appreciated the impor-
lance of the undertaking and the difficulties
which confronted them.
Prior to our independence, the judges of
the several colonies held Office at the king IS
pleasure. He appointed and removed them
whenever his whims and caprices moved
him to do so. His authority in the premises
was
SUPREME AND ABSOLUTE.
But this system went down with the success
of our revolution, and the control 'of the
whole judicial machinery fell to the several
states, but not in their collective capacity.
From the close of the revolution in 1888
until the adoption of our constitution in
1857, all national as well as other question
were referred to and disposed of by the
courts of the several states. The EN- bar
rassment and propriety of such system
can readily be imagined when it is
considered that each state was vested
with equal jurisdiction with every other state
The determination Of any question By its
supreme tribunal, whether such question
arose under the laws Of the respective states
or under the articles Of confederation were
EQUALLY POTENT AND CONCLUSIVE.
The continental congress 50 far assumed the
exercise of judicial functions, as to deter
mine all territorial disputes between the
states, but 1t was powerless to enforce its
judgments. In the absence of any national
judicial tribunal all questions affecting the
construction of the articles of confederation
were necessarily submitted to and deter
mined by the supreme court of some one of
the states, and experience soon demon
strated that this was one OF the weak points
in the organization Of government under
the articles of confederation; as the ideas
and opinions OF Tue people OF the several
states we're so radically different upon all
questions pertaining to the organization and
functions of our peculiar system of govern
ment, that as many different opinions would
be rendered as there we're tribunals to express
them. Our forefathers had given this natter
so much and
SUCH SERIOUS CONSIDERATION
that when the convention met to frame our
constitution, notwithstanding the great
difference Of opinion which then existed be-
tween the dominant factions respecting the
nature Of our federal compact, the whole
people clamored for national Judiciary
some tribunal which should be the final
arhiter Of all questions affecting the rights
of the states among themselves.