Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-15
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The lawyers Of the city had q picnic in the district court this morning and they voted to hold a banquet In the Elton when 1t shall bel opened. This, they expect tObe about June 1. Whether 1t will be a 5O-cent banquet with schooner Of beer as a chaser, or 6 luncheon with cold bottle on the side, was not decided, but the presumption is that 1t will be of the latter kind. Some time ago a committee was ap- pointed to see about arranging for al banquet, but apparently the committed went to sleep. The subject was re- vived to-day at a meeting of the bar to take action on several tllls pending in the legislature relating to trial by jury. Attorney John O'Neill as vice president of the association presided, in the absence of President Gillette. For twenty years or more Mr O'Neill has been hammering at the jury sys- tenn in Connecticut, which deprives litigant of a trial. to jury. This prac- tfce of defaulting cases to a jury and then trying them to court on their merits has given the practice of law in this state many black eye. The supreme court in Washington gave it a hard knock some time ago. The ay- craze lawyer wants his case tried to a jury, moreover if 1t is an accident case or if the other party is corpora tion. There are some bills before the legislature which will make it com pulsory to try all damage cases to a jury. Half dozen of such bills have been rejected, but there Is one in par ticular which has met with favor from the bar associations all over the state,, and some of them have appointed com mittees to press this bill for a favora- ble report by the judiciary committee, Attorney Carmody moved that the bill in question be indorsed by the bar.- Some other lawyers thought this step would not be wise until the bill is in- vestigated. U. .,
 Senator Phelan said the Judiciary committee in the legislature has placed itself on record as opposed to the bill and all the other bills of the same na- ture.
 Attorney Byrne thought 1t would be wise to adjourn for week, but Judge Cowell said now was the time to take action, and that for twenty-five. years the lawyers of the state have been trying to get such bill passed by. the legislature, but invariably the judiciary committee threw it down on the grounds that jurles would always sym pathize with the individual and against the community, moreover when the de- fendant happened to be q corporation. City attorneys and corporation lawyers have always opposed such bills.
 Attorney Thoms seemed to strike the nail square on the head when he re- marked that the lawyers, or any bill they would draw up for trial by jury, would be thrown out by the judiciary committee as long as the chairman of that body is chief attorney for one of the biggest corporations in the state, the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Co.
 It was finally voted to favor the bill, and a committee consisting of Judge Cowell and Attorneys O'Neill, Thoms, Kennedy and Guilfpiie was appointed to go to Hartford and press it for . favorable report. During the discus sion of the matter there was a great deal of fun, for every lawyer present knew in his heart that bill making trial. by jury compulsory on corpora ti6hs has no chance whatever of pass. ing othe legislattre. ad