On motion of Judge John P. Hoyt, the invitation of Judge Parker was unanimously accepted, and the city of Tacoma was declared to be the place for holding the annual session of the Association in 1896.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The following-named attorneys were balloted for and duly elected officers of this Association for the ensuing year: President, HON. CHARLES S. FOGG, of Tacoma. On being declared elected, Mr. Fogg made the following remarks:

"I wish to heartily thank you, gentlemen, for this honor you have conferred upon me. And while I think it will be hard for us to entertain you as well as we are being treated here, yet we will try next year, when you come to Tacoma, to give you as good a time as lies in our power to give. I assure you that I am heartily in favor of this kind of reunion of the members of the bar of our State at least once a year. The work of a busy lawyer is very great, and it cannot help being a benefit to all to step aside from the daily toil for a few short days each year and to give a little attention to the social and festive side of our lives."

First Vice-President, HON. HAROLD PRESTON, of Seattle. Mr. Preston, on being declared elected, said:

"I am grateful for the honor just conferred upon me by the gentlemen of the Association. And since the principal part of the work of these meetings is in the preparation for them, I think that I can do some good work in my office at home. We shall be glad to have a large meeting next year."

Second Vice-President, HON. George Turner, of Spokane. On being declared elected, Judge Turner said:

"I wish to thank the Association very kindly for this honor. However, I had hoped that my friend and partner, Mr. Graves, would be named for this office, so that he could see how it is to be in a position where he cannot roast everybody as he pleases."

Third Vice-President, RICHARD K. BONEY, of South Bend. Secretary, NATHAN S. PORTER, of Olympia, reëlected. Treasurer, JAMES B. HOWE, of Seattle, reëlected.

Delegates to the American Bar Association, with power to choose their own alternates from members of this Association:

HON. CHARLES E. SHEPARD, of Seattle; HON. GEORGE M. FORSTER, of Spokane; HON. EMMETT N. PARKER, of Tacoma.

Mr. Coiner moved that a vote of thanks be tendered to the members of the Spokane, bar, and the citizens of the city of Spokane, for the many courtesies shown the members of this Association during its present session.

Carried.

The President announced the standing committees. (See page 3.)

No further business appearing before the Association, President Forster invited all of the members to attend a banquet at the Hotel Spokane, at 9:30 P. M.

On motion of Mr. Hughes, Association adjourned.

N. S. PORTER, Secretary.

NOTE.-At 9:30 P. M., the Washington State Bar Association, guests of the Spokane bar, marched into the banquet-hall to the delightful music of the orchestra. The hall was beautifully decorated and exquisite in its arrangement. In the center stood the long tables, forming

the letter "W." In the center of all these tables were banked flowers of every variety and color, scenting the atmosphere with delicious perfume. The menu, in all respects, equalled the magnificence of the surroundings. From the entire assembly there was but one expression, that of praise. The excursion to and on Lake Cœur d'Alene was, indeed, enjoyable; and the verdict of all was, that Spokane people know how to entertain guests.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, September 16th, 1895.

Executive Committee met, pursuant to call of the President. A quorum being present, the application of William A. Peters, of Seattle, for membership in the Association was presented, and, upon vote being had, he was declared elected.

The resignation of James B. Howe as Treasurer of the Association having been tendered to and accepted by the President, William A. Peters was placed in nomination by Vice-President Preston, and, upon ballot being had, he was declared unanimously elected by the Committee as Treasurer of the Association. until the next annual meeting thereof.

The amount of the bond of the Treasurer was by unanimous vote of the Committee fixed at five hundred dollars.

There being other important business to consider, the Committee adjourned, to meet at the President's office, in Tacoma, on the 10th day of October, proximo, at 11 o'clock A. M.

N. S. PORTER, Secretary.

APPENDIX.

ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT, HON. GEORGE M. FORSTER.

Gentlemen of the Washington State Bar Association :

Under the By-Laws of this Association it is made my duty to open this meeting with an address.

It affords me unfeigned pleasure to welcome you to this meeting of our Association and to our city. While we cannot hope to equal the elegant reception accorded us by the King County Bar at the last meeting of the Association, yet we sincerely desire that your stay with us will be pleasant and profitable, and that the good work so auspiciously commenced there may be successfully continued. The meeting of this Association, in 1894, at Seattle, was a deserved success, and a great deal was accomplished,— much beyond the expectations of its most sanguine members; but much yet remains to be done, and I doubt not that every lawyer here assembled will fully realize the duty which he owes to his profession and take hold of the work before us with that intellectual vigor and public spirit which should ever characterize the members of this honorable profession. If we act energetically, wisely and intellectually, we can accomplish much for the public welfare, and elevate the profession of the law in this State to that standard which should be the true ideal of every lawyer. Lord Bacon has said, "I hold every man a debtor to his profession; from the which as men, of course, do seek to receive countenance and profit,

so ought they of duty to endeavor themselves, by way of amends, to be a help and ornament thereunto." Our Constitution tells us that "the objects of this Association are to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote the administration of justice in this State, uphold and advance the standard of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession, and to establish and cherish a spirit of brotherhood among its members."

With these noble objects in view, we are here assembled. And, bearing in mind that a great deal of work must be dispatched at this meeting in a short time, and that we are to listen to addresses from those eminent in the profession, I shall not seek to detain you with any rhetorical address upon a given topic, but rather call your attention to what suggests itself to me as some of the matters that should receive attention at your hands at this time.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

At the last meeting of the Association, a Committee appointed to investigate the accounts of the late Treasurer, J. W. Robinson, reported that he was, and for four years had been, in arrears to this Association in the sum of one hundred and seventy dollars, which he has ever since failed and refused to pay. Our present Treasurer was instructed to notify Mr. Robinson to show cause, on or before the first day of September, 1894, why the Committee should not report, recommending his expulsion from the Asssociation, but no cause has been shown. It seems to me too plain for argument that we have here a duty to perform, and the fact that the delinquent once held the position of Superior Judge in this State is no excuse, but a stronger reason why we should take action. I therefore recommend that he be at once expelled from membership in this Association, and I only regret that our power ends there.

A Committee, consisting of Judge Ballinger, Hon. E. C. Hughes and Hon. Charles S. Fogg, was appointed at our last meeting to draft a Community Property Law and report the same to this meeting. This is a matter that should receive the early and earnest attention of this Association. The Community Property Law of our State is the most important ques

tion that can be presented to any lawyer in this State, and if this Committee shall succeed in drafting a law that will lift the subject out of its present uncertain and unsatisfactory condition, and present for the action of the Legislature a clear, concise and satisfactory law, it will deserve and receive the thanks and coöperation of all of our members and of the community at large.

A Special Committee, consisting of Messrs. C. K. Jenner, F. W. Cushman and Jesse Arthur, was appointed to report to this meeting such amendments and changes in the Public Land Laws of the United States as would tend to prevent frauds in entries of the public lands and curtail the injustice and expense entailed upon entrymen of the public domain. The report of this Committee will be looked for with interest, and undoubtedly much good can be accomplished by concerted action.

You will be called upon to pass upon the reports of Standing Committees on Jurisprudence and Law Reform, Judicial Administration and Remedial Procedure, Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, Commercial Law, Uniformity of State Laws, Publications, Grievances and Obituaries. These Committees are composed of gentlemen of acknowledged ability, and I shall be much mistaken if their reports are not very useful and instructive.

These are matters which should, and I hope in the future will, command the attention of this Bar Association, but as the world was not made in a day, neither can this all be accomplished at once.

It seems to me, however, that there are some matters of pressing importance in which we should at once take an active interest. Among these I may mention

OUR STATE CODE.

That it needs revision, or making over, or some very radical change, none will deny. The monstrosity which is labelled "Hill's Code" is so complex, diffuse, uncertain, and in every way unreliable, that it seems to me it is beyond patchworkmuch of which has already been attempted. If you wish to ascertain what the Code contains on any given matter, it is conceded to be the best practice not to look in the index, but to