Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-01
The COUNTY LAWYERS
Annual Meeting Of Bar Associa-
ton Held Saturday Afternoon.
Retiring President G. r.. Allen In Adj
dress Urges Some Improvement In
the Manner Of Drawing Jurics
TO Maintain Confidence.


probate court room Saturday afternoon.
Judge E. c. Mower and p. Cowlcs
we're elected members Of the governing
hoard TO serve for three years. Members
Of the board holding over are l.. B. Taft,
NJ l.. Powell. c. T.. Allen and r. r.
Brown. At a meeting Of the governing
board, held later in the afternoon. officers
for the ensuing year we're elected as
follows: President, nj. l.. Powell; vice.
president, r. C. Mower: secretary OF the
association, ]. T. Stearns; secretary Vt
the governing board, G. p. Cowles; treas
urer c. ID. Grafton.
The association accepted with pleasure
the invitation If President Powell TO he
his guests at dinner at the Hotel Vermont
on the evening Of the opening day OF the
March term of county court at which
time the next regular meeting will h
held.
The retiring president. Charles z. Allen.
presented his annual address. and at IFS
conclusion the association voted That u
be given to the press for publication.
PRESIDENT ALIENS ADDRESS.
After facetiously abiding to the action
Of the governing board of the Chittenden
County Bar association IN taking adj
vantage of his absence In Buffalo, y. y,
last year to elect him president of the as
ISOLATION, Mr.. Allen expressed his ap-
probation Of the unexpected honor an0
of the good feeling thus manifested
towards him. He then said: 81 believe
It has become a somewhat established
custom. at our annual meetings, for tho
president to say something, of more
or less formal character. and IT has oc-
Cured to mo that. as the time or this
meeting is so near the date OF the ami
versary of our Observation-Disclosures
pa might briefly alude to a few things
this association has accomplished during
the first six years Of its existence.
That I may not weary YOU I will con-
fine myself to only three subjects IN
which the association has manifested
spccinl interest. These are: First. n
change in the judicial system of the
State. second. some Improvement in the
manner of drawing juries third. the
cultivation OLA more friendly and social
feeling among its members.
|. For several years prior to 1905. it had
become evident that our judicial system,
a. then established, was unable 20
satisfactorily execute the constantly in
creasing amount OF work which was
brought before the court for considera-
ton. The supreme court. with its chief
justice and six associate judges, once
sufficient to transac- the business neces-
sary to be done. was ovcrworked. and far
behind in its duties. will not take your
time now to particularize. the condition
of things is familiar to every member of
the bar. This subject was brought to the
attention OF this association, by MEM
Der, at a meeting held October IS, 1906,
and a resolution was then adopted, look
ing to the change then suggested, which,
II approved by the State Bar association.
would be submitted to the Legislature
of 1906. The suggestion met with the
approval of the State Bar association. The
more the matter was considered the
greater appeared to he the necessity for
some change in the formation of the
court, and on November 90 1906 Act No.
63. of the Laws Of Vermont "Rcla ting 70
the Supreme and County Court and the
Judges thereof was approved BY the
provisions Of this act the court was
divided into a supreme court with four
JudgeS-comprising n Court OF Appeals
and six superior court Judges who, among
other duties, shall preside at county
. courts and courts of chancery." The
advantages of this change were at once
recognized. and to-day the new arrange
mcnt meets with the universal approval
OF bench and bar. The credit of this
important change In our State judiciary
system belongs to this association.
. The second subject to which I would
call your attention Is that of the COM
position Of our juries. This subject is
now attracting general attention. The
welfare OF society and the proper adj
ministration of the law largely depend
upon the right solution of this problem;
but Just what this change should be Is
not so apparent, on October .. 1906, the
subject was generally considered and dis
cissed at a meeting of this associat lon
ana committee was appoin, ed to submit
to the State Bar association and to the
supreme court, an alteration Of the
present law, to the manner tn
which Jurors should be selected. Chief
Justice Rowell. who was present at this
needing. favored the dra wing Of Jurors
by commission. as Struck iurlcs" are
now chosen, When the subject v,as
presented to the State Bar association /,
was fully discussed and then ordered 20
lie for the present Most of the mem.
hers favored some change. but were not
agreed what that change should he
At a meeting of the association, held nm
November 7. 1908. there was general