The Washington herald., 1908-01-25

gathered here to-day 10 attend the thirty
first annual meeting of the body, heard
the president of the association, Joseph
II. Choate. detail for the first time since
his return from abroad the work in which
he participated at The Hague coSference,
which adjourned in October. At the an
nual public meeting in the evening. held
at Carnegie Hall, James Bryce, the Brit
ish Ambassador. delivered the customary
address. choosing as his subject The
methods and conditions of legislation"
The State Bar Association broke with
its established custom of holding its an
nual meetings in Albany, and to-day's
session and the one which is to follow to-
morrow took place in the general assem-
bly, room of the Bar Association of the
City Of New York at the club, 42 West
Forty-fourth street over a hundred
delegates from all sections of the State
We're in attendance at to-day's session.
and when Mr.. Bryce spoke at Carnegie
Han in the evening seats were at a
premium.
Mr.. Choate, before he introduced the
speaker said:
Il have had the librarian of the Bar
Association look up for me some stats
tics of legislation in this country during
the past two years. He tells ne that for
the years 1896 and 13J1 the fetal legislation
OF Congress and the State legislatures is
represented by no less than 2J.446 acts
and l576 resolutions. That would indicate
that we are suffering from a disease Of
legislation"
Mr. Choate then introduced Mr. Bryce.
Mr.. bryce speaks.
Never. I think. since the close OF the
civil war" said Mr. Bryce has there
been among the best citizens Of the
United States so active a public spirit SO
warm and pervasive a desire TO make
progress in removing all such evils as
legislation can touch. Never We're the
best men, both i'm your legislatures and
in the highest executive posts, more sure
of sympathy and support in their labors
for the commonweaL'
In opening his address. the speaker cali
I'd attention to the present status Of leg
islation in the United States and the sev-
eral governments Of Europe lie said.
The immense Increase in the volume Of
legislation during the last half century.
is one Of the salient features Of our time.
Various causes may be assigned for il.
It may be due TO the swift changes in
economic and social conditions which
have called forth new laws 20 deal with
these new facts.
"Pessimists may ascribe it 10 the spread
of new evils or the increase Of old evils.
which the state is attempting, by one
eXpedient after another. TO repress. Or
the optimist may tell us that it is an
evidence of that reforming zeal which is
resolved 10 use the power of the state
and the law for eXtirpating ancient faults
and making every one happier"
After differentiating between parlia-
mentary enactment in England and the
special enactments of the government
council the speaker discussed the
requisites of statutory law in any coun-
try, both as to form and substance. He
said,
Statute Should BE Concise.
As respects form, you. as lawyers
know that a statute ought 10 be clear,
concise. consistent It's meaning should
be evident, should be expressed in the
fewest possible words; should contain
nothing in which one clause contradicts
another or which is repugnant to any
other provision of the statute law except
such provisions as it is expressly intended
TO repeal
ITO secure these merits two things are
needed. viz: That bill, as introduced
should be skillfuliy drafted ana that pains
should be taken TO see that all amend
ments made are also properly drafted,
and that the wording is carefully revised
at the last stage and before the bill is en-
acted The former is, in England, pretty
well secured by the modern practice Of
having all government bills-these being
the most important and the large ma
jority of those that pass-prepared by the
official craftsmen, called the parliamen-
tary counsel to the treasury.
If the form is not always satisfac-
tory. that is due not to his fault. but 10
parliamentary considerations. viz: The
need for putting measures into shape.
which makes it least difficult to run
them through Parliament. As respects
amendments in committee and final re-
vision. our English procedure is not
satisfactory. There ought TO be some
means Of correcting. before a measure
finally passes, those inelegancies. re-
dundancies. and antiquities which the
process Of amending in committee usu-
ally causes"
Mr.. Bryce summed up the merits and
deficiencies of the English provisions
for initiating and carrying through
legislation. and turned TO American
needs, saying,
Things He Cannot Discuss.
Whether il is possible 70 establish in
this country consistently with the pro-
visions of the Federal and the State legis-
lation, any statement by which the eXecu-
tive can be rendered more helpful 10 the
legislature or by which legislatures can
he more completely organized for the
purposes Of legislation, with more au-
thoritative leadership, are questions on
which I can pass no opinion
las in British legislation promptitude
of action and Concentration Of power have
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