The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
NOTES OF LEGAL EVENTS.

by tho Supreme Court OF that State, and the
question whether such u convention shall be
held or not will not DO submitted to the people
this autumn. This submission was directed
by a Joint resolution OF the General Assembly
passed in April, 1896, which declared that 1t
was necessary to call q convention to revise,
amend, or change the Constitution Of the State,
and recommended tho electors to vote for or
against q convention for this purpose at the gem
eral election to be held in November, 1897. Tho
resolution also prescribed the mode Of voting
upon tho question. and provided that the con-
| stitutional convention should not sit more
| than ninety days, and that the pay of tho MEM
bers should not exceed S5 q day. II seems that
| these provisions are at variance with those con-
tanned in the General Statutes Of Ohio, and the
Supreme Court holds that a joint resolution Of
the Legislature cannot repeal or amend the
statute law OF the State. The provisions are,
therefore. pronounced void, and they operate
to in, alidate tho legislative recommendation
that a convention shall be- held, inasmuch as
the court cannot be certain that the recummenda-
| ton would have been made without attaching
thereto the void conditions.
by the death Of Judge William ]. Osborne Of
Brooklyn tho people OF the Second Judicial dis
trict have lost a faithful. onscientious, and
useful public servant, Before he went upon
| Tie DCnCn ne was hCIlNolg AluNtTeSlcu III hlnes
county politics, and for many years was a
prominent figure In the Board Of Supervisors,
over which body he finally presided as Super.
visor at Large. His political activity, however,
never detracted from the high estimation in
which he was held as a good citizen; nor did
1t interfere with the attainment of more than or
binary success in the practice OF the law. Elect
cd a Judge Of tho City Court Of Brooklyn In
1887, ho became o Justice OF the Supreme
Court by the operation OF the new Constitution
at the beginning of the year 1895. lie was one
OF the three representatives OF Columbia College
upon the Supreme Court bench in Kings county,
the others being Judge Edgar VI. Cullen and
Judge Willard Bartlett. In this city Columbia
Is represented in the sane court by Justices
Beekman and Dugro. Judge Osborne was q
combination Of ability. common sense. and
courtesy, and altogether q manly and sttrac-
tive character.
We are indebted to the courtesy Of Mr.. J. L.
NcEntee Of Albany for printed copies Of all the
statutes enacted by the last Legislature which
go into effect on Wednesday next, sept l. 1897.
There are twenty four Of these laws. Among
them we find the Negotiable Instruments law,
the Partnership law, and the act TO amend the
code Of Civil Procedure by adding two titles to
that code: one relating to the enforcement OF
mechanics liens on real property and the other
- 49, -. .n.rdm.r, - ,ho rnIo ~
Civil Procedure Is one changing the age limit
for grand jurors and trial jurors IN Kings county
from sixty TO seventy years. This makes the
law in brooklyn correspond with the law in tho
city OF New York and the rest OK the State.
There certainly was no good reason why Brook
lynites between sixty and seventy years Of age
should constitute a privileged class anG be e1-
enpt from jury duty.
Some injustice has been done to Judge Mar
tin J. keogh by ascribing TO tho influence OF
his remarks from the bench the action OF the
assessors throughout Westcaestcr county in
raising assessments. What he criticised In his
charge to the Grand Jury on the subject was
the impropriety and unfairness OF assessing prop
erty unequally, 80 that one mans land was as
r.,chhOr,. ,-.uis.s "a ,ss...sd a, an ,.r Gan,
- ,,h,. e. wa-. uor,h Srch ;r.n,.I,.ia,
a,so-rod i,5;,;., dis.,nrnro, hrt NJ Iu..ica
Esoah LA ao,rn 40 Iar .hI.n 90, 80 s,stor..s
;r,o varr,n, ,o,.on. ~, ,ho ,,,c.o,inr. ~ ~.
.--a.,o.. T. hs t.1;ui.L
=
The fna! proceedings concerning the log OF
the Mayaower took place in the ConsistoTy
Court OF London, before DR.. Tristram, the Chan
cellor Of the diocese, on the 18th of August.
The Registrar OF the court read a letter from
Gov. Wolcott OF Massachusetts, informing him
that Mr.. George II. Lyman, a prominent and
respected citizen OF Boston, who was about 10
sail for Europe, would deliver an official certit.
cate into his hands acknowledging the receipt
by the Governor from the Hon. Thomas Francis
Bal ard Of The manuscript book entitled the Log
OF the Mayhower.'" GOV. Wolcott added that II
would be carefully guarded as one o. the most
precious historical treasures in the custody OF
the Commonwealth. Mr.. Lyman then arose
and presented the certificate to Chancellor Iris.
tram, who assured the bearer that the court
learned with great satisfaction that tho Com
monwealth duly appreciated the ground upon
which it had delivered the log to the Governor
OF Massao hGsetts for safe keeping. Precisely
emf nrt ar ali svent. this observAtion bronpb,
~ carsn,orv to an and
=
Ar interesting question Of liability for in.
jury to a horse inflicted by a barbed wire fence
Vas recently tried in the High Court in London
h..fore Mr. Justice hawkins and q iury. Thu