The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-10
BAR ASSOCIATION
ELECTS bULl|TT
Big Stone Gap Man Succeeds
Judge Christian as New
President
OPPOSE ELIMINATING
EXPERT TESTIMONY
Convention Hears Fine Ad-
dresses by Judge Wal
lace and Professor
r. c. Minor

Especial to The Richmond Virginian)
HOT SPRINGS, VA. August q
After paper by Judge "A. w. Wal
lace, OF Fredericksburg, on The Life
and Character OF Lord Broughn" the
morning session OF the Virginia Bar
Association took on business as
pect and officers were elected for the
ensuing year.
j. F. Bulitt. OF Big Stone Gap. sue
ceeds Judge George X. Christian, OF
Richmond. as president. and new vice.
presidents are A. r. Long. of Lynch
burg. who will represent the Pied
mont section, J. s. Harnsberger. of
Harrtsonburg, Virginia, Valley secl
ton; +. Chambers Goode. of Neck
lenburg county. Souths!de section, a.
s Higeinbetharn. OF Tazewen county,
Southwest section, and Hugh w.
Davis. ~ Norfolk. Underwater section.
Professor Vim II. Lie Of the IniNer-
sity II Virginia was offered the pres
idenoy, but declined. John Il. Minor,
and treasurer.
Members If the new executive com
mistee are George Bryan, and J. j.
Leake. Of Richmond. who succeeded
Hil Montague and Geo. c. Gregory.
whose terms have expired
Delegates appointed 10 the Amer
lean Bar Association were Judge l..
L. Lew Is, o. Richmond; Samuel CRIT
nm. OF Bedford City, Thos, W. Shell
ton, Of Norfolk D. c. Minor Uni
Versity 81 Virginia, and James II. Cor
bitt. suffolk.
:, B. Nhttehouse OF Loyingston. ad-
vocated the elimination OF expert Wit
nesses from testimony before trial
judges by the passage Of BILL for
u g
tituor" on penalty Of fine, not TO
exceed $1,000, one year Imprisonment.
or both
The motion for such bin was OPP
posed by Roswell Page. and when pIt
10 vote the opposition prevailed.
State Capitalization.
a paner by Prof Raleigh G. Minor.
Of the University Of Virginia ON Cen
traiizatian, versus Decentralization
has occasioued much INTEREST. Mr.,
Minor argued for this Capitalization of
state and executive power tn the
haRds Of governors as opposed 10 the
aistrihutiFe tendencies or individual
States, and said Ia substance that fed
eral power Is becoming more and
more centralized and that recently
some OF the most prominent men in
the country have advocated the doc
tri.e Of the New NationaIism and the
tion of the constitution that the eft
cheney uf federal government was be-
ing constantly contrasted with the In
efficiency Of State experiment, and
that the constant tendencies 10 turn
over 10 the federal government pow
ers which tho states have inefficient
~ exercised.
The efficiency OF the Federal gov
ernment he considers mainly due to
the fact that all Its executive activi-
ties are under the control and in the
hands If the president, through his
power OF appointment and removal.
and that the strongest check on she
Capitalization OF the Federal power
~ sfG'fa sxs ffa% Capitalization Uf State
power lie recommended that the va
rious departments OF state executive
activity be conferred in the govern
meut. with power of appointment
and removal like that OF the presi-
dent.
He took as typical example the
constitution OF Virginia, showing the
tendency TO Observation-Disclosures In the
State constitutions. pointing out that
those departments OF executive aC-
tgity. that has been centralized, had
been very active and progressive. and
of untold value 10 the State. instanc-
ing the depa Stment OF corporation
control Corporation Commissinl,
the Department / Education and the
Department OF Agriculture.
-Detsntraiixing Departments.
As instances OF decentrai1ing de-
partments. he mentioned the revenue,
or taxation department, the Depart
ment OF Justice. or prosecution Of
crime, and tho department of the ex-
ecution of legal porcess, embracing
functions of sherif1s. consta bles and
81 10 i'm az ~ J,
the governor at the head OF central
ICED departments mhraCing these
subjects the inistrationS of the tax
/ laws. and OF criminal justice. would
ue greatly improved.
Attention was also called to the
executive departments which have
been or may be organized by the leg
stature itself, and suggested that if
/ they We're centralized also as hey
might be, even under the present con-
stituuon. much could be accomel fish
ed. He suggested a department of
trade in commerce and department
i Of mines ,aaads manufacturers, ard ar
gued from the success of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture In financial re =
turns to the people OF the States that
a like Capitalization Of such depart
ments as those just mentioned would
result in like benefits.
by local constituencies. he said, as in
the case of commissioners OF the rev.
enue. Commemorative attorney and
shertffs. was heather representative
government, pure Democracy or local
self government. but constituted the
localized or sectionalized Democracy,
and local State government of the
local government OF the people.
He showed a like tendency to de-
Capitalization in the judiciary de-
partments of the States as evidence
by the election of judges by the peo-
pie by the new proposition to recall
them. their short terms of Office and
small salaries. and by the undue Inn
portance attached to the jury. whose
conclusions are not allowed to be in
fuenced by any comment by the eour,
upon the weight or credibility of the
evidence.
He also urged a return to the old
Virginia practice Of the appointment,
of justices OF the peace by the gov
ernor rather than their election by
the people.