as local attorney for the Cumberland Valley Railroad, a position which he retained to the time of his death. The esteem in which he was held by the members of the Bar is evidenced by the fact that he was twice strongly recommended by them for appointment to the Bench, first as the successor of Judge A. K. Syester, who died in 1891, and again later upon the decease of Judge Edward Stake.

Mr. Smith was a learned lawyer with a wide experience, and an honorable, affable gentleman of kindly and courteous manner. His fine qualities of mind and character commanded the respect and esteem of the wide circle in which his high standing and public activities made him a wellknown man.

Throughout the many years of his lifelong residence in his native county he was associated with the many movements made for the betterment of the community, and gave his services not only as a director in merely business corporations, such as the bank, the water works, the steam engine works, etc., but also to those enterprises undertaken or maintained purely for the public good, as the Boards of School Commissioners and Street Commissioners, the County Fair Association, the Cemetery, etc.

For many years Mr. Smith was a staunch Democrat, and was nominated by his party for the House of Delegates in 1877, for the State Senate in 1879, and declined another nomination for the House in 1883. In recent times he held independent political views.

The life of the subject of this sketch illustrates how well a lawyer may fulfill the nobler aims of the profession by an honorable career in his calling coupled with unselfish public services to his community.

JAMES REVELL.

Hon. James Revell, late Associate Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, died at his home in Annapolis on the 21st day of March, 1908, at the age of 77 years.

At the time of his death Judge Revell had been on the Bench about 14 years. His life from the time he attained manhood until he was elevated to the judiciary was spent in the active practice of the profession. He early gained distinction as an advocate, and, indeed, was thought to have in this respect few superiors. For eighteen years he filled, with marked success, the office of State's Attorney for Anne Arundel County. During this period some notable cases came under his direction, among them the WhartonKetchum murder trial, probably one of the most celebrated criminal cases ever before the courts of this county. Hon. A. K. Syester was associated with Mr. Revell in the prosecution, and on the other side were Mr. I. Nevitt Steele and Hons. George H. Williams and Alexander B. Hagner. Mr. Revell's conduct of this case brought him great distinction and won for him the commendation and approval of the leading lawyers in the land. As local counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad he sustained his reputation as a lawyer and met the warm approval of the eminent General Counsel of the Company, the late John K. Cowan.

Resolutions adopted by the Bar Association of Anne Arundel County on the occasion of their meeting commemorative of his death, offered a tribute to Judge Revell in especial mention of "his careful attention to business, his courtesy to lawyers and litigants and that according to his lights he held the scales of justice on a level beam," and recorded his devotion to duty, particularly during the several years of ill health that preceded his death, when, at the cost of great physical suffering to himself, he appeared daily in the Court to transact its business "and there perform his. duties in a careful and considerate manner."

JOHN GLOVER WILSON.

John Glover Wilson was born in Allegany County, Maryland, in June, 1871, and was graduated from Princeton University as first-honor man in 1892. He then came to Baltimore and took a course in law at the University of Maryland, at the same time pursuing his legal studies in the office of the late John K. Cowen. In 1894, Mr. Wilson went to Cumberland, Maryland, and engaged in the general practice of the law, soon afterwards becoming local counsel there for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. In November, 1897, he married Miss Eva Bandel, of Baltimore. In 1899, he was elected State's Attorney for Allegany County, but in 1903 he resigned this office and returned to Baltimore to accept the appointment of Assistant-General Attorney of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. In June, 1907, Mr. Wilson was promoted to the position of General Attorney of the same Company.

Shortly after coming to Baltimore, he, together with Mr. W. Irvine Cross, represented the Company in the suit of the Western Maryland Railroad against the Baltimore and Ohio, involving routing of freight via Cherry Run; here he handled himself well and gave promise of that ability which he often displayed afterward in the courts. He represented the Company in the various coal-car distribution suits, and in its cases before the Interstate Commerce Commission, and showed signal ability in his management of these and other important cases intrusted to his care.

In October, 1907, Mr. Wilson delivered an address before the Bar Association of Baltimore City on "Federal and State Railroad Regulations." The paper which Mr. Wilson read on this occasion was ably written, and presented the subject from his standpoint in a clear and well-reasoned manner. It received many favorable comments from the members of the Baltimore Bar Association, and was a valuable contri

bution to the literature of the important matters discussed by him.

He was a man of tireless industry and great capacity for details, with a logical and well-trained mind that promised to bring him even greater professional prominence than he achieved in his short, brilliant career; and his treatment of any subject was also more interesting by the scholarly tastes and broad culture he brought to its elucidation.

Mr. Wilson died on April 7, 1908, from cerebro-spinal meningitis, which attacked him a few days previously, and which was attributed indirectly to over-work.

The President: The report will be received if there is no objection. The Chair hears no objection and the report accordingly is received.

The next report is from the Special Committee on Special and Local Laws, Oscar Leser, Esq., Chairman.

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON
SPECIAL AND LOCAL LAWS.

The special committee appointed at the annual meeting of 1907 to "draft an appropriate constitutional amendment restricting the limits of local and special legislation" begs to report that the resolution under which it was appointed contemplated that an amendment should be drafted and advocated before the legislature of 1908, after submission to, and approval by, the Committee on Laws. Your Committee was unable to complete the difficult task assigned to it before the meeting of the General Assembly. Shortly after that event, it became known that it was the policy of the legislative majority not to approve any constitutional amendments, other than the one relating to the suffrage. For this reason and for the further reason that it was felt that any change in the organic law relating to so important a subject as the restriction of local and special legislation should be

thoroughly considered not only by committees of this body, but by the Association as a whole, your Committee deemed it advisable that the submission of such an amendment be postponed until the meeting of the General Assembly in 1910. This makes it possible to get further information and light by a special study and analysis of the acts passed in 1908, as well as to profit by the new ideas embodied in recent constitutions and revisions and constitutional amendments of other States.

It is encouraging to know that a special committee of nine members of the House of Delegates at the session of 1908, appointed to investigate the subject of special and local legislation, put itself squarely on record as favoring a change in Article 3, Section 33, whereby the evils of practically unrestricted local and special legislation may be overcome. No specific amendment was submitted with the report. The committee also suggested changes in legislation and rules of procedure whereby partial relief might be achieved.

We regard this as persuasive evidence that the people are beginning to realize that a remedy must soon be found.

Your committee therefore recommends that it be continued, with instructions to make a final report on the subject, with a form of amendment, to the Association in 1909.

Respectfully submitted

OSCAR LESER,

Chairman.

The President: The report recommends that the Committee be continued. What is the pleasure of the Association in regard to that?

Henry J. Broening, of Baltimore City: I move that the report be received and the Committee be continued. The motion was duly seconded and carried.