Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-01-13

~ with the excitement and emoiu-
ments Of private controversy, but one
devoted to the welfare of the coun-
try, not jealous for prominence nor
clamorous for office. hut eager to learn
the facts which affect every human
being. be he rich or poor, and willing
with hand and brain to forward the.
measures OF true reform to the end
that this country may continue the
beacon star of personal and civil liber-
W that it may become, in truth, what
it's founders intended, a government of
laws and not Of men.
Reports of the Secretary and Treas
urer, Norman l.. BasSett of this city,
were then presented and accepted.
SEcRETARY'S REPORT
Measured by the century which we
are celebrating today the Maine
State Bar Association seems youthful
but it may be cider and maturer than
some of you have stopped TO con-
slider. It seems fitting TO look back
briefly upon its part in the juris
prudence of Maine. Do YOU know it
is close upon it's thirtieta birthday
and that you will find as you read
it's records a generation preceding the
active membership of today with the
most of it's hOnorcd names marked
with a star? February /, 1881, u
committee chosen by and from the
Cumberland Ear Association at its
annual meeting issued Il call to the
bars of the various countie.: to meet
in Augusta on February %. At this
meeting u Maine State Bar Asso-
citation was formed, a constitution
adopted, officers chosen and an act
of incorporation recommended. Hon.
Josiah II. Drummond, of Portland
was elected President, and Hon.
Charles f. Woodward, Of Bangor,
Secretary and Treasurer. At that
session of the Legislature. an Act
regulating admission to the Ear was
presented and recommended by the
Association. 1t became Chapter g.
of the Laws of 1881 governing admis-
sion to the bar until the law of 1899.
This meeting after two adjournments
was finally adjourned on March 18th
Nothing more was heard from the
Association for ten years.
In 1891, the present Association was
incorporated by Special Act of the
Legislature, chapter 167, fact which
prevented the late Hon. Albert w.
Paine, Of Bangor, from ever becoming
1t member because, as he stoutly
claimed, it should have been incorpo-
rated under the general law and not
by special act of the Legislature.
, The Association was organized under
this Act in thc old Judiciary Room Of
the State House on March IS, 1881
The first President of the Association
was the man who was chiefly re-
sponsible for its reorganization, Hon
| Charles +. Libby. of Portland, and he
served Loyalty and successfully for
five years. No member of our Bar
ever had greater love for the pro-
feSSlon and none ever took 4 deeper
! interest in or more faithfully sought
| TO promote the growth and develop
ment of our jurisprudence The
/ records contain many contributions
| to this end Of his studious, scholarly
! and progressive mind. The first Sec
: rotary and Treasurer was Leslie c.
Cornish, who served for sixteen years
until his appointment as Justice of
/ the Supreme judicial Court on March
p, 1907, and then resigned. in his
report presented at the annual meet
ing OF the Association, held on John
Marshall Day, February 4, 1901. at
the close OF the first ten years of the
lie of the Associa ton, you will find
an interesting story of those years.
"a n
presented by leaders at the
Bar and discussed by the AS
Soclatlon, will not review
them, But as regards the changes
IN our laws which by the COM
mittees of the Association and with
its recommendation were presented
to the Legislature and enacted, tou
should recall Chapter PIT of the
Public Laws of 1893 regulating suits
at law and in equity and preventing
judge at Law Court from sitting in
| review of his own ruling; Chapter
ia of the Laws of 1894 in relation
to exceptions and stenographers, pro-
Vidlng for the taking down of all
comments of the Court in the trial of
| the case; Chapter I3S of the Laws
OF 1895 providing for the appointment
| OF Committee on Uniformity of
! Legislation; Chapter so of the Re-
solves of 1895 for the purchase by the
! state of books for the library to com
! plete sets on American and English
Reports and Statutes; Chapter 1919
of the Laws of 1899 regulating admis-
son to the Bar and providing for a
| state Board of Bar Examiners:
! chapter 246 of the Laws of 1901 pro-
Vldlng for the terms of the Law
Court now in force and making
changes in the Nisi Prius terms.
During this decade, as you viii
note. many fundamental needs were
considered and wisely settled to the
! satisfaction, it would seem. of the
| pubic and the bar, and with the
| result that the number of matters
thus needing change was largely
! diminished. But important subjects
have been since 1901 taken up by the
! Association.
! Bills making uniform the laws re-
iatlng 10 Negotiable Instruments
/ divorce, Sales, and Warehouse Re
J cclpts nave been approved by the
Association. In 1917, by Chapter IS,
UNIFORM law of negotiable inStru-
ments was enacted by the Legisla-
ture.
Expert evidence has been warmly
ceoated. First, the bill was drawn in
1871 by Chief Justice Emery and pre-
| Ia