Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 19.pdf/653

 The

Green

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Published Monthly at $4.00 per Annum. Single Numbers 50 Cents. Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor, S. R. Wrightington, 31 State Street, Boston, Mass. The Editor will be glad to receive contributions of articles of moderate length upon subjects of interest to the profession; also anything in the way of legal antiquities, facetim, and anecdotes. On Thursday, August 29th. the vanguard of the American Bar Association gathered in Portland to attend the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. On the previous day the committee on commercial law of this body had under extended discussion the second draft of an act to make uniform the law of bills of lading, the first draft of which was submitted to the conference at St. Paul last year and subse quently to a conference of representatives of shippers, bankers, and carriers held at Philadelphia last May. These drafts are the work of Professor Williston of the Har vard Law School, who as counsel for the commissioners has rendered valuable service in preparation of its important suggestions for legislation. Attorneys representing vari ous banking and merchant associations pre sented their views to the committee. The first draft of an act to make uniform the law of certificates of stock had also been discussed. The address of President Amasa M. Eaton summarized uniform legislation of the preceding year. He also referred to the work of the National Divorce Congress and the plan of the correspondence committee of the Alabama State Bar Association to urge uniform legislation restricting new trials in criminal cases on errors not affecting the merits. The most important committee report was that on Marriage and Divorce endorsing the draft of the proposed law adopted by the National Divorce Congress. This aroused a spirited debate which extended through the two following days, but the resolution was finally adopted. The com missioners in committee of the whole mean time considered the draft of the proposed law on bills of lading, which was finally

referred to the next National Congress to await action of the Interstate Commerce Commission which is expected to prepare a form for uniform bills of lading in confer ence with representatives of the railroads next October. The commission also com menced the examination of the law relating to certificates of stock. The importance of the recent meeting of the American Bar Association was enhanced by the presence of distinguished foreign guests who had come to attend the meeting of the International Law Association held during the last three days of the second week. Many of these gentlemen had been present at our meetings at Buffalo and at St. Louis when similar meetings of their association were held. Their proceedings consisted of a long series of papers upon subjects relating to international law, most of them by the English and American members. Mr Greg ory's paper on " Expropriation by Inter national Arbitration " and Mr. Wheeler's on "Treaties as affected by Subordinate Legis lation " aroused most discussion. On Monday morning the first meeting of the American Bar Association was held, Presi dent Parker in the chair. The address of welcome by Governor Cobb of Maine was beautifully brief and in excellent taste, as was also that of Chief Justice Emery of the Supreme Court of Maine. The hall was attractively decorated and its acoustic proper ties were excellent. The president in his annual address adopted the wise innovation of President Peck of last year in omitting the portion of it devoted to the summary of statute law of the preceding year as required by the constitution of the associal on, though it will appear in the annual report. Thus