The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-09-02

During the afternoon there war. SOS
siOns of the legal education branch nj
the association and the patent Law
branch of the society. From 200 70 4OI
of the delegates were tendered n ,ocnn
ton at the home of Andrew Sor;rn -,
Euclid avenue. Governor Gricgs bo;nr
one of those present.
This evening there was onotbar COS.
sion of tho associotion dnr;n, ,h:oI
two interesting nonrrs were 7.o,J AMI
discussed after which tbo go,o,,,I lu "mu
| ell of the ossoci,tion boIJ ,vHi
and nominated ofticors i''''''''7
Proceedings of the co,v...
| GU, convention.
Lip,eH'hu' aug; 2o.-lh here was large
L..onI h ol fiules ana members of the
1 D par ut thc meeting OF the National
| par aSsociation IN the Dung Mems Christ
IAN association building tins morning. in
ANTICIPATION OF a discussion of discus
SION OF the arbitration treaty which had
Deeh promised. However, the discussion
ana not matoriaze. As soon as the meet
ing was called to order President J. VI.
| WoolwOrth introduced Governor Gricgs of
| New Jersey.
| Governor Griggs spoke as follows:
| An extended experience by personal
| participation in legislation according Ia
| the American system. has led me to be-
| lieve that there is no one thing in all
! the various departments of government
| or business that is carried on with less
| scientific or orderly method than the
making of laws
This is not due to the fact that legiS-
lation is an obsolete necessity-rarely
called for after the centuries of growth
and pruning and perfectinr throuph
which English law has passed. No age
of English or American history has ever
| seen such activity and profusion in legal
enactment as now prevail. With the i'm
peral parliament at Westminster and the
federal congress at Washington in almost
parliaments in the British colonial SvS-
TEN and legislatures of forty Amcri-
can states holding annual or bennia! SeS-
siOnS, all engaged in SuDplementing and
amending the old laws and in deviSng
and passing new ones. Besides Chese, are
countless cities. towns and boroughs.
each with n legislative board exercising
the power of law-making upon many i'm
pOrtant matters of municipal life and
government. The steps of the citizen
desiring to walk uprightly are besct with
labyrinths Of statutory enactments that
are MITIGATE and confusing and often
so conflicting that he must stumble, turn
which way he may. Volume after vol
ume Of annual statutes is issued every
year in every state of the Union 50 that
it is Il heavy task for the LAWYERS TO
keep familiar with the growing mass Of
statutory law of his own state: and no
lawyer who values his reputation would
think of giving an opinion upon the law
in Il sister state unless it might he upon
the construction of some one particular
statute.
'Wherever legislative bodies assemble
are found exceeding activity and willing
ness to exercise the fascinating power Of
law-mnking. The progress of turning Il
mental conception into law is so simple
and easy in the ordinary. state Legislature
that laws are losing the sanction of
solemnlty and moral authority that they
once, possessed. Besides the spirit Of
obedience as patriotic duty. there was
III former days, feeling OF reverence
ana awe towards the body OF the law as
being the embodiment of the wisdom of
government inspired by very high re-
gard for the welfare OF society and pro,
muisated only upon most careful ana
mature consideration.
Ihe hw-giver who changes his mind
with frequency. or Is constantly engraft-
ing new limitations upon ms code. or try
ing experiments III government, can not
expect to retain the reverence and
respect OF his subjects for his wisdom ana
ability. -,