The Declaration once drafted, it must be signed. To a layman belongs the honor of first inscribing his name, and John Hancock signed, says Wendell Phillips, "in letters so large that the king might read it across the ocean." Of fifty-six delegates who live in the grateful memories of their countrymen as original makers of the instrument, more than one-third were lawyers. From South Carolina the brilliant Rutledge; from Maryland sturdy and defiant Samuel Chase, and Carroll of Carrollton. McKean from Delaware, worthily wearing the honors of high office in two colonies, delegate from Delaware, and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. Hopkins and Huntington, Hopkinson, and Roger Sherman, shoemaker, lawyer, and patriot.

In discussing the colonial bar in connection with the American Revolution, I have purposely confined myself to the events which led up to that revolution. Of the influence of our profession in perfecting a form of constitutional government for the confederated colonies, and in securing the adoption of a Federal constitution for the states, volumes have been written. The history of the growth and development of the national government is a history of the advance and triumphs of the American bar.

The members of that bar have ever stood as the champions of human freedom. In every great crisis of the nation, in the darkest hours of its peril, we behold the American lawyer, serene, steadfast, masterful; exalted in purpose, sublime in faith, superb in action. Lofty ideals have been set before us. In simplicity and earnestness may we "press forward to the mark of our high calling."

WM. F. GURLEY.

THE BRIEF

A Quarterly Magazine of the Law.

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The lawyer who is not ready to-day will be less ready tomorrow. Ovid.

The lawyer who is contented with what he has done will never become famous for what he will do. He has lain down to die. The grass is already growing over him.-Bouvier.

In the Chicago labor case of Cornelius P. Shea, the President of the Teamsters' Union, charged with conspiracy, the trial began September 13, the first juror was accepted on September 27 and the twelfth on November 29, after more than six thousand venire men had been examined.

The main function of teaching is to teach men how to think, to give them a grasp of principles, to put them on the right track, to give them a clue to the labyrinth, to inspire them with enthusiasm for the profession that they may work with a will, inspired by a lofty idea of the dignity of the profession of law, of its duties and responsibilities.-Lord Russell of Killowen.

Attorneys contemplating buying the United States Statutes. should delay the matter for a while, for a joint committee of the Senate and the House has been actively at work preparing a complete revision to succeed the last previous revision of 1878. The committee will report a Penal Code shortly after Congress convenes, and thereafter the section relating to the judiciary. It plans abolishing the Circuit Court of Appeals, confining the Circuit Court to appellate jurisdiction and making the District Courts the only courts of original jurisdiction. The committee was appointed pursuant to an act of June 4, 1897. Its time expires December 15, and its work is practically finished.

Besides this, the Olcott bill now pending before Congress proposes to increase the salaries of the Circuit and the District Court judges from $7,000 and $6,000, respectively, to “a salary equal to the judge of the highest appellate court" of the state in which they serve. The language is bad, but the object good. But a far more important measure is the bill that has already passed the House giving the Government the right to appeal from rulings on questions of law in criminal cases. The bill will strengthen the position of the administration in its trust curbing and is strongly supported by a message from Attorney-General Moody.

UNIFORM DIVORCE LAW.

The result of the work of the National Divorce Congress that met in Philadelphia in November is awaited with much interest. The Congress is the result of the action of the Pennsylvania legislature, pursuant to which Governor Pennypacker assembled delegates from the several states at Washington last February. General principles were agreed on, and a committee appointed to reduce the principles to statutory form, and the results of their work is now presented at Philadelphia. According to this there are provided two forms of divorce: one, complete divorce (divorce a vinculo), with permission to the innocent party to remarry; the other, "divorce from bed and board" (divorce a mensa), without permission to either party to marry another. For the former there are proposed six valid causes-adultery, bigamy, conviction and sentence for at least two years for

crime, extreme cruelty, wilful desertion for two years, habitual drunkenness for two years; for the latter the same causes are proposed, with a seventh cause in addition-hopeless insanity of the husband.

A TARDY TRIBUTE.

On November 22, 1906, at Philadelphia, there gathered a body of notables to pay the long delayed tribute of a nation to the memory of James Wilson, Revolutionary soldier, signer of the Declaration of Independence, leader in the Constitutional Convention, justice of the United States Supreme Court on its establishment, philosopher and profound statesman. The Attorney-General, justices of the Supreme Court, the Governor of Pennsylvania, Senators and leaders of the American bar united in laudation of the achievements of this extraordinary man. Wilson, it is now admitted, practically secured to this country its present constitution by obtaining the vote of Pennsylvania therefor, and was the first great jurist to advance the doctrine, since expounded by John Marshall, that the powers of the nation are possessed by the people of the states and by the people of the United States, in dual capacities; that there are no gaps between the powers of the two sovereignties, and that whatever powers may not be exercised by the people as a state, by necessary implication, are vested in, and may be exercised by, the people as a nation. This theory is the basis of most of the important Federal legislation, present and contemplated, of the present day, and has been repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court.

James Wilson was buried at Edenton, N. C., more than a century ago, in an unmarked grave. Last month, with full military honors and civic tribute, his remains were removed to Philadelphia and interred in Christ Church, the "Westminster Abbey of America. Verily: "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."

FLOYD R. MECHEM.

The frontispiece of this issue is a likeness of Professor Floyd R. Mechem, the president of Phi Delta Phi. Both as teacher and author Professor Mechem, now of the University of Chicago Law School, has done what very few men in the entire history of

the country have done. His work is of such sterling rank that it has not only won for him a great reputation for his abilities, but has left hundreds and thousands of men the country over his deep debtors.

Mr. Mechem was born in Nunda, Livingston County, New York, in 1858. He graduated from the high school of Battle Creek, Mich., and was admitted to the bar in 1879. He practiced in Battle Creek, and for a while was its city attorney. In 1887 he removed to Detroit and remained in practice there until 1892, when he became Tappan professor of law in the University of Michigan. He held that position until a few years ago when he was prevailed upon to take a similar position in the University of Chicago.

Professor Mechem has produced a number of law books of the first rank. It is doubtful whether the works of any legal author of the day are more current than his books on Agency and Public Officers, while his later work on Sales possesses the same merits and is of such excellence that its general use is assured. The analytical power, the great lucidity and balance displayed in these writings have made them models of their kind.

But perhaps the deepest appreciations of Professor Mechem's work came from those men who have been taught by him. In his presence they have felt themselves in the presence of a master. The writer recalls in particular one course given by Mr. Mechem at the University of Michigan in 1899 to the senior law students. It was in the main a course in informal exposition of the science of jurisprudence. His power of expression, of analysis, and lucid statement counted for everything, and if memory is not mistaken no hour was brought to its close in which the two hundred or more students of the class did not break out in applause of the instructor-so closely had he held them and so thoroughly had he impressed the subject upon them. There are many men to-day who if called upon to give an example of the great teacher would think first of Professor Mechem.

THE FLOOD OF REPORTED DECISIONS.

The disposition of judges to hand down written opinions in cases of no importance, and of the editors and publishers of law reports to put as many volumes on the market, as the literature,