The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-27
THE LAWYERS OF TEXAS
Annual Session Of the Bar Association Is
Bring Held.
TUE ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT BILLIARD
included Review OF the Important
laws Passed by the Inst LeWis-
lntnre-Dircctors Elected.

Galveston, Texas, July 2s.-.The eight
seHeh annual convention OF the Texas Bar
association met in the parlors OF the Ire
mont hotel shortly after 10 o'clock today.
IL was called to order by President +. C.
billiard of Sherman.
The attendance was larger than usual
and the parlors of tAe hotel were we'll
hiied with members.
There was NO roll call or reading of min
utes and the convention proceeded to bus
mess at once. The following applicants
We're elected TO membership in the assoc
ciation:
Fred W. Shelley. Austin; w. G. Talia-
ferro, Bryan; j.. w. Young, Galveston;
Cuiien II. laomas, Waco; IA. 5. Munson.
Ansietvn; James L.. shepherd, Cotorauo,
Msnunam Kemp, El Paso, Morgan M.
Mann, Galveston, H. h. Marshaii, Liber-
"; D. ii. HARDY, Waco; W. n. GIL, Cal
weston; X. q. Gaines, Brazoria; X. w.
rail. Vernon. and l.. G. Barrett, Hea-
rielta.
Inc address OF President billiard next
followed. The bylaws OF the association
make 1t the duty OF the president 10 re-
view the noteworthy changes In statu-
tory and constitutional law OF the State
during the preceding year. One great DIFF
hcuity met with in preparing the paper
vas The TACT that he was unaDie 10 secure
copy OF the laws passed by the Twenty
sixth legislature until about week ago.
Hence, the time at command to devote to
an examination OF this subject had been
entirely too limited. With this explanation
ana apology ne proceeded TO the reading
OF very interesting address.
The first subject taken up by President
billiard was the law creating u tax com
mission, the object of wnicn is TO revise
the tax system OF the State and make
the burden OF taxation fall upon all alike
in proportion to their wealth as nearly as
possible. Mr., billiard thinks the way OF
the commission is not an easy one. The
leld before II is unlimited, but the task
is great AID the efforts OF the commission
Will be watched by all classes OF people.
In discussing the new corporation court
bill the speaker said he was not sure that
the court OF criminal appeals would up
hold 1t. The one particular need in this
respect, he said, is an act giving 10 the
supreme court power TO pass upon aad de-
termine all matters involving constitu-
tional questions. The conferring on mu-
nlcipal courts jurisdiction concurrent with
justices of the peace, he believed, would
be Endorsed by the profession throughout
mo State.
The public welghers bill. providing tor
the weighing of cotton, grain and wool,
was declared to be of considerable import
ance. Ii provides among other things that
no one VINO is in any way connected with
the buying or handling of these products
shall act as pubic weigher
President billiard undertook no review
of the antitrust law enacted by the Tween
ty-sixth legislature. 1t is an alluring field
and one which he would have gladly en-
tered. but he had had no time to examine
the BILL Rather than slight such an i'm
portant subject he would pass ii altogether.
He merely ventured the opinion that the
question would not be settled soon, and
that no general law passed by congress
could regulate it without interfering with
the prerogatives of the States which would
be resented. He looked upon trusts as the
outgrowth of existing laws, the abrogation
of which would go far toward curtailng
the power of the trusts.
The changes in the law affecting pri-
vate corporations, the issuance of munich
pal bonds and the criminal code were
briefly touched upon and closed President
billiards. paper Its reading was greeted
with applause by the members and the
address as a whole is considered q very
ablo one.
The report of the board of directors rec
was read by Secretary Morse. After its
adoption the following new board Of d.
rectors TO serve the ensuing year was
elected:
NJ. A. Spoonts of Fort Worth, chairman;
G. X. Lee, Galveston; r. T.. l.. knight.
Dallas; Perry j. Lewis, San Antonio; J. H.
Halbert, Galveston.
The report of Secretary Treasurer
Morse was next read. II shows balance
appr n ,,I; ,ss,r-
GUS condition of the association. There
are now 2SS active members in good stand
ing.
The report of standing committees was
next taken up. No .eport was ready from
the committee on Jurisprudence and law
reform" and it was passed until tomor-
row.
report of the committee on judicial
administration and remedial procedure"
was ready, signed by Leo N. Levi. but the
association desired that r. a. Greer, an
other member of the committee, should
have a chance to see 1t, and its submits
sion was postponed.
The committee on legal education and
admission to the bar" read short report
prepared by Chairman Cockrell OF Dallas.
AS a special committee had been appoint
ed at the last meeting OF the association
to push this matter and try to get bill
through the legislature. raising the stand
ard some discussion followed the reading
of the report Representative Palmer of
Erath county. who introduced bill along
this line, happened TO be in the audience
and he was called upon 10 state what OPP
position he had encountered. Mr.. Palmer
said the sole opposition to the bill had
come from the lawyers themselves 1t
was killed by judiciary committee No. l.
which was composed entirely OF lawyers.
He believed II such a measure could ever
be gotten before the legislature that 1t
could be passed without much trouble.
presley x. Ewing OF Houston suggested
the appointment OF special committee
whose duty il will be to ascertain the ex-
ACT nature OF the opposition to such bill.
The committee will be named before the
association adjourns.
report from the committee on "crimi-
nal law" was called for, but none was
ready. Judge Simpson of Dallas is CHAIR
man OF this committee, and President Dill
lard remarked that he understood very
important report was 10 be submitted,
They wers given further time.
The report OF the committee on COM
merrial law was read by the secretary,
after which the meeting adjourned until
4 o'clock In the afternoon.
Tho afternoon session convened promptly
at o'clock. In the absence OF Hon, Phil
lin LINDSAY OF Dallas T. ]. Ballinser OF
tbis city read his paper, entitled "A Humor-
ans Description OF Past Meetings. II was