The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-17

ABSTRACT ETHICAL
PRINCIPLE ADOPTED
Mr.. Campbell Will Resign At
Once and Mr.. Royal Likely
to Do So-status Of
Others Depends on
Official Definition of
Practice Of Law.

After much debate. sharp at times and
always pointed, the Bar Association OK
Richmond yesterday afternoon adopted In
the abstract the principle Of legal ethics
involved in the Mcclure resolution re-
Gently offered and referred to the Com
mttee on Grievances, and rejected tho
laboriously prepared report OF Its special
commissioner recommending the estab-
lishment OF civil Justices court In this
city for the purpose OF facilitating the
adjudication OF small commercial Claims
1t took forty-five lawyers three hours to
reach these two important conclusions,
and even then inslstent calls for the pend
ing question alone served TO check the
discussion upon the ethical question con-
corning the rights of members to asso-
ciate themselves with corporations which
solicit practice or offer to perform legal
service for tariff of foes less than that
sot forth in the code. There was prncti-
cal unanimity when the vote was taken,
though previously considerable diver
gence OF opinion had developed over the
status OF trust companies. collection
agencies and other such institutions under
the resolution.
In this connection steps We're taken to
secure n precise and official definition OF
what Is meant by the term. law practice,
and upon this definition will depend tho
extent of the application of the terms
of the abstract proposition, as we'll as
the necessity OF the withdrawal Of a
number of prominent Richmond attorneys
from membership In the association. Az
the matter stands now. the question to
III, tn. t,,t
resignation. that of Mr.. Irving L. Camp
bell, general counsel for the Virginia
Corporation Company, and in all likeIi-
hood another, t,1at otst Mr.. William L.
Royal, associate counsel for the Same
company will be rendered without delay.
Whether or not others will follow will
depend upon future events.
Not Have the Court.
To the establishment of many and the
dismay of not few. the opposition to
the creation of the proposed civil JUS
tees court carried the day after close
fight. AT recent meeting the assocla-
ton placed Itself on record as endorsing
the general proposition for an enarge-
ment of the Jurisdiction of Justices OF the
peace and special commission was In
structed to investigate the matter further
and submit a plan In detail. This COM
mission. or large majority OF the men,
bersl reported in favor of the new court,
and presented for Introduction in the
Legislature bill that had been prepared
at great labor.
Annexation and the likelihood of n re-
adjustment OF the Richmond courts as
result Of 1t. the avowed ability OF.
present courts to handle all the cases nov
docketed. and q series of objectionable
features of the plan suggested. werp tho
rocks on which, the report went to pieces.
BY vote of 90 to 18 the carefully drawn
bill was rejected and the entire quos.
tion OF O new court for Richmond was
laid on the table. Recommendations de-
signed to facilitate the trial of cases In
the present courts were then adopted and
bills embodying these recommendations
will be offered at once in the General AS
sembly. u
Report on Legal Ethics.
On behalf of the Committee on Griev-
ances. Mr.. James e. Cannon. chairman
of the committee. presented n report
raised at the last meeting by Mr.. Muir
ray NJ MCGUIRE.
In considering this question embodied
in resolution offered by Mn Mcclure,
the committee limited the scope OF it's
to the abstract. being OF
opinion that under the bylaws Of the
association It could not consider any
concrete application Of the terms of the
resolution. After public session, at
which several members of the bar ap-
peared and made brief statements, the
committee unanimously adopted a sub
stitute orered by Mr.. Mcclure for his
original resolution as follows:
Where's. It Is contrary to the
ethics of this association for its men,
Continued on Seventh Page.>