ANNUAL BANQUET. The government of our country is composed of three departments, as we know. The legislative, the judicial, the executive. In this past year they have created so much new law that the expression "judicial legislation" has become a by-word, and yet we murmur a little and pay no attention to it. I have heard it rumored from Washington that the Representatives in Congress and possibly the Senators murmur somewhat because the Executive seeks to interfere with legislation. Lately we have become more sensitive, perhaps, when the Executive of this great country has seen fit in an official paper to criticise the judiciary; but is that a question for us to take up? Is it for us to enter a protest and stand for what we consider the correct principles of government in keeping the departments of government distinct, or shall we pass it simply as an interference of a jealous advocate in a good cause? The difficult and embarrassing question is what of these important matters shall the Bar Association take up in the future. They are great and momentous questions. For instance, take the question of insurance. I have been told, I do not know how true it is, that the State of Illinois is the only State in the Union that has not been moved to action by the insurance disclosures in the State of New York. Is that a matter to excite our interest? When we take up the questions of practice in the lower courts we are on safe ground; the judges are many and we acknowledge their deficiencies. When we take up the question of reform in the Supreme Court we are perhaps on more delicate ground. I have been, however, struck by the defense that has been put in by Judge Carter this evening. It strikes me about this way: Suppose the learned State's Attorney of Cook county, who is sitting at the head table, should indict the Supreme Court for being guilty of writing one man decisions, and not demurring to the indictment the Supreme Court should say, it is not true simply because the State's Attorney says it is true. Would we not have a right to move to strike out such a pleading? Shall we, as the President suggested in his opening ANNUAL BANQUET. address, take up actively this question of reforming the procedure in the Supreme Court, or shall we rest content and believe that the new member of the Supreme Court, coming from the body of lawyers, will work all the reforms that we seek to encompass? Then there are questions which border more on a political nature; the questions of municipal ownership and municipal operation. The question of taxation, of inheritance tax, progressive inheritance tax; of the tax on franchises of corporations, and numerous other questions which it will be difficult to determine whether or not this Association should consider and act upon. In some of the states I believe the Attorney General or a Commission appointed for that purpose, pass upon all laws which are enacted by the legislature before they are signed by the Governor, to determine whether they are constitutional and whether they are correctly expressed for the purpose of accomplishing what is desired. And I have sometimes thought that it might be feasible perhaps for this Association to have a standing committee of that sort at Springfield, in the absence of any legislation upon that subject. Now these are all questions which I am not advocating, but simply suggesting as showing the importance of this Association and the work that it may do. But these are too serious matters to discuss tonight in the presence of our guests, and at this late hour. If this Association should accomplish nothing else than drawing together once a year at an entertainment like this, members of the bar throughout the State, and their wives and daughters and sisters and guests, its existence would be amply justified. (Applause.) PRESIDENT PAGE: The meeting is now adjourned. The attendance at this meeting of the Association was good, although it was impossible to get all of the members to register. J. S. Stevens. Cyrus W. Rice... Chicago . Chicago . Chicago . Chicago ...Joliet Taylorville ..Fairfield Bloomington Monmouth . Galena .Lewistown . Chicago Chicago . Chicago Paxton Springfield . Chicago . Chicago Bloomington J. N. Riggs.. James G. Elsdon. Robert E. Pendarvis. Wm. N. Gemmill... Frank Baker MEMBERS REGISTERED. Winchester . Monticello . Chicago . Chicago . Chicago . Chicago Frederick H. Brown.. Nathan William McChesney Albert C. Ferguson.. E. M. Seymour. C. E. Cleveland.. Ransom E. Walker. John A. Montgomery. Charles S. Schoenmann. Geo. W. Manierre.. J. R. Custer.. J. M. Cameron.. Hiram B. Prentice. Percy V. Castle. . Chicago Chicago Chicago . Chicago . Chicago Chicago Chicago . Chicago Chicago . Chicago . Chicago Chicago Edwardsville Springfield .Decatur .Decatur . Chicago . Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago .Aledo Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago |