The South Buffalo Railway Co., decided March 24, 1911, declaring the compensation law of that state unconstitutional. At the last meeting of the Executive Committee of the Compensation Department of the National Civic Federation the whole matter was adjourned until next fall, it being understood that pending that time a report would be made showing the progress of the movement towards the enactment of compensation acts in the various states, and of judicial decisions in regard to those already adopted. The chairman of this committee has carefully watched the progress of the work of the National Civic Federation, but has not called any meeting of the special committee pending the promulgation of an accepted plan by the National Civic Federation, as this committee has been appointed to co-operate with the Federation; therefore, all that the committee can report at the present time is that progress is being made by the National Civic Federation, and that when the proper time arrives for this committee to co-operate with the National Civic Federation by examining, and either approving or suggesting modifications to, the plan prepared by the Federation, it will take the matter under consideration and will report further to this Association. Respectfully submitted, CHARLES HENRY BUTLER, Chairman, ALPHEUS H. Snow, HUGH V. MERCER, ALBERT C. RITCHIE, THOMAS WALL SHELTON. REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO PRESENT TO CONGRESS SEVERAL BILLS RELATING TO COURTS OF ADMIRALTY. To The American Bar Association: The special committee to present to Congress certain bills relating to Courts of Admiralty, respectfully reports as follows, viz.: The committee was appointed in August, 1909, at the instance of the Standing Committee on Commercial Law, to lay before Congress, and if possible to procure the passage of, three bills affecting Courts of Admiralty, viz.: (a) An Act relating to Lien on Vessels for Repairs, Supplies and Other Necessaries. (b) An Act to Authorize the Maintenance of Actions for Negligence Causing Death in Maritime Cases. (c) An Act to Permit the Owners of Certain Vessels, and the Owners and Underwriters of Cargo Laden Thereon, to Sue the United States. All three bills had theretofore received the approval of the Maritime Law Association of America, which body had requested the American Bar Association to recommend their adoption by Congress. The report of the special committee submitted to the Association on August 31, 1910, showed the adoption by both Houses of Congress of the Act relating to Liens on Vessels for Repairs, Supplies and Other Necessaries, and which, in June, 1910, became, by executive approval, a law of the United States; and the report also showed the position of the other two bills in the Senate and in the House. By the report of 1910, the committee requested that it be continued, in order that it might, if possible, bring about the passage of the two remaining bills. The committee, having been accordingly continued, made diligent efforts to procure the adoption of the remaining bills, but without success, at the short regular session ending March 3, 1911. The bills were re-introduced at the special session of Congress, but remained pending in committee because general legislation has not been possible at the extra session. The committee believes, however, that there is a fair prospect to procure the adoption of the two remaining bills, and they recommend that the special committee be again continued with directions to take all proper measures to procure the passage of the bills, and thus to bring about a desirable change in the law concerning actions for negligence causing death and suits against the government, in conformity with the views of the Association as heretofore declared. All of which is respectfully submitted. GEORGE WHITELOCK, Chairman, BENJAMIN THOMPSON, EDWARD G. BENEDICT, ALDIS B. BROWNE, Special Committee. OBITUARIES ALABAMA DANIEL P. BESTOR. Daniel P. Bestor was born in Greensboro, Alabama, March 27, 1840, and died in Mobile, Alabama, June 6, 1911. His father, Rev. Daniel P. Bestor, D. D., a native of Connecticut, was a prominent Baptist minister, and served as a member of the Alabama State Legislature, being, as such, one of the authors of the present educational system of the state. Mr. Bestor was graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1860. Immediately thereafter he removed to Mobile and commenced the study of law in the office of Robert H. Smith, but in 1861 he volunteered in the Thirty-seventh Mississippi Infantry, and in the spring of 1862 was ordered to Richmond. From that time to the close of the war he was in the signal service, and acted in the capacity of scout under Captain R. E. Wilbourn, in the command of General T. J. Jackson, until the latter was killed, after which he was in Ewell's and in Early's command until the war closed. He was at Chancellorsville at the time General Jackson was killed. At the close of the war he returned to his father's plantation in Clarke county, Mississippi, remaining there a few months. In December, 1865, he returned to Mobile and again entered the office of Robert H. Smith. He was admitted to the Bar in the spring of 1867, and at once entered upon the practice of the law in Mobile, where he remained until his death. He practiced all branches of the law except the criminal, though the greater part of his practice was of a mercantile character. He built up a large and profitable practice. In politics he was a Democrat. He was elected mayor of Mobile in 1877. and served one term. He was a consistent member of the Baptist church throughout his life, having been for many years superintendent of the Sunday School, as well as deacon and trustee, of St. Francis Street Baptist Church of Mobile. At the time of his death he was Chairman of the Board of Deacons and Board of Trustees of the First Baptist Church of Mobile. He was also a member of the Masonic Fraternity. He was President of the Board of Trustees of the Medical College of Alabama, and by virtue of this office he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama. He was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1884 that nominated Grover Cleveland for the Presidency, and he was also a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1888 that nominated the same gentleman for the same office. In 1907 the degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by the Board of Trustees of Howard College, Birmingham, Alabama. He was married December 23, 1873, to Miss Nellie Tarleton, of Mobile, by whom he had three children, two sons and a daughter. Mr. Bestor had been so successful that, in the latter part of his life, he did not find it necessary to continue the exertions which necessarily characterized his earlier years. He accepted only such cases as were congenial to his tastes and suitable to his desires. His open-hearted charity and his broad Christian sympathies went out for all classes, races and conditions. He was a typical southern gentleman in whom the worthy found a constant and helpful friend both in the sunshine of his nature and the generosity of his gifts. JOSEPH NEELY MILLER. Joseph Neely Miller was born in Wilcox County, Alabama, July 9, 1849, and was the eldest son of Rev. John Miller, D. D., and his wife Sarah (Pressly) Miller. He was descended from that sturdy Scotch-Irish stock who have done so much for the moral and material strength and glory of this country. Both his parents were natives of South Carolina, and he inherited those sterling qualities of head and heart that characterized him throughout life as a man of rigid piety, strong intellectuality and unalloyed integrity. |