New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-22
and Judges,

NP n
JUSTICE DAVID J. BREWER
Justice Brewer has been 4 member Of the United
Supreme Court for only three but has al
ready Impressed himself that tribunal by his In
dependence and ability. lie and Associate Justice
Brown are frequently found dissenting from the
opinions OF the older members Of the court ana Their
rca oning Is often forcblc that OF the majority
judge. Il IS not generally remembered that Judge
Brewer has close family associations with the dis
tinsuIshcd Field family. which already has has i tGp
rrsrntatlye the supreme Court bench. Ills mother
was sister Of DIyld Dudley s,"phsn D. ana r"
leg. and IL" Albany Law school lie was from l9 md
for Tie siN following years United st'i"' circuit
Judge.
The other addresses at the State Bar Association
meeting furnished an intellectual treat such Is rarely
given the annual meetings OF the association Judge
Alton Il. Parker was when first appointed to the SUI
prcmc Court in the Third Judicial District. one OF the
Youngest members OF the supreme Court Bench. lie
had previously been the Surrogate Of Ulster County.
After years IN the supreme Court he be-
came member Of the second Division OF thu Court OF
Appeals and continued to serve in that court during
lis cxis"rcr. The papers by Judge Daniorth James
{. Carter Frederic Il. Condert and others were also
Of great interest. though the nbors OF ia" Judiciary
Commission OF which these LAWYERS members two
years ago did result ia the adoption Of the plans
which they favored. The meeting as a whole was =
relief from the dreary monotony usual at the ""hmi
meetings ~ the association In the past
The subjects Of llycllcst interest discussed at the
meeting were those referred by President J. Newton
Flero I'm his address That the Code OF civil Procedure
need, rev sion and reconstruction has often been urged
AT meetings of lawyers. The present code Is CRITICISED
IA clumsy and In OF its provisions an'lpnaled'
1t Ina, been frequently amended since its adoption but
there +, apparent need now for thorough revision
Uniformity in he method, Of admission
10 tie bar in the various Judcidi as
ulct, is also greatly nc,dcd, and many
Improvement, possible" In ia" methods 81 law re-
porting Other, Of President ficros suggestions might
not meet universal approval. The abolition oil the
present rccr. stem and the appointment OF salari'd
officer, 10 decide rcicrabc cases has not been pre-
>iou.ly strongly presented an advance over The
nr,..ut nuchod The proposition Is almost equivalent
i one for I'm, rrasing thr number Of judges. as referees
who would receive regular salaries and to whom az
ra.c urr,rniin questions of account would would
ne Htn,r fine question Of assigning judges who have
, ' ,ir.d On account Of ag, 10 active duty when
needed has al-o been sufficiently iiscus'u W .i
allie any one 10 ascertain the general feeling o. .he
ir 81" Inc subject President Ficro's approval OF The
extension Of The system Of codlhcalloh !" 'h
relating To partnerships bill and mote; ana o'n"r
departments OF the business law VIII probably Dc az
proved ~ u majority ot lawyers
Tho lii now before the legislature providing that
service Of seven years In the state Legislature shall
l., .,a.i,nt ia enable the senator As-emhlyman to
ro hefor. the General Term Of the supreme Court ana
demand admission 10 the bar without an EXAMINATION
as 10 If, knowcise Of the law or to his moral ''r-
actcr meets instantaneous condemnation from every
association Of lawyer, and every law paper "h'ch "''
spolen on the subject. The di,approral oil the STATE
Bar Association was emphatic and " Ia" Ne" i"rN
Law Jourual'' coniaiu,d last week an 'ditorla Oh
Fiat LAWYERS" in which IT ridicnles III" attempt 10
make a man a lawyer Ivy calling him one lne'' was
once a law which not greatly "'J'c''u TO- ih"N
Ing A certain length 81 scNic" In ne STATE LH''''
- .ui,st,tu,. for course Il study In law school,
~ ftuf 10
49, to . applicant, moral intellectual or legal quail
G,.tio,, AID nnk. him at once II lawyer "'itSo n'
nn h, nil To- .criIrc election and reelection 10
Inc state Lcg.laur" +, startling one. ), "" ",
too ridiculous for serious discussion II II W. ~ r,
Ulrrii..y urged upOn the Legislature S'llrr'I'.'s
member, Of The bar viii JON III We h1P ~ rf.ion
,,tI,ni distinction Of party, will combine TO render
Impossible the adoption OF 4 law when ""uu ur Az
Insult to themselves ana menace 10 NV p'V"'
Tie daily reports published In The La" journal
Of The L ines, done In tn" courts nave Inc "n'o' "'
only Of Informing practitioners a. to Ia" commune" ~
Tie, calendar but also 10 max" II apparent "h'h ANY
ma, ,o,r, T. doing nm unri.nly large or an unusually
small lu,iu,s, The record Of h" present term III
the Court Of Common Pleas would MAKE person WIN
va. Ignorant Of the real condition OF 'h' c"I'n"i III
thnt court imagine inat there was niue p"Ni''''
which requires 40" attention Of th" judges me "'
oral Term Of the courts sat for aiN or seven u"SS !"
the first part % the term. Otherwise the o'hN J"-''
sitting have brcn chief Jnstic" D1S' ho'u'"S 'n'
Spcral Terra, and Judge Gi"ser!ch. Who alone ma,
boon conducting The tial o. cauS''' IN" oln"r u,n
Terms of ti" coiiri adjourned without irahah'lhS any
business, In the superior Court. On me contrary i
well a. IN other courts. th" cAi'h"'rr hay id v
lare. aud .cyrrll judge" have h'rh lul w P1L ,I
fho Cont 81 Common Pleas Is the rpulii VIM nv u w
judiciary comml-. Ion prop''" 7" l''Iin " ,,I,',
in favor 81 the Court Of Common Pleas was ntk,r "l'
parent and tie record which IT," r", ,n, ni"E y
pr,'-ctt does not rrhc'r u" PI"PoS'" Va ' '
more easily cAplailmilr
The anirmancc Of TIE decisions in the Caiyl" Harris
and r,,.tou.n ca..s seems 30 show that the Court 81
Appeals is inclined pay small attention TO ''chhi
objection, in criminal cases wi"n the gum o ''' u"
fendaats i well established. From Tue r'Po''S ~
ready pnliishci ii appears that the ihrrlS 'a'''""
proiaby The other, pas upon at the same um'-"''c
decided ON broad general principles. and that t"'hh'h
o,ni. however strongly urged bad little weight with
rh. court, Judge Gray's opinion IN III" I"trlS '""e
WAS largely taken Up with review 81 III" 'rc"m
stances showing larris's guilt ana the answers ID
ctou, 10 the Judges rulings occupied little space
The trials Of Harris aud Fan'hawc covered Ion"
noriod of time the lawyers engaged were among the
t,.t and most Sable at the bar. and many Of the
Questions which arose were Intricate and novel The
fnct that Recorder smythN rulings were Hnlm'u
plid To tra judge 10y NE highest court OF The sat-
Another criminal case decided lst wees "'o t ,
Denver was that of DR.. Graves VINO IKE airls, Man
accused Of murder 10y means 81 poon, ne ru'i,lSS
tri.d were unfavoraby commented upon In hi' STATE"
and the fac, that new tai wmT gTan uu no' ~, ,
cite surprise. The cirCumstAntlal rNluehc" III me
Grave, case not. rs IN that oil liaFrS' Conclusive
Of guilt.
Tn. Groom Bag had already able editor. Horace
" r,,II.r and th, need OF additional assistance
rot apparcni The editorial force j.. However. In
creased with the new year by the addition Of Irving
Browne who will conduct department Of the maya
zine entitled The Lawyers Easy Chair" Henry ~
Clancy contrbat,s the second in,lalment OF his article
on a judicial Anthology" which contains short
uoams Nv chief Justice Fuller. Judge Finch. Of the
New York Court Of appeals. Justice Joseph story,
Theoph,lns Parsons Chief Justice salmon L. Chase and
OILERS, Slowing that in America In England there
are poc,, among The judges and lawyers. The most
valuable aIillr In the magazine is that contributed
tx Professor John IL. WigmOr' Legal Education