Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-09
5OSTI('E ANXIOUS
)!esl Atieraey Byrnes's Bin Take
 ] Away Their Business

COncerntng some threatened legls- jlation and the presence ot Attorney IN. ]. Byrne in Hartford during the week, the cat was let out of the bag I in the district court to-day at a meet ing of the Waterbury Bar associa- ton. All the lawyers wondered what legislation 1t was that could interest MT Byrne. . One bill drawn up by him would strip justices of the peace of their power of trying cases and hand 1t over to the city court, and another
 Dill would raise the entry fee for
 cases from 56 cents to dollar or 1.-two. The lawyers to-day wanted to 1ikn0w who was the author of those Ijbills and what was the object in them and who was the dark gentle
 man in the wood pile. President
 John O'Neill presided and 1t was we'll
 he was on deck or the lawyers would
 have got fighting. Such hot air was
 never fired of before in the district
 court room.
 After the committee appointed last
 week t. see about improving and ex-
 tending the accommodations in the
 court house building had reported
 "nawthin' doin'," up got Attorney
 Russell and he wanted to know what
 was the meaning of this bill intend
 cd to strip the justices of their little
 power of trying cases for the benefit
 of the city court. He did not ap- prove of such a bill and he consid-
 cred 1t a put-up job for the benefit of
 the city court.
 Attorney Byrne in answering as-
 sured the brother that the city court
 officials knew nothing at all about the
 bill until 1t had been presented in the
 house, and then they got on their
 ears and Kicked against 1t. He as sured Brother Russell that the bill would be withdrawn if that was the sense of the brethren of the bar. "Wey. ow, if that is so, move we giy 1rother Byrne a vote of thanR Or being so merciful to us
 poor l. ywyers.' said Brother Russell. Attorney Cmarody: II move. Mir Chairman, that the brethren go on record by passing unanimous vote to suppress this bill"
 ll Attorney-Mayor Thoms: "I sec rs,ond the motion"
 |V Attorney Guilfoile said 1t would be better to restrain themselves and wait till Saturday, and Attorney Phe- Ian said We ought to be thankful
 to Brother Byrne for consenting to | withdraw this bill. Let's hope he will use his influence in the legisla- ture so that we can all be taken care of"
 M T think" said President O'Neill, "that by the Lord Harry we are at the mercy of some merciless scoun- Ndrels. Ha, ha, ha, hal, think it .Ivery advisable that we appoint a leg
 islative committee that will take care of us poor divvils."
 There's another thing wish to
 speak about" said the president's 's lson, John J. O'Neill there's bill Ibefore the house to raise the entry fee in the city court from 50 cents Ito $2."
 One dollar, Brother O'Neill." said
 Brother Byrne.
 Well. it's doubling the fee. any way, and I don't think it's right" an Iswered Brother O'Neill.
 Finally a committee was appointed Ito take care of legislation for the protection of the bar. It consists oi
 Attorneys Thoms, Byrne and J. J. SONeill.
 Attorney Byrne did not think it fair to him that he should be ap-
 pointed on the committee. "Oh, we'll" said the chairman, "by 1.-the Lord Harry we'll make you re- port truthfully. or at least as truth ifully as you can." and everybody said l"Ha. hal" i
 The committee is expected to re- bort next Saturday, and then 1t will
 he seen what slaughter has been committed In the Hobbies of the legis- lature during the week.
 There is another bill before the house. or will be pretty soon unless ! tthe committee just named takes care | iof it. It provides for the appoint lment of n deputy judge of the city lcourt. That is where the cat was let lout of the bag. The bill to deprive the justices of their trial power and endow 1t on the city court was to lthrow all the civil business. big and little, into the city court. and thus lmake job for some one. This some lone is said to be Attorney Byrne. IThe lawyers had no objection to him fin such a post, but they thought the least he ought to have done waa tto disclose" to them his ambition. lHowever. he has promised he shall
 withdraw the bill, and that satisfied Ethe lawyers. because if 1t became a
 law numbers of young lawyers would
 be out of job. In other words. one
 man would benefit at the cost of q
 number.