The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-06-25
YALE LAW SCHOOL.

l
 The Anniversary Exercises Yesterday-Th
 Alumni ReuniOn-Impressive Grafton b!
 Justice Brown of the United States Su
 preme Court at Battell Chapel.
 The anniversary exercises of the law
 department were held late yesterday
 afternoon at Batten chapel. Presiden
 Dwight presiding. Among those upor
 the platform beside Pres, Dwight were Justice Brown of the United States su
 preme court, Professor Wayland, Judge
 Townsend, Judge s. E. Baldwin, Pro lessor Buckland, Professor Beers, Judge
 Fenn of the law school faculty, Rev
 pr. Burdett Hart, Hon. James M. Town
 send, Rev. Dr. Leon Walker and oth- CTS. The exercises were opened with a
 prayer by President Dwight, after which the speaking for the Townsend prize was held.
 Frederick c. Rector of Circleville, O.,
 spoke on David Dudley 4Field" His
 style of delivery was smooth, digni-
 fled and fluent and at times very forci-
 ble and oratoricaL He was followed
 !
 who spoke on "The Relation of a Pres
 ident to His Party" Mir Donnelly is
 a finished forceful speaker. His style
 is graceful and persuasive and deci-
 sion in his favor will be a surprise. He
 was followed by Herbert K. Smith of
 Hartford, who Is very bright speaker, His subject was "The Failure of Munich pal Government" President Dwight stated that the prizes and honors will be announced Wednesday.
 ADDRESS BY JUSTICE BROWN.
 Hon. Henry B. Brown. IL. D., asso- ciate justice of the United States su- preme court, delivered the address to the graduating class,
 He spoke of his pleasure of being at Yale and it's growth since his last speech. Tn speaking of the law he said, though conservative, it has progressed much, While its Fundamental rules have remained and must always remain the same, because they are founded upon immutable principles of justice, legislation has abolished much of what was intended as a wholesome restraint upon individual liberty and has almost ItNOlublplllAcI llC pIdtllCdl ton of law. It has done away with the
 ancient transactions of real estate, which grew out of the feudal system, and made the transfer of land almost as simple as that of personal property. It has emancipated the married woman from the chains of coverture and has not only secured to her by statute rights once grudgingly coneeded by boards of equity, but has made her a distinct entity from her husband, and armed her with all the weapons necessary for the protection of her natural rights; 1t has put an end to imprisonment for debt and created a homestead exemption; 1t has swept away in most of the states the ancient forms of actions and ap- proximated pleadings to the models of the civil law; it has opened the door to the witness box to parties and inter- ested witnesses, abolished grand turies in several of the states, simplifled in- dictments for murder and restricted the of capital crimes. The charac- ter of litigation has changed as much as law itself. The lawyer of the last century looked askance at a board of his action at common law and demanded jury of his peers. He had imblbed the prejudicee of Lord Coke against tribunals proceeding ac- cording to the course of the civil law and thought his chances of success there were measured by the length of the chancellor's foot. But we have all that. The multiplicity of the enormous growth of the patent system, and of the internal commerce of our country have given rise to question with which juries are in- to deal The result is that the great litigation of the country Is now carried on in courts of equity and In some states jurles have almost disappeared, except in criminal ,ases and actions for torts where their we'll known generosity still finds ample ;cope-in nearly all there is a large pro- decrease. Forensic eloquence lae declined and the man who can state clearly complicated series of acts has taken the place of the typical awyer of the last generation who ,ould move a jury to tears. Where here is a. choice of remedies the resort 1 S usually to the court of equity. And l arge interests are treated as safer in I he hands of single upright, passion | ess judge or bench of judges, than in | hose of the average jury. It is certain y tribute to the purity of the Amer can judiciary that their confidence is o rarely misplaced, and that their de- isions are so seldom the result of fear, avor, affection or the hope of reward
 He spoke of the danger of too great onfidence in the constitution He also lys at the door of the coming genera lon the duty of preventing European overs from obtaining dominion in the 1estern hemisphere.
 Speaking of lynch law he said: The act that such lynchings are most fre- uent in states where the accused is lost perfectly protected by statutory uarantees indicates a popular opinion nat such guarantees are made use of , defeat justice and not to secure it. ct the people who are in the main law
 Continued on Seventh Page1