The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-02
GEORGIA BAR ASSOCIATION.
TO CONVENE At WARM SPRINGS
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

Hon. William l.. Wilson of virginia
VIII Deliver the Annual Address.
Judge Logan E. BIeclSIey. "Bm
Arp" and Other Prominent Geor-
sinns VIII BE ON Hand-COI. p. w.
MeIdrim VIII Present an Impor-
tant Report Upon the Subject OF
Uniformity in State Laws.
The Georgia Bar Association will hold its
annual meeting at Warm Springs Thurs
day and Friday of this week As usual
large attendance of the lesa5 fraternity as
expected.
The meeting promises to be one of more
than usual interest. The annual address
viii be delivered by Hon. William L. Will
son, Of Virginia, ex-postmaster general and
now president of Washington and Lee Uni
versity of Virginia. In Mr. Wilson's adj
dress treat is anticipated which few of
the members of the association would will
ingly miss.
Judge Logan f. Bleckley. the venerable
Nestor Of the Georgia bar will be the
guest of the association, and the message
which he is expected to deliver is looked
forward TO with The greatest pleasure
Maj. Charles II. Smith. Georsias own Bib
Arp has been invited and viii doubtless
be present. Judge John l.. Hopkins has
promised paper on the REVOLUTION of the
Code which is certain to be of great
practical well as historical Value. Sew
eral special papers on live profess onal and
public questions have been promised by
lawyers of ability.
Symposia on two of the livest topics Of
the day. The Best Method Of State Tax
alton" and Municipal Ownership and
Operation of Light, Water and Transpor-
tation Systems" have been arranged. On
these subjects there viii he general dis
cussion as well as prepared papers. The
special committee on Reforms in the
Criminal Law is expected to give a fun
report with suggested bills 10 be brought
before the state assembly.
One of the most interesting raDorts TO
come before the association will be that
of the committee on uniformity of state
laws, Of which Col. p. w Metdrim of
Savannah is chairman. This is a subject
TO which Col. Meldrim has given much
attention for a number of years past
having urged its importance at both the
meetings of the state association and the
American Bar Association of which he is
also a member. In this report special at
tention will be given to the necessity Of
uniform divorce laws for self-evident rea-
sons and for uniform commercial laws for
the benefit of interstate business. in both
OF which classes of laws there is now
great variance in the different states. The
negotiable instrument law, endorsed nv
the American Bar Association, and which
has already been adopted by several of
the states, will be considered and Its
adoption by the Georgia legislature urged
Col Meldrim is also member of the
committee on criminal procedure, at
whose instance three bills were intro
dUced at the last session of the legisIa-
ture making important changes in the
methods of criminal procedure. One Of
these bills places the state and the ac-
cused upon a parity in the number of
strikes and challenges of Jurors. Another
provides for the amendment of criminal
pleadings, and a third makes a prisoner in
criminal cases a competent but not
compellab.e witness. Tt is expected that
these bills VIII be acted upon at the com
ing session of the legislature.
The meetings of the bar association have
heretofore not been largely attended by
the members of the local bar Consider
ing the recognized high standing of the
Savannah bar and the fact that lis mem
bers are Georgians almost to a man, this
is somewhat surprising These meetings
are not only beneficial to the members
from a legal standpoint but result in
bringing together and establishing cordial
relations among the members of the legal
fraternity in all sections of the state