The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-25

INTERESTING PAPER PREPARED
BY w. o. HART, COMMISSIONER
ON UNIFORM LAWS FROM
LOUISIANA READ BEFORE BAR
ASSOCIATION.
One of the interesting and valuable
papers read before the Florida Bar As
ISOLATION yesterday was one prepared
: by w. o. Hart. Of New Orleans. one
of the most prominent and widely
known lawyers Of the south. and one
of the commission on uniform laws
from louisiana He took as his sub
ject uniformity Of State Legislation"
and his paper, in part, IL as follows:
Nothing has made greater progress
in the last eight years than unifor-
nifty in state legislation, for while the
national conference of commissioners
on uniform state laws held its first
conference in 1892 and has held one
annually since. it was not until the
conference Of 1903 that there was
mapped out comprehensive plan for
extensive work In the codihcation Ut
uniform laws on commercial subjects.
The great work Of the conference.
however, previous to the last date,
which Is a monument in itself, even
though nothing else be accomplished.
was the preparation and recommends
ton to the states Of the negotiable in
struments act.
A brief history Of this act at this
time may prove interesting:
I'm 1878. Mr.. M. d. Chalmers. an
English harrister, published digest OF
the law of bills of exchange. promis-
sorry notes and checks. Some two years
later he read paper before the instt-
tutc Of bankers advocating the codid-
cation of the law Of negotiable instru-
slnents. The Associated Chamber of
Commerce of England. including the
institute of bankers, directed him to
prepare bill which was introduced N
the house of commons, by Sir John
Lubbock. That body referred it to a
select committee with Sir Farrer Her
scheu as chairman. Having been IA
vorably reported. 1t passed the house.
was SEPT to the lords, and there re-
ferred to a committee of which Lord
Bramweli was chairman. This COM
mIlIee IiSeIlSu a lew OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
these being agreed to by the house Of
commons, the bill became a law IN
1882 Since that time 1t has been
adopted in more than forty OF the
English colonies and dependencies, and
thus uniform law of negotiable in
struments exists throughout Great
Britain, and her 'dominions beyond the
seas
I'm 1895 the commissioners on uni
form state laws in national conference.
through it's committee, consisting G.
Mr. Lyman D. Brewster of Connecti-
cut, Mr.. Henry G. Wilcox of New York.
and Mr.. Frank Bergen of New Jersey,
employed Mr.. John J. Crawford of the
New York bar to draft bill codifying
the law of negotiable instruments. This
was printed with copicus annotations
.and sent to each member of the con-
ference. prominent lawyers, law pro-
sfessors and American and English
Judges, with an invitation for sugges-
tons and criticisms, and was submit
ted to the conference In 1896, discussed
section by section, amended and adopt
ed"
: The uniform negotiable instruments
act. up to the end Of last year, had
been enacted in thirty-eigh. states and
territories, including Florida.
Alabama Took First Action.
But. as credit should be given 20
J whom credit is DUE" it is proper to
say that the first suggestion in this
country. for the preparation Of uni
form law Of negotiable instruments
CAME from the Alabama Bar Associa-
ton in 1856, through its, committee on
correspondence of which Mr.. F. q.
Brornherg, of Mobile, formerly presi-
dans of the association, and now one Of
the commissioners from that state on
uniform state laws, was chairman
That report went nc. further, however
than to suggest the English bills Of
exchange act as a model to be adoptei
" all the states and by congress foy
he District of Columbia and Alaska.
Notwithstanding, however, this action
behalf Of the Alabama Bar Associa
n, that state did not adopt the law
il year or two ago. When I had
honor of appearing before the bar
citation of Alabama at its session
f06, gave full credit to that body
originating the idea and urged the
don of the law, and may have been
II some assistance in that regard, be-
cause the law has since been passed
in that state. In my state of Louis
lana We made no effort to adopt the
law until 1900. not thinking conditions
were favorable till then. The bill easily
passed the senate but In the house il
was defeated by the opposition of ar
influential legislator, now dead, who, in
opposing the law, charged it with de-
priying the moor man Of his three ID vs