members of our Bar, but is familiar, I am sure, to the members of all the Bars of Canada. In this province we are very proud of his reputation, very proud of his talents and very proud of his science. I have great pleasure in introducing to you now Sir Alexander Lacoste." (Loud applause.)

Sir Alexander Lacoste." Mr. Batonnier and gentlemen of the Bar, I was not prepared for such eulogistic remarks as those with which I have been introduced. The Batonnier and I are old friends, and I think he wanted in the first place to create a favorable impression upon your minds concerning me before the delivery of my address. I must thank him most cordially for what he has said, and thank you also for the most gratifying reception which you accord me.

"Now, gentlemen of the Bar, it is indeed, as the Batonnier said yesterday, a great honor for Montreal to be the birthplace of the Canadian Bar Association. I am proud of addressing such a distinguished assembly on such a memorable occasion. This Association established upon a firm basis, conducted and managed in a liberal spirit, will no doubt have a beneficial influence on the future of our country. Our people is composed of heterogeneous elements which sometimes generate misunderstandings and clashings that trouble the mind of good and peaceable citizens. These misunderstandings arise from want of mutual confidence, and the want of confidence is due to the absence of frequent and intimate relations, which would afford us the means to know and appreciate each other. No doubt that this is the reason why prejudices are so strong, why in some cases we despise instead of appreciating each other. We see divisions when harmony ought to reign, that harmony which is so indispensable to promote the prosperity and greatness of our fatherland. (Applause.)

"An Association whose object is to draw closer and tighter the bonds which unite the citizens of the different provinces, which seeks to call them together more often and more intimately, naturally commends itself to the attention and good will of every true Canadian, but your Association is of special interest because it concerns the union of the members of a profession whose influence is greater, I dare say, than any other upon society, and which is more apt than any other to dispel those prejudices which we deprecate. (Hear, hear.)

"Associations grow more numerous in our days. Almost every class of laborers and trades now seek protection by associating together. Their chief purpose is the personal interest of their members, and in their zeal to save their rights they sometimes encroach upon those of other classes and thus become a cause of danger to the commonwealth. The main object of your Association is not the personal interest of its members. It is true that the profession at large as a body will benefit by it; but, as the lawyer's functions concern the welfare of society at large, that society especially shall reap the fruits of your work.

"I do not believe that your Association will endeavor to assimilate the law of the Province of Quebec to that of the others, nor shall it try to assimilate the law of the other provinces to our own. But I am sure that no one would object to borrow from one another certain changes and modifications (Hear, hear, and cheers) which, though not destroying the spirit nor the ensemble of each other's laws, would adapt themselves better to the needs of our time and of our country, or would favor the intercourse between the provinces. (Hear, hear.)

But, in matters falling under the control of the Parliament of Canada, the legislation, as a rule, is common to all. As to these matters, your Association may be of great service, by suggesting reforms that will answer the needs of the people, by pointing out the dangerous results of the passing of some bills laid before Parliament, by watching and criticising Federal Legislation. In order to be of more usefulness to society, you will likely devote yourselves to the betterment of your profession by endeavoring to keep it on a proper level. Honesty, dignity and learning are the principal attributes of an advocate.

The Association as a corps will set an example to its members by being honest, learned and full of dignity. You will, no doubt, facilitate the knowledge of the jurisprudence of each province and thus help in the good adminstration of justice.

"I must not take any more of your precious time; let me, however, congratulate those who prompted the formation of your Association and the work towards it; let me, with my colleagues now present, wish you a complete success. But to obtain success, you must all be actuated by the desire of serving our country and moved by that broad mind, by that high respect for each other's opinion, which members of the Bar display in the exercise of their profession."

(Prolonged applause.)

Geo. F. Gregory, Q.C.: "I come from the Bar of New Brunswick, and it affords me a great deal of pleasure to have this opportunity of moving that the members of this Association express their appreciation of the address which has just been delivered by His Honor the Chief Justice of the Province of Quebec by a vote of thanks. When the members of this Association are encouraged by the approval of the head of the bench of this province, I feel assured that they may go on with confidence to work out their destiny and to assist in preparing our several members to fill the honorable positions which they will, some of them, have to fill eventually, that are now filled by the present Chief Justice and the other honorable members of the Bench. I feel sure that the members of this Association are heartily in accord with me in expressing their thanks to the Chief Justice for his very eloquent, interesting and instructive address." (Applause.)

C. S. Harrington, Q.C.: "Mr. President, it gives me very great pleasure indeed to second the motion which Mr. Gregory has just made, and I feel rather deeper interest in this subject than perhaps the ordinary person feels, who has not given as much thought to these kind of subjects as he might have given. It is to me inexpressibly pleasant to find that the members of the Bench, no matter how exalted they may be, still regard themselves as remaining members of the Bar. It is extremely pleasant to me to find that His Honor the Chief Justice has found it not incompatible with his dignity and his position to come here as one of ourselves to-day, and to give us what Mr. Gregory has happily expressed as being the encouragement which we look to find from those who, not being in the struggle of professional life, but having gone through it, are able to help us very much indeed by a word of wisdom and a word of advice.

"I, therefore, Mr. President, have the utmost pleasure in seconding this resolution. I know that we regard it not only as a pleasure to have listened to the address, but as an honor that the members of the Bench have come here this afternoon to grace these proceedings by their presence."

The vote of thanks was then put and enthusiastically carried. The judges then retired, the whole assembly rising as they passed out.

Mr. Borden read the following telegram from Sir Henry Strong, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court :

R. L. Borden, Q.C.

OTTAWA, Ont., Sept. 15, 1896.

Very much regret that I did not see you and Mr. Russell last night. I could have gone down this morning, but would not have been prepared to deliver an address. Have an appointment to-morrow which will prevent me leaving Ottawa entirely. Approve of the proposed Bar Association. Such an organization much wanted. You can command my services and assistance in any way in which they may be useful.

(Signed)

HENRY STRONG.

On motion of C. B. Carter, Q.C.. seconded by C. S. Harrington, Q.C., a cordial vote of thanks was passed to Sir Henry Strong for his kindly words of sympathy to the Association, and that he be invited to deliver an address at the next meeting.

J. A. McGillivray, Q.C., M.P., seconded by Hon. D. McNeill, Q.C., moved

a vote of thanks to the Mayor and aldermen for the handsome manner in which they had entertained the members of the conference during the afternoon. This was cordially adopted.

The meeting then proceeded to the election of officers. The greatest harmony and unanimity prevailed in the choice of the officers, the result being as follows:

On motion of F. Arnoldi, Q.C., seconded by R. L. Borden, Q.C., Sir Oliver Mowat, K.C.M.G., Q.C., Minister of Justice, was unanimously elected Honorary President of the Association.

On motion of C. S. Harrington, Q.C., seconded by R. L. Borden, Q.C., the Hon. J. E. Robidoux, Q.C., was chosen by acclamation the first President of the Canadian Bar Association.

On motion of W. C. Languedoc, Q.C., seconded by C. S. Roy, Q.C., the following were elected Vice-Presidents: Quebec, Hon. T. C. Casgrain, Q.C.; Ontario, O. A. Howland; Nova Scotia, C. S. Harrington, Q.C.; Prince Edward Island, Hon. Frederick Peters, Q.C.; New Brunswick, Hon. W. Pugsley, Q.C.; British Columbia, Aulay Morrison, M.P.; Manitoba, J. S. Ewart, Q.C.; NorthWest Territories, Hon. F. W. G. Haultain.

Mr. C. B. Carter, Q.C., Montreal, was appointed Treasurer and Mr. J. T. Bulmer, Halifax, Secretary.

On motion of Mr. Borden, seconded by the Hon. Mr. Archambault, the following were chosen to be Councillors of the Association, along with the President, Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer: Hon. Sir C. H. Tupper, Q.C., the Hon. F. Langelier, Q.C., F. L. Beique, Q.C., M.P., D'Alton McCarthy, Q.C., M.P., John A. Gemmill, G. F. Gregory, Q.C., the Hon. D. McNeill, Q.C., and the Hon. L. H. Davies, Q.C., M.P.

It was decided to leave to the Council to decide where the next meeting would take place.

The Montreal Bar was tendered warm thanks for the handsome manner in which it had provided for the reception and entertainment of the Association. Votes of thanks were also passed to the provisional President and Secretary and to the Committee of the Barristers' Society of Nova Scotia for their valuable services. Mr. Robidoux, Mr. Carter and Mr. Bulmer thanked the meeting in appropriate terms and the meeting finally broke up with cheers for the Queen, Montreal, the local Bar and the delegates. In the evening a number of members of the Bar attended the show on the exhibition grounds as guests of the Montreal Bar.

About one hundred became members of the Association on the day of its formation, and as each member paid his entrance fee ($5) on the spot, the Association commences its existence with a respectable sum in the treasury.

LIST OF SIGNATURES.

MONTREAL, Sept. 16, 1896.

Hon. J. E. Robidoux, Q.C., Montreal; J. T. Bulmer, Halifax; Frank Arnoldi, Q.C., Toronto; L. H. Davidson, Montreal; John A. McGillivray, Q.C., Uxbridge, Ont. ; Hon. Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper, Q.C., M.P., Halifax, N.S.; R. L. Borden, Q.C., M.P., President Barristers' Society of Nova Scotia ; J. Netterville Driscoll, Montreal; C. A. Stockton, St. John, N.B.; Robert G. Murray, St. John, N.B.; D. R. Murphy, Montreal; Thos. H. Oliver, Quebec ; James Kirby, Q.C., Montreal; W. A. Weir, Montreal; H. Archambault, Montreal; R. Dandurand, Montreal; A. W. MacRae, St. John, N.B.; Geo. F. Gregory, Q.C., Fredericton, N.B.; David Grant, Moncton, N.B.; P. B. Mignault, Montreal; R. D. McGibbon, Q.C., Montreal; Jas. Crankshaw, Montreal; F. S. Maclennan, Montreal; F. L. Beique, Q.C., M.P., Montreal; Percy C. Ryan, Montreal: G. B. Cramp, Montreal; Geo. Ritchie, Halifax, N.S.; L. J. Cannon, Quebec; A. E. Poirier, Montreal; John L. Morris, Montreal; C. S. Roy, Montreal; W. C. Languedoc, Q.C., Quebec; C. S. Harrington, Q.C., Halifax; O. A. Howland, M.PP., Toronto; J. C. Noel, Inverness, Que. ;

Hector McInnes, Halifax; P. H. Roy, Montreal; Arthur Olivier, Three Rivers; P. N. Martel, Three Rivers; Geo. E. Kidd, Ottawa; R. G. Code, Ottawa ; M. J. Gorman, Ottawa; H. A. Hutchins, Montreal; Maxwell Goldstein, Montreal; A. J. Brown, Montreal; Eneas A. Macdonald, Charlottetown, P.E.I.; Fred. Peters, Q.C., Premier P.E.I., Charlottetown; A. Falconer, Montreal; J. A. Gemmill, Ottawa; W. H. Barry, Ottawa; Ernest Decrosiers, Montreal; P. Sheridan, Montreal; R. L. Murchison, Montreal; Daniel McNeill, Q.C., Halifax, N.S.; Hon. Wm. Pugsley, Q.C., M.PP., St. John, N.B.; A. R. Oughtred, Montreal; W. Herbert Burroughs, Montreal; J. M. Ferguson, Montreal; Chas. A. Duclos, Montreal; J. T. Cardinal, Montreal; Alf. E, Merrill, Montreal; C. B. Carter, Q.C., Montreal; Horace St. Louis, Montreal; L. Forget, Montreal; John Dunlop, Montreal; S. Beaudin, Montreal; J. U. Emard, Montreal; H. Lanctot, Montreal; G. A. Marsan, Montreal; Arch. McGouin, jr., Montreal; F. R. Latchford, Ottawa; H. C. Ste. Pierre, Q.C., Montreal ; Ernest Pelissier, Montreal; F. Topp, Montreal; J. E. Farewell, Q.C., Whitby, Ont.; Hon. C. A. Geoffrion, Q.C., M.P., Montreal; P. J. Coyle, Montreal; F. S. Lyman, Montreal; W. S. Stewart, Charlottetown, P. E.I.; Edmund Guerin, Montreal; J. B. Abbott, Montreal; D. R. McCord, Montreal; S. W. Jacobs, Montreal; D. C. Robertson, Montreal; Eug. Lafontaine, Montreal; R. G. de Lorimier, Montreal; Arthur Globensky, Montreal; Eug. A. Primeau, Montreal; A. E. Beckett, Montreal; D. McCormick, Montreal; F. X. Choquet, Montreal; H. Abbott, Q.C., Montreal; A. Gagnon, Montreal.

During the two days which followed the close of the general meeting the newly-elected Council held several sittings and passed by-laws providing for the admission of new members and other pressing business.

The by-law for the admission of new members provides for election by the Council upon nomination by the Vice-President of the province to which the applicant belongs. The Vice-President in each province is to be assisted by a nominating committee for procuring and advising on applications.

An adjourned meeting of the Council is to be held at an early day for the purpose of completing by-laws, nominating committees on various important subjects, and making preparations for the next annual meeting.

Though a programme is not absolutely settled, it is probable that the subject of Canada's interest in International Law will be chosen as a leading topic for discussion next year, with particular reference to the practicability of an International Court between the British Empire and the United States.

The following form indicates the procedure to be adopted by any member of the profession desiring to become a member of the Association.

To

FORM OF APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP.

Vice-President for the

Province of

Sir,

Please propose my name at the next meeting of the Council, for membership in the Canadian Bar Association, to the Constitution of which I hereby subscribe.

On receiving notification of election I undertake to pay to the Hon. Treasurer an entrance fee of $5, and in each succeeding year, during continuance of my membership, such annual fee, not exceeding $5, as the by-laws may prescribe.