The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-08-29
THE AMERICAN BAR
ASSN. HONORS
BRYCE
Makes British Ambassador
Honorary Member.
DELIVERS NOTABLE ADDRESS
Common Law Binds Two Counties
Together aud Is the Bul~ark Of
Our Liberties.
DELIVERS NOTABLE ADDRESS

PORTLAND. Me, Aug 20.-Ambas
sador James Bryce was made nm hon.
orury member OF the American bar
association by the adoption OF the fol.
lowing resolution, presented by Fred
erick W Lehman of ~. Louis:
I'm recognition ~ the most eminent
service 10 law aud learning. especially
eXcmpllhcd In his American Common.
wealth. In grateful remembrance ~
the specinI legal honurs conferred ~
ON the 10 mor president Of the as,o.
citation while an ambassador nc the
court of = James aud Ia further rec
U-uitiuu uf the great good will existing
between Co., kindred nations that speak
the English tongue aud cherish the
common luN between the bars VI those
nations be- 10
"licsul,rj. That his cXccllcncy. the
Right lluu James Bryce. ambassador
OF Great Britain a. the United States
aud an honurrd guest. h. nominated
an honorary uirmber 81 the American
Bar association
Mr.. Bryce delivered notable nd
dress on The Common Law" lie said
Ia part:
Laws are the work ~ nation NJ
whole. framed Indeed by the ruling
class aud shaped Ia their details by
professional class. but a. large ca
tent created by other Glasses also. H.
cause excepting those few eases where
cOnqurror imposes his own law ou
the ynnqulshedi the rules which gov.
cru the relations ~ the ordinary clti.
Een must H. such us 40 aud express
the wishes ~ the ordinary citizen. b..
Ink To- harmony with his feelings aud
fitted to meet the needs ~ his daily
life. They arr the offspring ~ custom.
aud custom Is tile child ~ the people
Thus not only the constructive intel
lrct u the educated aud professional
class. but the half conscious thought
aud sentiment % the average man. 20
60 the making aud molding n the law.
ION NO feature ~ the common law
dld your ancestors lay more stress
than on the jury aud the right u every
citizen a. h. tried by his prrrs This
right has lypu u hulwark ~ English
freedom aud was deemed Ia the eight.
zenith century o. D. essential thereto.
eve in England have no longer that
confidence ln the wisdom ~ q jury IA
certain CLASSES ~ civil actions which
We once bad aud the tendency of r..
cent years has hrru o. narrow the
sphere " H. employ .ut Rut the in.
stituiion ~ the jury has had some
notably h,nchcrut RESULTS II has
helped. along with the technical rules
81 pleading a. form iu us q kcrner
sense N the nrrd Tor separating ISSUES
80 law from ISSUES ~ fact than exists
nnyw here outside ~ England aud Am.
erica aud has trained ~ how 10 make
this distinction lu every ease We have
o. advise 20 ~ q" argue
How great part the conception
of the legal rights ~ the subject OF
citizen against thc crown or the state
power played lu English aud Amrri.
eau history ., known a. you all. Stll
less need dwell un the capital im.
purinnoc fur ihr whole political sys.
tenn ~ The United States " that doc.
trlnc ~ limited puWcrs. which has
b"cn 80 admirably worked out IN your
constitution. nor ~ That respect Tor a
defined legal right which supports
their provisions The lie ~ every ma.
tiun rests mainly on what may be-
called IN nNrd IDEAS those ideas which
have become uNiums IN the mind ~
every citizen Now. II was mainly by
the common law that these Fixed and
fundamental ideas were nodded
Wherein the constitutional freedom of
America ns NJ England. rests
"Ihc law ~ i!.r nation u not only
On expression ~ ~ character. but
main factor loo lts greatness. What the
hony skeleton n a. the bndy. what her
steel ribs are a. q ship. that 10 q state
N iis law. holding ~ the parts ftly
Joined together su that each may r..
tain ~ proper place and discharge its
proper functions The common law
Inns done this Tor you and Tor NJ In
such wise ns a. have helped form the
mind aud habits 81 the individual ell.
zons ns we'll NJ ~ the whole nation
u Il nll thclr own. They can rcmold
u " they viii. Where q system ~
law has been made 10y the people aud
for the people. where II conforms a.
their sentiments aud brrnthrs their
spirit. Il deserves and receives the
confidence ~ the people So may II
ever De- both Ia America aud IN Eng.
iuuI