APPENDIX F.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL EDUCATION AND ADMISSION TO THE BAR.

Your Committee on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar have but one recommendation, as follows:

That the exceptions allowing graduates of law schools to be licensed without standing the examinations be repealed.

With this amendment, your committee believe the law regulating admission to the bar in Georgia is good enough.

Respectfully submitted.

WM. P. HILL, Chairman.

APPENDIX G.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LEGAL ETHICS.

Legal ethics comprehends the rule of action governing the lawyer in his relations to his client, to the court, to his brother lawyer, and to the public.

It is placed on a higher plane than the ordinary courtesies. of life, and involves the elements of true manhood and capacity for leadership in all matters of public as well as private interests in the community where the lawyer lives. With his client he must be honest and candid, giving such advice and service as will promote his best interest, seeking rather to avoid than encourage litigation. Competent fees should always be a condition precedent to employment, except in cases of charity and patriotic service, but financial gain should not be the controlling influence in the advice given or service rendered. The honest enforcement of the law and the protection of his client's legal rights should be the guiding influence in the lawyer's work, and for this he is entitled to demand and receive adequate compensation. The solicitation of business, and underbidding on fees to obtain it are properly considered disreputable in the lawyer. No good lawyer needs to do this to obtain business, and it is always evidence of inferior ability or low professional standing. in the lawyer who does it. The legal profession is something. more than a mere trade, it is a high and honorable profession involving brain and character as essential elements to support it, and which cannot be prostituted to trade methods. It remains for those who are either incapable in point of learning or unworthy in point of character to adopt such methods to obtain business.

To the court the lawyer should be courteous and honest, never attempting to mislead for the sake of the success of his cause, and submitting with due respect to the rulings of the court when adverse to his contention. It is never profitable or proper to take offense at the rulings of the court when rendered in the proper discharge of official duty, nor is it proper for the court to exercise official authority in such manner as to give offense to the bar. There is a reciprocal courtesy demanded of each which, if properly observed, will advance the ends of justice and command the respect of all.

The public has an interest in demanding of every lawyer a high standard of character and capacity, for there is no other profession which gives a man greater influence for good or evil than the profession of law. He is necessarily identified with every public as well as private interest and enterprise of his community, and has more to do with shaping the sentiment and character of his people than any other one man if he but use the power thus given him with ability and tact.

Like many other good institutions, the profession of law is imposed on by some who, by the liberality of its rules are admitted into its sacred precincts, or who do not regard the ethics of the profession. We regret to say that there is evidence of needed reform on this line in the ranks of the profession, and as a result the profession as a whole suffers in the estimate placed upon it by the public.

There should be more rigid enforcement of the rules as to ability and character in admission to the bar, and a strict enforcement of law against those who after admission violate the honor or ethics of the profession.

Respectfully submitted,

A. F. DALEY,

Chairman.

APPENDIX H.

REPORT OF DELEGATES TO AMERICAN BAR

ASSOCIATION.

Mr. President:

The delegates appointed by this body to the American Bar Association have the honor to report:

That on August 28, 29 and 30, 1899, the twenty-second annual meeting of the American Bar Association was held at Buffalo, N. Y., Mr. Charles F. Manderson, V.-P., for Nebraska, presiding, in the absence of Mr. Joseph H. Choate.

The International Law Association held its nineteenth conference in conjunction with the meeting of the American Association.

The Erie county bar was very gracious in extending courtesies to the members of the Association, and the visit of your delegates was made most agreeable by our professional brethren. Papers were read before the Association as follows:

"New Jersey and the Great Corporations," by Mr. Edward Q. Keasbey.

"State Punishment of Crime," by Sir William R. Kennedy, a Judge of the High Court of Justice of England.

The annual address before the Association on the subject of "The Power of the Government of the United States to Acquire and Hold Territories," was delivered by Hon. William Lindsay, senator from Kentucky.

The addresses before the Sections of Legal Education and of Patent Law were made by William Wirt Howe and James H. Raymond, respectively.

Reports from the various committees were received.

Papers were read before the Section of Legal Education as follows:

"The Teaching of the Law in France," by Thomas Barclay, Esq.

"Legal Education in Canada," by N. W. Hoyles, Q. C.

"Notes on the Early History of Legal Studies in England," by Joseph Walton, Q. C.

Papers were read before the Section of Patent Law as follows: "Masters in Chancery," by E. B. Sherman.

"What Constitutes Invention in the Sense of Patent Law," by Arthur Stewart.

"Shall there be One or More Special Courts of Last Resort in Patent Cases," by Robert Taylor.

"Preliminary Injunctions," by L. L. Bond.`

"The Conditions under which Preliminary Injunctions in Patent Cases should be Granted or Refused," by Frederick P. Fish.

An interesting discussion arose upon the adoption of the resolution of sympathy for Maitre Labori, the French advocate, who had been assaulted during the Dreyfus trial.

The officers elected for the year 1900 were:

Charles F. Manderson of Nebraska, president; John Hinkley of Maryland, secretary, and Francis Rawle of Pennsylvania,

treasurer.

Mr. C. N. Gregory succeeded Mr. William Wirt Howe as chairman of the Section on Legal Education, and Mr. Fred. P. Fish succeeded Mr. James H. Raymond as chairman of the Section of Patent Law.

Thirty bar associations sent delegates to the meeting of the American Bar Association. Every State and Territory in the Union (except Nevada) is represented in the membership of that body. Georgia has the largest number of members of any Southern State, exclusive of Maryland and Missouri, but inclusive of West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. The total membership of the Association is 1,541.