Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 21.pdf/339

This page needs to be proofread.

316

The Green Bag

Charles A. Gardiner, LL.D., a lawyer and author, died April 23 at his home m New York City. He was born in Canada in 1855. He was graduated from Hamilton College in 1880 and from Columbia Law School in 1884. He began the practice of law in 1885. He was a member of several prominent clubs and a director in many railway companies. Among his works were "The Constitution and Our New Possessions," "Constitutional Powers of the President," "Constitutional Discretion of the President," "Our Right to Acquire and Hold Foreign Territory," "The Race Problem in the United States" and "A Constitutional and Educational Solution of the Negro Prob lem." Former Senator William Morris Stewart of Nevada died April 23. He was a native of New York State and went West at the time of the gold fever, becoming AttorneyGeneral of California. He moved to Nevada and made one fortune as a lawyer and another as a mine owner. When he went to Wash ington he was supposed to be the richest man in the Senate, but after twelve years financial reverses had left him without his fortune. He announced that he would make a new for tune and re-enter politics. He resumed the practice of law and mining operations and was soon a millionaire once more. He was re-elected to the United States Senate. A few years later he again retired almost in poverty, and again he made a new fortune. He had practised law in Washington for sev eral years before his death at the age of eighty-two years. Miscellaneous The Harvard Law School is to have two new courses next year, one in international patent law, under Joseph L. Stackpole, Har vard, '95, and the other in international law, under Prof. Eugene Wambaugh. The entire amount of $500,000 needed for the construction of Kent Hall has been sub scribed and work will immediately begin on the new home of the Law School of Columbia University, which will be completed by the autumn of next year. Beginning in September, 1911, the students in the College of Law of Cornell University must have had at least one year of work in a university or college of approved standing before entering. The requirements for en trance to the four-year course will not be changed. The hours of work required for graduation from the Columbia Law School will be re duced next year as a result of the growing desire to decrease to some extent the require ments of the school. One hour a week less, or thirteen instead of fourteen hours of class room work, will hereafter be required during the second and third years of the course.

Miss Mabel E. Sturdevant, a native of Brookfield, Mo., won the Braun International Law Scholarship in competition with ninetysix contestants, eighty-four of which are graduates of European universities. She was educated in the public schools of her native place, finishing the twelve-year course in eight years, and then took the three-year law course in the State University at Columbia in two years, graduating with highest honors. The American Peace Society held its eighty-first annual meeting at Boston May 13. The secretary, in his annual report, stated that the membership had doubled during the past year, but there was a slight deficit because of the increased activities of the organization. The principal officers for the year are: Robert Treat Paine, president; Thomas H. Russell, treasurer; Benjamin F. Trueblood, secretary, and Dr. William F. Jarvis, auditor. The General Assembly of Rhode Island closed its session of seventy-one days May 8. The session was eleven days longer than the period for which members can draw their salaries at $5 a day. The most important measures passed were a fifty-six hours' bill for women and children; the dual amendment to the constitution providing for giving the veto power to the governor and increased representation in the House; an act requiring that hunters in the state be licensed; the revision of the statutes of the state, and the revision of the militia law. The most notable feature of the fifteenth annual Lake Mohonk Conference on Inter national Arbitration, held at Mohonk Lake, N. Y., May 19-21, was perhaps the appear ance of able speakers from many different countries, including China and Japan. Presi dent Nicholas Murray Butler, presiding, Hon. J. A. Baker, M.P., Ambassador Bryce, Mr. Alfred Mosely Of London, and Congressman Bartholdt of Missouri urged the reduction of naval armaments, and an extremely strong platform plank in its favor was adopted, and a declaration was made favoring the early establishment of a Court of Arbitral Justice at the Hague. The Second National Peace Congress was held at Chicago, May 3-5. President Taft per mitted the use of his name as honorary president, and sent a letter to be read at the opening session. Secretary Ballinger repre sented the Administration, and other notable speakers were Count Von Bernstorff, Dr. Wu Ting-fang, and Congressman Bartholdt. The importance of establishing a world's court of peace was the dominant sentiment of the conference, and resolutions were adopted de claring war a relic of barbarism, and advo cating obligatory arbitration under a general treaty concluded at the earliest possible date, and the making of agreements to limit arma ments by the great powers.