The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-29
BAR HEAD IN
OPPOSITION TO
COURT CHANGE
John w. Davis Says to Shear
Supreme Court of Power
Is to Give up Liberty
OTHER PROPOSALS
Urges That Congress Take
Office Immediately After
Election; President Also

Election; President Also
| Minneapolis, Aug. 29-Opposi
tion to any curtailment of thu
powers Of the United States Su
preme Court wet expressed BY
John w. Davis of New York in hi.
address as president of the Am
e:ican Bar Association at the open
ing session Of the 68th annua
convention here today.
In addition to this stand which
applies to decisions involving con.
stitutionality of congressional en-.
actments as well as departure from
five to four majority decisions
the association president also ad-
vocated the following:
Congress should come into being
Immediately upon it's election and
the President and Vice. president
should be inaugurated without any
unnecessary lapse of time.
The bar should demand without
further delay the appointment un.
der congressional authority of an
expert commission to codify the
federal statutes.
Adoption of constitutional
amendment permitting the Presi.
dent of the United States to veto
specific items in an appropriation
bill. -.
Ratification of treaties with for
eign countries by the Senate by a
majority vote instead of the two
thirds vote now required.
Submission Of the constitutional
amendment directly to the people
of the several states or to the
legislatures selected after and not
before the amendment has been
proposed.
Repeated hopes expressed last
year that "a way may be found
by which the government of the
United States may avail itself of
the permanent court of interna-
tional justice"
The address of Mr.. Davis was
preceded by the report of Thomas
Kemp of Baltimore, secretary, and
Fred Wadhams, Albany, N. Y,
treasurer and was followed by
nominations for the general coun-
Gil.
This afternoon the association
was to meet in joint session with
the Minnesota Bar Association to
listen to an address by Pierce But
Ter, associate justice of the Unit
ed States Supreme Court. To-
night the Earl of Birkenhead,
former chancellor of Great Brit
ain, will address the convention.
Referring to the suggestions for
curtailing the power Of the su-
preme court on acts Of Congress
President Davis asked if wrongs
visited upon an American by the
illegal excesses of Congress or
legislatures be less open to re-
dress than those which he may
suffer from courts or sheriffs or
military tyrany or civilian ene-
miles,"
IF this be so," he continued.
"if in any such case the ears OF
the court are to be closed against
him it is not the power Of the
court that has BEEN reduced but
the dearly bought right Of the
citizen which is taken away"
BAR WELCOMED.
Lieut.. Cox. L. L. Collins, welcomed
the convention to Minnesota in tnc
behalf of J. A. o. Preus who is ill.,.
Following Davis response, Sec. W..
Thomas Kemp of Baltimore offered
his report which was accepted. Ad.
ditions of 2,678 new members elected
to bar associations were reported by
the secretary, bringing the total
membership Of the organization to
19,457. The report of, Treasurer
Wadhams Of Albany was read and
approved.
Secretary Kemp also read the ex-
ecutive committee report. Among its
recommendations was that the an
nual fee Of dues be retained and that
the portion Of the report Of the COM
mittee on American citizenship which
recommended the committee be made
a section of the bar association be
disproved, it being believed greater
service would come from present
plan.
To Check Crime.
Recommendations and opinions
dealing with lawlessnSss in Ameri-
ca were presented to the criminal
section today as follows:
Firearms are too easy to procure;
their sale should be rigidly con-
trolled.
Increase in the radical movements
has had great tendency to incite
lawlessness and the attempt to over
throw the present order Of things.
"A standard criminal code is needed
Formation Of federal bureau Of
criminal identiAcation would co-ordi-
nate police work.
Uniform aystem Of automobile Ger.
tificate so that police Of one state
can tell Immediately whether the
certificate is Fraudulent was urged.
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