Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-10-13
Held Their Annual Meeting
a Montpelier Tues
day Evening.
lHE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
ur. Hogan Suggests Change in the
Grand Jury Law-Judge Taft would
Abolish the Onice of side Judge
Memorial Addresses New
Members Admitted.

Montpelier Oct 1.-THE meeting of the
Vermont Bar association opened to-day.
OWNS to the absence of President Hogan
and others the afternoon session was not
what was planned and all important mat
tiers were crowded into the evening ses-
sion. which opened at the court house Mt
t:l5 this evening. President G. u. Hogan
)f st. Adams was present and called the
Accting to order.
The committee appointed to receive APP
plcations for new membership reported
The names of j. G.. Sargent of Ludlow,
>. w. Irwin of Newport l.. c. Mower and
N l.. Powell of Burlington. and George
a. pickey of Bradford, who were ad-
nittcd.
President Hogan then delivered the an
lual address, taking for his subject The
Grand Jury system" lie is strongly op-
posed to 1t as an expensive system, and
advocated a change in the existing law,
which would abolish the present system.
He cited many cases where this had been
partially done in London and in sister
States. where recent legislation has either
modified or abolished the system. In all
States where provision has been left for
calling a grand jury it has not been found
necessary. President Hogan thought the
law could be changed without Il change Of
The constitution. in showing its eNpen-
sivcncsS the speaker cited the case. of
state VS.. Brewster where had the States
u
Immediately after the preliminary hear
Ing, much delay and expense could have
been saved. Most bitter was President
IIogan's criticism of the system which al
lows Investigation in secret. where the ac-
cused has no opportunity of being heard
and where there is greater opportunity to
shield rich and prominent people than in
an open trial. lie cited the expense of
proving the insanity of Miss Brewster be-
fore the grand jury. and then how it had
TO he repeated in the trial. and advocated
the adoption Of Il system similar to that
of Connecticut, where three reputable
physicians decided. a strong point was
the showing that in the last five years the
grand jury had cost the State over $4,000
for pay alone
judge Russell s. Taft gave a very inter-
csting and witty paper on Legal Med
ley" or a paper without title, as he
said. lie treated in very facctious way
some of the present evils, and frightened
his remarks by many witty local appli-
cations in illustrating his subject. He
spoke against rapid transit legislation be-
cause it would cause more of it. An i'm
portant subject discussed was inequality
md Inconvenience of the county courts as
nt present maintained. He advocated
radical revision of county lines which
should be drawn with reference to equal
izng court duties. only this would neces-
state the abolishment of Grand Isle and
pIHllSt CpuHlltS. III speaking Ol hrdnu
Isle people being opposed to abolishment,
he said certainly the people would not
object to being divided into two counties.
Then we could annex Chlttcnden to South
and Franklin to North county. The use
lcssness of side judges was next consid-
cred and their aboishment advocated.
The present system of rotating judges was
also condemned and the practice of not
allowing the trial judge to sit in court of
error was criticised. He thought the Su-
prcme Court was too large and should be
reduced to a court of four, with three cir
cult judges. All in all the paper was n
very comprehensive view of the present
Fystem of securing jusuco and fun OF
suggestions which ought to he Ti-oGght "a
!hc attention of the law-maker in full.
Hon. Daniel Roberts of Burlington read
memorial Of the late George W. Har-
man of bennington, and John IL. Sentcr
read memorial of the late Stephen G.
shurtleff of Montpelier Owing to the
iatcness of the hour other pd1c-5 were
omitted and the meeting adjourned to to-
morrow morning at 10 O'Clock, when the Of
ucors will be elected.