CURRENT LEGAL ARTICLES.
OF the resignation of Chtef Judge Parker, The New York Law Journal says : The Bar of the State are deeply sensible of the loss sustained by the Court of Appeals through Chief Justice Parker's resignation. It would be entirely superfluous to recall his judicial services in detail. Suffice it to say that for a long period, as Surrogate, as Jus tice of the Supreme Court, as a member of the former Second Division of the Court of Appeals, and finally, as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, he has uniformly displayed wide legal knowledge, an acute faculty of analysis, unflagging industry and an ur banity that made practising before him a personal pleasure. He leaves an enviable monument of his efficiency in the books. Although the circumstances leading to Judge Parker's retirement are not open to discussion in this place, we would be recre ant to duty if we did not speak a word of appreciation of the respect he has shown during the past few months for the high office he held and, indeed, for the judicial office itself and its best traditions. Off the Bench he has always been most genial and democratic. In his court-room the inter course between Bench and Bar has been mutually respectful but entirely- natural and unstilted. No one, however, ever doubted that Judge Parker had a perfect sense of judicial decorum. This has been strikingly manifested by his reticence as to political matters while his connection with that court lasted, after lie had finished the official work he had on hand. We have been glad to no tice expressions of approval of his conduct in newspapers that are opposed to his political party and present candidacy. He has of fered an example of judicial propriety which in itself constitutes an important and valua ble public service. FEW decisions of greater importance or of more far-reaching effect have been given than that of the House of Lords in General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland 7'. Overtoun, the judgments in which were de
livered recently, says the Law Times (Lon don). In 1900, by a majority of 643 against twenty-seven, the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland effected a union with the United Presbyterian Church, under the name of the United Free Church of Scot land. The minority, however, claimed that they were the Free Church of Scotland, formed at the Disruption, and so were en titled to the whole of the funds and property of the Free Church of Scotland; and they further claimed that the union of the Free Church of Scotland and of the United Pres byterian Church was invalid, and could not be consistently carried out with the stand ards and constitution of the Free Church. After two hearings, occupying no less than seventeen days, the House of Lords has up held this contention, reversing the judg ments of the Lord Ordinary and the Court of Session, the effect of the decision being that the whole of the funds and the property and buildings of the Free Church of Scotland, amounting to several million pounds, is di verted to a small minority, who, from the first, have protested against the union of 1900. SOME severe words in condemnation of "police meddling" were spoken by a Brook lyn judge recently in respect to the arrest of league baseball players for playing baseball on Sunday, says Case and Comment. The judge said, as reported: "Here is no one try ing to stir up an obscure and obsolete stat ute . . . except those who rule the po lice." "There are many minor offenses which should be left for redress to the com ing forward of a private accuser before the magistrates or other authorities, as our laws and the procedure of our courts contemplate. The accusatory method of enforcing the criminal laws is open to every citizen. The community can take care of itself in such matters without any police meddling." This is rather startling language. It is a some what novel proposition that the police au thorities are to be condemned for enforcing the statutes. What the judge calls the "ac
