Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-10-02
NEWS ABvUT TOWN.
Contracts Discussed Before
the Law Students.
A VERY INTERESTING LECTURE,
Good Feeling Between Los Angeles
and Chicago-Other Events
of Local Interest.

The regular meeting Of the Nom bers o.
the Law Students Association held last
Enight in Judge Van Dykes courtroom, in
the Abstract building, was we'll attended
by both the students and members of
the bar, every seat in the room being oc-
cupied.
The proceedings were opened by
President F. M. Rsymund, who an
nounced that the meeting.closed the ad.
ministration of the first officers of the
association, which was founded three
months ago by Mr.. Leroy Peyton, now
of San Francisco, but formerly of this
city. In brief bat interesting address
Mr.. Raymund reviewed the progress of
the association since it's permanent
organization on the first Tuesday in July
last, and on it's conclusion vacated the
chair in favor of the President Mr..
i. B. Dock weller.
That gentleman on taking the post of
honor made very short inaugural ad-
dress, and introduced the lecturer of the
evening: Colonel George II. Smith, who,
In an interesting lecture, which lasted
neariy two hours and haif, set forth
the Elements of the Law of Contract"
The speaker began by explaining THAT
contract, according to section 1,549 of the
Civn Code, was defined as Can agree
ment to do or not to do certain thing"
which he announced as the correct
definition. He stated, however, that
Blackstone's definition, which was some
what similar, was more generally, fol-
hv1f hot =
they did not include executed contracts,
grants, sales, and many others. Nearly
every book bearing on the subject of con-
tracts differs with itself as to the def,
milton of the word. Tee lecturer laid
great stress upon the definitions of words.
in general, and said that as they lie at
the bottom of every social science; the.
student could not spend too much
time or take too much trouble
to thoroughly learn correct def
milton. Colonel Smith then proceeded
with detailed explanations OF the various
kinds of contracts, citing the authorities.
first in every instance, aud then elucidat-
ing their salient points more fully by
examples. He next went into the ques-
lion of the functions of contract and
the place which is accorded to it in law,
explaining that it's function was to afford
q means for the transfer OF rights from
one person to another. This opened a
fresh subject, that of events, the lecturer
having said that every right originates in .
some event; and he stated that the SUBJ
ject of events was one of the most import
ant in law. They we're divided into two
classes, ,volitional and nom volitional. The
original and fundamental right of man,
to contract his own faculties originated in
the simple event of his birth, was modi-
fed by the event Of his coming of age,
and was lost by death. From this sub
iect Colonel Smith passed on, to that of
The two classes of human acts, lawful and
acts, and he proceeded to the,
division of rights into two classes,
viz, ownership and obligation.
He alluded to the deficiency OF
the English and American law books
in their scientific treatment OF the sub
ject under discussion, and spoke in
sulogistic terms of the works of several
foreign jurists, which he said were fre-
luently quoted by the courts in this
country at the present time.
The question of who were capable of
making contracts was then brought up
or discussion and thoroughly gone into
oy the lecturer, who concluded with a
dissertation upon the question of how
ar the validity of contract depended
lpon the subject of consideration.