Dated, NEW YORK, December 22, 1911. Adelbert Moot, of Buffalo : Mr. President, I offer the following resolution: WHEREAS, The rooms now occupied by the Court of Appeals are exceedingly cramped and inconvenient, no accommodations whatever are afforded attorneys in attendance upon its sessions, and the subject of new and more commodious quarters is under consideration, in view of the interest of the Bar in the matter, therefore, be it Resolved, That a committee of eleven be appointed by the Chair to advise with the members of the Court and the State authorities with a view to securing such accommodations for the Judges and lawyers as may be in keeping with the dignity of the Court and the comfort and convenience of members of the Bar in attendance thereon. I can make one suggestion. I would like to be relieved from the work myself and I would suggest, not as final at all, that the former Chief Judge of the Court, Mr. Alton B. Parker, be made chairman and that the President-elect and the Secretary of this Association might be members of that committee. I think each of them would be capable of rendering very efficient service. That would leave eight members still that could be selected from various parts of the State. The resolution was duly adopted. The President: It is not on the list, but the Secretary suggests this would be an appropriate time for a report of the Committee on Grievances. William P. Goodelle, of Syracuse: Mr. President, during the past year your Committee on Grievances have had nothing referred to them. They therefore report with great pleasure, so far as the committee has been advised, or so far as they know personally officially, everybody has been good. The Secretary: At the request of the Committee on Revision of Civil Practice, I beg leave to submit the following report: REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE REVISION OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE To the New York State Bar Association: The Special Committee on the Revision of the Civil Practice appointed pursuant to a resolution of the Asso ciation adopted January 20, 1911, begs leave to report that it caused to be introduced at the session of the Legislature of 1911 an act authorizing the presentation to the Legislature of 1912 of a plan for the classification, consolidation and simplification of the civil practice of the State, a copy of which act is hereto attached, which passed both houses of the Legislature but was vetoed by the Governor. The committee believes that before the work on the simplification of the practice is undertaken the general lines along which the revision should proceed should be approved by the Legislature and the Bar Associations so that the time consumed in detailed work when undertaken may not be wasted but may proceed upon a plan which if satisfactorily worked out will, when completed, meet with approval. Your committee expects to introduce a similar bill in the coming Legislature and hopes that it may become a law, and that the work of simplifying the civil practice as a whole may be undertaken and brought to as speedy a completion as consistent with the difficulties and importance of the undertaking. Respectfully submitted, ADOLPH J. RODENBECK, JOHN G. MILBURN, ADELBERT MOOT, CHARLES A. COLLIN. The President: Gentlemen, we have reached the time for recess, and I wish to make one observation regarding the first item on the afternoon program, which is two P. M., unfinished busi ness. That does not mean luncheon. If you can manage to have your luncheon finished so as to be here at two o'clock, it is very desirable, because at ten minutes after two we are to be favored with an address from Mr. Justice Riddell, of the Court of Kings Bench of Ontario. All of you who have ever heard Mr. Justice Riddell, I am sure will be here promptly, and to those who have not heard him I venture to say that you will be fully paid by taking pains to be prompt in your attendance this afternoon; and further than that, I am sure we all feel very kindly the obligations of courtesy toward a very distinguished jurist who has come to us from another country to take part in our discussion. We will now take a recess until two o'clock, sharp. The President: AFTERNOON SESSION SATURDAY, January 20, 1912. The Association will come to order. The Chair is advised that the Committee on the Workmen's Compensation Act is ready to report. Is Mr. Campbell, the chairman of that committee, present? Frederick B. Campbell, of New York: Mr. President, the sub-committee on Workmen's Compensation have authorized me to propose the following resolution: "Resolved, That the Special Committee on Workmen's Compensation be and it is enlarged by the addition of Messrs. Stetson, Dougherty, Wheeler, Battle, Terry, and Abbott, who are the members of a similar committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York; and as so enlarged the committee be continued with power to pre pare and to submit to the Legislature for adoption amendments to or substitutes for amendments to the Constitution of the State of New York, now pending or hereafter proposed in the Legislature relating to the subject of workmen's compensation." In support of this resolution, I would say, gentlemen, that your committee feel it to be extremely desirable if we can enlist the services of these gentlemen of the Association. Those gentlemen I think will accept the invitation of this Association to become members, and I so move. The President: Any remarks to be made upon the resolution? James L. Bishop, of New York: Does that carry with it the approval of the resolution for the amendment to the Constitution adopted by the Bar Association of this city, the committee of which is made a part of the committee of this Association? If so there. are some considerations which perhaps ought to be submitted to the Association before that resolution is adopted. The President: The Chair is of the opinion that the adoption of this resolution does not carry with it the approval of any particular amendment. Are you ready for the question upon the resolution? William B. Hornblower, of New York: Mr. President, does not this resolution give this committee carte blanche to present to the Legislature any amendment that they may choose? |