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bution of the estate. I take it that that is the only difference of opinion between the gentleman from Louisiana and any others here.

Edgar H. Farrar:

I am not opposed to the subject matter, but I deny the power of Congress to do anything in the matter at all.

Theodore Sutro, of New York:

I have in mind the Slocum disaster on the East River at New York, with which doubtless you are all more or less familiar, I happened to represent quite a number of claimants who are absolutely remediless now. The Slocum ended in the mere hulk being sold for $1500, and, under the act of Congress now on the statute books, the liability of the owners was limited to the value of the hulk. Now, here is a bill which would correct that situation.

George Whitelock:

The bill is the product of the thought of the best minds on this subject. The most eminent admiralty lawyers have had a hand in it. They have invited all the different interests to a hearing, and have given all the conflicting views careful consideration. Certainly, we can take the step here suggested, and leave it to the courts to declare whether or not our action is constitutional.

The President:

The question is on the adoption of sub-division (a) of Section III of the report, with the recommendation of the committee respecting the same.

The sub-division was adopted.

The President:

A two-thirds vote is required to carry the recommendation of the committee with respect to this, if a division is called for. There being no division called for, the recommendation is approved.

The question is now upon sub-division (b) of Section III, the Act relating to Liens on Vessels for Repairs, Supplies, or Other Necessaries.

The sub-division was adopted.

The question is now on sub-division (c) of Section III, "An Act to Permit the Owners of Certain Vessels, and the Owners or Underwriters of Cargoes Laden Thereon to Sue the United States."

The sub-division was adopted.

A recess was taken until 8 P. M.

EVENING SESSION.

Wednesday, August 25, 1909, 8 P. M.

The President called the meeting to order.

New members were then elected.

(See List of New Members, page 128.)

Chapin Brown, of the District of Columbia:

I am requested to nominate Richard Wayne Parker, as a member of the General Council from New Jersey.

The President:

It will be so noted.

We are to hear tonight about Courts of Last Resort from a gentleman who should be competent to speak of them. He has had experience of them from three points of view: as a practicing lawyer, as a judge of the Court of First Instance, and as a judge of the Court of Last Resort. I do not know which point of view has impressed him most strongly, but will let him answer for himself. I take great pleasure in introducing to you Judge Carpenter of the Detroit Bar.

William L. Carpenter, of Michigan, then read his paper. (See the Appendix, page 477.)

The President:

Is the Committee on International Law prepared to report at this time?

The Secretary:

There is no report in my hands, Mr. President.

The President:

The Committee on Grievances.

The Secretary:

No report.

The President:

The Committee on Obituaries.

The report of the Committee on Obituaries was read by the Secretary as Chairman of the committee.

(See the Report in the Appendix, page 533.)

The President:

The Committee on Law Reporting and Digesting.

The Secretary:

No report.

The President:

The Committee on Patent, Trade-Mark and Copyright Law. Arthur Steuart, of Maryland:

I regret that I am compelled to make this report because of the absence of our dear old friend, Judge Taylor, who has come before you from year to year representing the committee. He has been prevented from attending this meeting by the serious illness of his wife, and I have a letter from him today stating that he is unable to be present. He has asked me to say for him as representing the committee, that during the past year the committee in advocacy of the Court of Patent Appeals bill has made some progress in the contest which has been going on for the past ten years with the approval of this Association. The bill has not yet been passed, but the committee has made some progress. We have secured for it a favorable report from the House Committee on Patents, and we have secured for it a favorable report from the House Judiciary

Committee. We succeeded in getting the latter report only in the last days of Congress, and we were therefore unable to go further with it at this session. The present special session which has just concluded was devoted to special purposes, and it was not thought proper to introduce the measure at that time. It will, however, with your approval, be introduced again, and the work continued on the same lines. We therefore ask that this resolution be adopted:

Resolved, That the report of the Committee on Patent, TradeMark and Copyright Law on the subject of the bill to create a United States Court of Patent Appeals be and the same is approved by the Association, and the committee instructed to continue their efforts to secure the passage of the bill.

Melville Church, of the District of Columbia:

I second the resolution.

The President:

The question is on the resolution offered by the gentleman from Maryland, approving the report of the committee on the subject of the bill to establish a United States Court of Patent Appeals.

The resolution was adopted.

Arthur Steuart:

I have another report from the same committee. For many years past there has been what has been regarded as a crying evil in patent matters, and that is the entire want of a remedy for infringement by the United States government. The government has on many occasions taken through its officers, without hesitation, the valuable works of American inventors, who have been wholly without remedy to recover compensation. The cases have gone to the Supreme Court, but in every instance, unless a special contract for the payment of royalty was proven, the remedy sought has been denied. This bill is in line. with that proposed by the Committee on Commercial Law giving to the court jurisdiction to hear cases growing out of tort against the United States. It provides the right to sue the government for the use of private property where the taking is

the result of tort. We ask that it be approved. It is not necessary for me to read the report; it is in print and has been distributed. I move the adoption of this resolution:

Resolved, That the report of the Committee on Patent, TradeMark and Copyright Law on the subject of additional remedies for the protection of patented property, and the bill reported by the committee, be approved by the Association, and the committee instructed to use their best efforts to secure the passage of the bill.

C. W. Smith, of Kansas:

I second the resolution.

The resolution was adopted.

(See the Report in the Appendix, pages 536, 544.)

The President:

The report of the Committee on Insurance Law.

Ralph W. Breckenridge, of Nebraska:

The Committee on Insurance Law has made its report, and as the same is in print and has been distributed, I will not take the trouble to do more than state the purport of the report itself and the recommendation of the committee. I might say that it is unanimous. The report refers to the inadequacy of the present state laws which relate to the supervision of the general business of insurance, and to the difficulties which have been encountered on all sides with respect to the management and control of the business and of the companies engaged in it. Particular reference is made to the great contrariety of statute law in the several states, and special attention is directed to the crying need of some efficient legislation upon this subject in the District of Columbia. The District is especially referred to, because it is generally conceded by those who have made a study of insurance law the members of the Committee on Insurance Law of this Association and the several Insurance Commissioners of the various states, and the companies themselves, those interested in various lines of insurance-that there must be a start somewhere towards a uniform insurance code which shall be adopted

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