The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-12
Governors Resolution Civ ing Supreme Court More
 Power Adopted
ABLE PAPER IS READ
 BY COL. SAM WILL JOHN
Resolution of Governor Provides Su- preme Court Be Vested With Power to Regulate Practice and Pro-
 cedure in All Courts of State
By l.. s. BETTY

By l.. s. BETTY
 Montgomery July n.-(Speclal)- An other step looking to judicial reform in the courts of Alabama was taken by the State Bar association this morning when the association by unanimous vote adopted a resolution presented by the governor of Alabama providing that the supreme court be vested with the power to regulate practice and procedure in all the courts of the state. The governors resolution was an indorsement of the rec ommendation made by President Thomas NJ. Stevens in his annual address before the association.
 The resolution called for the appoint ment of a committee by the association to prepare and present to the next legisla- ture bill carrying into effect the recom- mendation and. to urge It's passage by that body.
 In presenting the resolution to the bar association, the governor stated that the rule which the resolution sought to have adopted was in effect in the supreme court of the United States and in many of the state courts and declared that the supreme court was better qualified to regulate practice and procedure in the lower courts than the legislative branch of government.
 As long as We allow the legislature to accomplish results" declared the gov ernor, i've will have the same experi- ence we have had in the past The su- preme court of the United States is all lowed to regulate and prescribe rules of practice and procedure in the other fed eral courts. and many of the state su- preme courts have been vested with simi- lar power.'
 The governors short speech on the pas sage of the resolution was the first he had made during the session of the bar association, and it met with immediate favor. The resolution was adopted by a unanimous vote of the association.
 Governors Resolution
 Following is the resolution:
 'Be it resolved by the Alabama State Bar association that we fully concur with and indorse the recommendation of the president in his address that the supreme court be vested with the power to regulate practice and pro- cedure in the co -~ of this state and that committee 10 appointed to prepare and legisla- ture at it's ne5 i'll carry ing into effec mendation and to urgeNit Aei
 BrickelP rl4IH ltions
 Considerabl ame up on the report o neral Rob- ert c. Brick mmittee on legislation. that the time for fiji option in all cases where .aken be cut down from and that the trial judge a o ad 30 days in which to S exceptions.
 The asst to adopt the suggestion m amendment allowing yv - ng bills of ex- ception in felony casS. and 60 days for filing them in misdemeanor cases A further amendment was adopted al- lowing the trial judge 30 days in which to sign the bills
 Another recommendation made by the committee on legislation was that a law be adopted allowing dis barment proceedings against any at torney within three years after the commission of an offense and provid- ing that the bar association, or cen tral council, shall not be responsible for costs in prosecutions. The com mittee on Legislation was instructed to urge the passage of these measures.
 The association refused to indorse the recommendation of the committee that law be passed preventing the reversal of a case for refusal of the judge to present a special charge where the charge was covered in the gen era1 charge.
 Report on Local Bar Association
 Kelly Dixon of Talladega, chairman of the committee on local bar associations, reported that the committee had found considerable difficulty in arousing en- It1c cios in, pd ac- commended the appointment of lawyer to work Up interest in these bodies. The as- sociation immediately adopted Mir. Dixon's S recommendation and instructed the presi- dent to employ a competent person to make canvass of the local associations. Three hundred dollars was appropriated for expenses.
 In closing his report, MT. Dixon said: "If these local associations should be built up part of the state organiza- ton, in fact to become the founda tion upon which the whole state organization rests. we believe would make the local bodies take more interest in the same and would tend to keep them organized The State Bar association some years ago in allowing two members from each local association to become members of this association without paying dues was a step in the right direction, but in our | opinion this is not a sufficient step. If | the constitution of the state organization should be changed as above suggested so that the fees and dues should be collected | by each local association. and each local | association be required to pay into the l treasury of the state organization a cer- | tain amount of money and if the dele- gates from these local associations should | be the controlling factors in the state association, and if each local association | should not only elect these delegates but | pay their expenses, in our opinion it | would build up a strong state organiza- | tion, not made up of a few lawyers from | the cities of the state with one or two | SC stattered over the re nainder of the state. | but would make up the state association | of members from every county in the state, and would make it influential | thr oughout the borders of the state These | local associations would naturally have | a great deal more influence in the counties !! in which they are organized than one or | two individuals residing there who belong I to the state organization.
 | If such an organization could be built up as is now maintained among the doc | tors of this state in our opinion we would see the lawyers a powerful factor in | framing laws and selecting proper men <, to make and construe such laws With out such an organization can be built up through the local associations in our | opinion the state association can never have the influence 1t should in the af- fairs of the state.'
 BOuldin Presents Paper One of the ablest papers read before the bar association today was presented by vergil Bouldin of Scottsboro, chairman of the committee on the distribution of