PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

BAR ASSOCIATION OF TENNESSEE,

AT THE

TWELFTH ANNUAL MEETING,

HELD AT

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, CHATTANOOGA, TENN.,

JULY 13-14, 1893.

The Association was called to order, Thursday, July 13, at 10 o'clock, by the President, Ed. Baxter.

An address of welcome was made by Mayor Andrews, of Chattanooga. Mr. Andrews spoke as follows:

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Association :

It gives me a great deal of pleasure, as the executive of the city of Chattanooga, to extend its welcome to this Association. A very short time ago, when a similar request came to me to make an opening address when a body of some public importance was to meet here, I said to the gentleman who bore the request, "Do you know of an author from whom I can get a suitable address of welcome?" to which he replied, "That don't make any difference; just say any of your old addresses over;

they are all the same thing." (Laughter.) I thanked the gentleman for his suggestion.

Such a thing could not satisfy me on an occasion like this, because, while there is nothing, in all sincerity, which gives me more delight than to be the bearer of, and tender to you, the always ready, open-handed, hearty hospitality of Chattanooga, I feel moved by personal sentiments on an occasion of this sort, for it is to me a very interesting and a very gratifying one. Having been connected with this profession now as an active worker for thirty-five years, I can never come into a meeting where so many lawyers are gathered together professionally without the most profound feelings of pleasure. I am, therefore, deeply gratified, personally as well as in my official position, to make this tender to you of the hospitality of the city on this occasion.

I heard a gentleman connected with this body, while in the office this morning engaged in conversation-a very distinguished member-make the interrogatory, "What legislation has this Association ever accomplished?" Well, I do not know that it has ever directly accomplished any. The profession is one that is marked particularly by individualism, and its workers, more than those of any other association, work, not for its own aggrandizement, but for its effect upon public meas

ures.

I feel that it is a great pleasure to be permitted to indulge in this exchange of feelings and expression of esteem. I do most heartily welcome you on this occasion, and hope your proceedings will be marked with that degree of intellectual enlightenment and entertainment which has always marked them. I know that we shall all receive not only the greatest enlightenment and instruction, but the greatest pleasure, from the proceedings of this Association. I thank you very warmly, gentlemen, for having selected this delightful "Inn" in our town for your place of meeting. We appreciate it most profoundly and deeply, particularly as this is the third time the Association has done Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain the honor of making it its meeting-place, an honor, I believe, that has been conferred on no other city. I therefore not only thank you, but welcome you most heartily to our most hospitable city.

The President, Mr. Baxter, then read the annual address. (See Appendix.)

The Treasurer then made his report, as follows:

J. M. Dickinson.-The members of the Central Council wish to bring to the attention of the Association its financial condition. As you will observe from the report of the Treasurer, we are in better condition now than we were a year ago. Nevertheless, the matter needs some attention, thought, and action on the part of the Association. The Central Council have thought it was proper to bring this matter to the attention of the Association, so that we may get all debts paid, and not struggle along, from year to year, with a small indebtedness. We have ample assets to meet this, if members will only pay what they owe. I think it is largely through thoughtlessness that members do not pay their dues. There is up

wards of a thousand dollars past due and owing to the Association from different members. The Treasurer sends out notices, and they are laid aside and no attention paid to them. Of course, lawyers, that make a profession of making other people pay, are good pay themselves. The Central Council requests the members of the Association present, who may be in arrears, to settle with the Treasurer before they go. They also propose this resolution: