the good of the state in view, and without hope of fee or reward, are simply actuated by patriotic motives. It is difficult, under such circumstances, to collect enough money for the purpose of sending out information and literature necessary to inform the people, and especially where the state is honeycombed with officers and persons hostile to the movement and poisoning the minds of the people against the great movement for reform. It has been a matter of wonder that people can be so easily duped by the officeholding oligarchy and interested monopolies and corporations, who have been feasting and fattening off of the iniquitous system of government in Tennessee, for Col. Wm. H. Carroll, a little over a year since, while still chairman of the Democratic party, the dominant party in Tennessee, declared in an open letter that Tennessee was the worst governed state in the union. The contest has been an extremely unequal one, but we have used every legitimate and honorable means to bring the issue squarely before the people, and trust that our efforts may bear abundant fruit and that a convention will be called. This, however, will be determined at the polls in a little less than one week from this day. The resolution under which we were appointed, required us to prepare an address to the lawyers of the state; this we did not do, and thought that the better course, because, commencing with the Nashville Banner, the charge went forth that this was a movement set, on foot by the lawyers and the State Bar Association in particular, and the little country papers, dominated by local officeholders, took up the charge, and it was scattered through the state, and not only this, but men claiming to be lawyers took as their text the fact that this movement was backed by the State Bar Association, and appealed to every principle of demagoguery known to pot-house politicians. This is a lamentable but nevertheless a true statement, for one of them, living in West Tennessee, not only lampooned this association but impugned the motives of the president himself. The standard of professional ethics in Tennessee, it is evident, does not rise to that high character which it does in other states. Whatever may be the result, however, we feel quite sure that good seed have been sown in good ground and that an abundant harvest may be expected in due time. Respectfully submitted, JAMES H. MALONE, Chairman. The report was ordered to be received and filed and printed in the proceedings. The Treasurer then submitted his report. The report is as follows: REPORT OF TREASURER. Nashville, Tenn., July 30, 1897. RECEIPTS. Cash balance reported at last meeting as per report of July 31, 1896 ..... Admission fees and annual dues collected since July 31, 1896 .. Total DISBURSEMENTS. $400 18 695 00 $1,095 18 Disbursements as per vouchers this day filed with Balance on hand this date....... $734 95 $360 23 Respectfully submitted, CHAS. N. BURCH, Treasurer. The Central Council made the following report on the Treas urer's report: To the Bar Association of Tennessee: The Central Council have audited the accounts of the Treasurer, and report them correct with proper vouchers attached. Cash on hand at this date, $360.23 Respectfully submitted, E. B. COOPER, WILLIAM S. ROSEBROUGH, For the Committee. The head of business, election of officers, being then reached, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Charles W. Metcalf, of Memphis, was elected president. The three vice presidents were elected as follows: T. E. Harwood, Trenton; J. H. Holman, Fayetteville; Tomlinson Fort, Chattanooga. The following were elected members of the Central Council: Luke E. Wright, Memphis; H. C. Warriner, Memphis; W. A. Percy, Memphis; E. T. Sanford, Knoxville; S. A. Champion, Nashville.. Charles N. Burch, of Nashville, was elected secretary and treasurer. The following delegates were elected to the American Bar Association: M. T. Bryan, Nashville, and G. N. Tillman, Nashville; alternates, S. D. Hays, Jackson, and R. E. L. Mountcastle, Morristown. H. H. Ingersoll, of Knoxville, and Jno. E. Richardson, of Murfreesboro, were elected delegates to the section of legal education of the American Bar Association. The president announced that he would appoint his committee at a later date. No further business being before the association, it adjourned, announcement being made that the annual banquet would take place on the roof-garden of the Woman's Building of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition at 8 P.M. The committees that have subsequently been appointed by the president will be found on page 7. APPENDIX. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. W. B. SWANEY. To the Bar Association of Tennessee: I desire to congratulate the members of this association upon the celebration of its sixteenth anniversary, and to bear the good tidings from its officers showing a most satisfactory result of the year's work. The standing and special committees for the year have taken more than usual interest in their work, and have shown a commendable zeal in pushing forward the few measures upon which the association has been a unit for several years past. Many members had begun to despair because so few of the many questions discussed and measures recommended by the association had been enacted into laws, but the record of the current year shows that if intelligent and organized action is had and the public is taken into confidence, and co-operation with other organized bodies and institutions is sought and secured, that success will ultimately be obtained. Among the most important laws passed by the present general assembly which have been discussed and recommended by this association, and urged upon the public attention, are the questions of criminal costs, a constitutional convention to alter, reform, or abolish the present constitution of the state, and the repeal of the statute requiring a dividend to be declared whenever there is an amount sufficient in the hands of the treasurer of a corporation to pay four per cent. dividend on the capital stock. Great credit is due the special committees of this association for their untiring, patriotic, and intelligent work done in the agitations favoring criminal costs reform, and the calling of a constitutional convention, and especially to the chairmen of these committees, Mr. Lewis M. Coleman and Hon. James H. Malone. It is needless to say in this connection that neither of these important measures could have succeeded but for the almost unanimous support of the press of the state, and many other organizations, and the members of the general assembly. Separate reports will be made by the committees having these matters in charge, and I therefore make no further comments. The admirable report of the Committee on Jurisprudence and Law Reform made to our last meeting by Mr. Joshua W. Caldwell, chairman, and the humorous address of Mr. Douglass Anderson, entitled "The Pathetic Side of a Lawyer's Life," were published in full by "The American Lawyer," a legal periodical published in New York. During the year Mr. Joshua W. Caldwell, of Knoxville, a member of this association, to whom it is indebted for many of its most valuable contributions, has written and had printed in the newspapers articles entitled "Sketches of the Bench and Bar of Tennessee." I quote the following deserved compliment thereon from "Law Notes," viz.: "Joshua W. Caldwell, of Tennessee, is printing some highly interesting statistics of the bench and bar of Tennessee. The work done in these papers is extremely valuable to Tennessee lawyers who care to have the history of the pioneers of their profession preserved. Every year makes such work in any state more difficult. As this work on Mr. Caldwell's part is entirely a labor of love, he is placing the bar of Tennessee under many obligations to him. We reprint here the writer's sketch of the early life of Sam Houston, who was always an interesting character." I herewith submit without comment a synopsis of the most important changes in the statute law on points of general interest made in the state and by congress during the preceding year, as required by the constitution and by-laws of this association. |