The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-11-02
Vermont Bar Association.

The annual meeting of the Vermont Bar
Association was called to order Tuesday eve
ming October %, in the county courthouse,
by the president, Joel c. Baker of Rutland.
About 100 members were present, including
the supreme court. The committee on ad-
missions recommended that the following
legal lights be admitted to membership in
the association: f. H. Platt of Putney, c.
j. Austin and d. w. Steele of Highgate, G..
G. Martin of Manchester, F. A. Howland
and L. j. BOynton of Montpelier II. A.
Albee of Bellows Falls, j. G. Harvey of
White River Junction, w. w, Miles. An
obituary of the late Judge John Prout was
read by II. A. Harman, and President
Baker delivered his annual address, in
which he advocated uniform course of
procedure in courts, and the consolidation
of the courts of equity and the courts of
law. SssSa ~ ne ~
After the business meeting, the annual
banquet was held at the Pavilion. About
ten o'clock the chairs were pushed back,
and the A. d. oratory began. President
Baker, as toast-master, called first upon
Governor Fuller to respond to the time
honored toast, " Vermont" The governor
said that during thirty years of a life active
in commercial affairs he had come in con-
tact with a large number OF attorneys in
this state and other states and countries
and he had come to respect them because
he knew them The governor spoke elo-
quently of some of the giant intellects of
recent days in the state and paid a glow
ing tribute to the rocks and rills and wooded
hills of the Green Mountains.
Judge Start of Bakersfield spoke for the
supreme court. He said that unless the as
sociation became better citizens by the
gathering there was no use in their meet
ing here as they do Every member of the
bar is, to a certain extent, leader in the
community In which he lives; that influence
if for good, has tendency to tone and ee-
vate society. The lawyers opportunities
for doing good exceed those of almost any
other profession. So it is with the supreme
court.
Senator Hall of St. Albans was called
upon to speak for the senate, but had dis.
appeared. Speaker Stickney was more
courageous. and talked about the lower
house, although he opined that the house
ought TO have precedence in Importance.
The senate was born within the recollection
of those still living, while the house was
over a century old. Mr.. Stickney thought
that the house was not bit too large, as
claimed by some people; the best results
are achieved by the combined judgment of
the average man. He said that the legislation
is largely shaped by the lawyers in the legis-
lature, and, II it were not for their assist
ance, he did not know what sort of legisla-
tion we would have He thought the pres
ent was an excellent legislature They
were well, and able to adjourn. The best
thing in legislation is to do nothing when
there is nothing to do.
State Treasurer Field was asked to speak
on finance. The treasurer replied that the
money bags in his care were not quite
empty, but he expected they would be ere
long, as he had seen by the WArCHMAN
that the third house" had organized, and
voted the members of it enormous salaries
Colonel Baker caused laugh by referring
to Daniel Roberts of Burlington as " a
young man who, when he gets little age,
will be shining light of the bar" Mr..
Roberts, who has been in practice for sixty
years, protested that his function was TO
sing the DoXology at the close of the BAN
quet and pronounce the benediction; never
theless he talked entertainingly for some
minutes about some of the incidents Of auld
lang syne.
@. A. Prouty of Newport was called upon
to speak for the Vermont Reports. He
spoke of the method he had chosen for
sending them out, and explained the nom
appearance OF the last volume by the fact
that the Free Press Association had failed
utterly to print it within several months Of
agreement. Captain John III. Mimms. court
reporter, was given the option of singing
something or saying something. He pre-
ferred TO "spout," and for five or ten min
utes kept the company laughing with yarns
and funny incidents noted by him in his
travels around the state.
Silas w. Finn Of St. Albans spoke for
the class of '92 and Major John X. Watson
OF Bradford for the National Guard. George
W. Harman OF Bennington was another
eighty-year old boy " who arose at the toast
masters suggestion and spoke of the days
OF long ago. Charles NJ. Wilds of Middle
bury objected to the belief becoming popu-
lar that the lawyers of Vermont are in bust
ness entirely for their health and promised
TO have more TO say on the subject the next
day. II was just midnight when the COM
pany broke up, singing " Aud Lang Syne."