New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-17
THE NARRO yNESS OF THE Law.
JUDGE HoADLY URGES THE NEED or A BASIS or
sIInY 1 I'LL I,NcL IN rrrcurrxx

JUDGE HoADLY URGES THE NEED or BASIS OF
STUDY LARGER THAN ENGLISH PRECEDENT
Saratoga, ~ Y, Aug. 16 (speciaD.-George Hoadly,
of New-York, former Governor OF Ohio delivered the
annual address before the Bar Association to-
day. There large attendance OF leading lawyers
of the country, who literally rewarded Mr. Hoadiy
with applause. His address was largely criticism
OIL American lawyers for their too close dependence
upon English law and neglect OF the law OF Conti-
mental Europe. British law opinions guided them,
whereas the law-books Of Frenchmen, Germans and
Italians should also be consulted
At this very moment Mr. IIoadly said, John
Dillon, than whom, BY the admission OF HIS political
antagonists themselves, pure and lofty spirit
has enriched the annals OF his native land since the
death OF Robert Emmett, languishes I'm the hospital
OF Dundalk Jail, condemned to prison for term not
to expire until December next, for words which, when
spoken, violated law, and became illegal only by
subsequent executive and legislative action, and this
is the land whose abhorrent and barbarous customs
furnish the basis OF our unwritten law. 1t to
me that he to whom + assigned the duty perform
to-day holds brief IN prosecution isatcd by tho
American bar against Itself, IN which the accused Is
In danger of conviction OF feasance Of the charge
OF doing In its day and generation less than might
have been done for the relief Of stors and the i'm
provemcnt Of the laws. An which largely retards
the advance Of legal education and progress IS seems
TO me- the general impression among lawyers and
teachers u the law that need TO study no other
too often Intellectually In En- gland only, and not In
the world. They are provincial not cosmopollfan
Our legal ideas founded on the notion that ths
customs OF the people OF the southern part OF lttle
island In the North Atlantic Ocean have in the past
ages crystazed into rules OF action, either actually
or potentially, adapted most II not ALL emergencies
But the American people not the English people,
nor OF exclusively English descent Germans, Cells
scandnavans, spaniards, Frenchmen and Italians
enter into our midst and become American citizens
when our people become hOmogcneou a century
or two hence, shall present TO the world a new
people, an American people, not English, Teuonic
or scandinavian people people Of which the founda.
ton may be English, I'm England # IS Saxon but
IN which shall be distinctly trsceable llneaments Of
all its ancestry not English alone but Of its scotchA
Irish, German, spanish, French and Italian fathers
The consequence of the elect Of this matter i'm
the study of law in this country is and al
most If not quite insupporable tendency on the part
of the courts against legal progress With the face
OF Inquiry turned backward, how can forward motion
be expected! ~
The Committee on Jurisprudence and Law Reform
submitted a bill for establish courts Of arb.
traton for the settlement Of trade disputes The
measure authorizes the judges of United States courts
to appoint arbrators where the request is made by
business men, The committee which has for its men,
bers Simeon +. Baldwin, Henry Hitchcock, George T.
Bispham John T. Dillon and John NJ. Butler, frankly
says that the services OF the New-York City Court Of
Arbitration rarely invoked and adds II we arc
asked whether we expect capitalists who RESPONSE
bio t. be ready TO consent TO arbitration 10 such
questions rates of wages with employees Organlzei
or not, who are irresponsible, reply thar think
they seldom Will. Experience shows, however that
they sometimes do, and whenever they are ready
would prov lde the best and spcedest way. We he
cve the experiment worth trying, simply for tho
benefit Of employees and employers, but offer 10
ali parties In any controversy of the character
sary to support the jurisdiction Of cheap. speedy and
informal way or bringing IL 10 final settlement
The committee also reported acts 20 prevent fraudu
lent divorces and to make valid marriage contracts by
Americans in foreign lands.