1903.

MIDSUMMER MEETING.

The Midsummer Meeting, 1903, of the Vermont Bar Association was held at Newport, Vt., August 5, 6, 7, pursuant to the acceptance of the invitation of the members of the Orleans County Bar.

The meeting was called to order at 9 o'clock P. M. August 5th, in the reading room of the Memphremagog House, by the President, Hon. John H. Senter, 38 members being present; and the following business was transacted:

President Senter: Judge Carleton, our Treasurer, was not able to be here, and in his absence it will be necessary to elect someone to act as Temporary Treasurer.

Mr. John Gordon nominated Mr. E. H. Deavitt, of Montpelier, and he was duly elected to serve as such officer for the present meeting.

President Senter: The only business to be transacted at this session, otherwise than the election of a Temporary Treasurer, is the election of new members. If any members of the Committee on Membership present have any names to propose we will act upon them.

Mr. John W. Redmond presented the name of Harry A. Black, of Newport, and he was duly elected to membership.

The business meeting then adjourned, and the members

proceeded to the parlors of the hotel to participate in a reception and dance tendered by the members of Orleans County; an excellent orchestra was in attendance, and those present enjoyed a social time until about midnight.

On Thursday morning, August 6th, at 8.30, a delightful excursion was had on Lake Memphremagog, on the steamer "Lady of the Lake," which was chartered especially for the occasion. The members of the Association and ladies, numbering about seventy-five people, thoroughly enjoyed the trip on this charming lake, returning about 12.30. The afternoon was spent in carriage drives in and about Newport.

At 7.30 P. M. an address was delivered in the Lane Opera House by Honorable Charles A. Prouty (See Appendix 1903, page 61,) at the close of which a banquet was held in the large dining room of the hotel.

Over 100 guests sat down and enjoyed the following Menu:

The guests included U. S. Senator Redfield Proctor, Congressman D. J. Foster, Judge Wendell P. Stafford of the Supreme Court, Interstate Commerce Commissioner Prouty, John G. Foster, U. S. Consul General at Ottawa, Canada; Hon. Henry C. Ide, of the Philippine Commission; and Hon. F. C. Smith, Hon. H. S. Bingham, and Hon. Horace W. Bailey, the State Board of Railroad Commissioners.

The following Post Prandial Program, was then followed, the toasts being responded to as appears in the following order :

Vermont.-Lieut. Gov. Stanton.

Our Federal Relations.-U. S. Senator Redfield Proctor.

Our Hosts. The Orleans County Bar.-John W. Redmond. The Supreme Court.-John. W. Gordon.

Our Sister-in-Law.-Mrs. Jessie Bigwood, of the Chittenden County Bar.

Our Philippine Possessions.-Hon. Henry C. Ide.

The Climatic Difference between Burlington and Washington. Representative D. J. Foster.

The Law and the Lady.-Fred. G. Fleetwood.

At the conclusion of the banquet, President Senter said: Ladies and Gentlemen: We have had a feast of one kind and I trust and believe that that which is to follow may be a feast of a better kind. You must know from the eloquent, earnest and interesting words of the speaker who has addressed us to-night that the Vermont Bar loves to honor Vermont, and that we have reason to be proud of her history, and of her sons and their achievements. She was the first republic that ever made freedom a part of her constitution; no slave ever stepped within the boundaries of this State. And our fore-fathers, in '77, made another constitutional provision obligatory upon themselves and their sons, that all who breathe this mountain air should breathe the air of liberty; and she has ever stood for liberty, and * has ever stood the bright star in that constellation of which she made the fourteenth. So, to-night, our first toast is to Vermont; and we have to respond to that toast one who has followed the advice of the Honorable Mr. Prouty—he has studied law in Vermont, although not on the shores of this beautiful lake-he has practiced law in Vermont, and he has made a success of his practice, not only has he been successful in law-he has succeeded in politics, and I have

the honor to introduce to you Lieutenant Governor Zed S. Stanton, of Montpelier. (Applause.)

Lieut. Gov. Stanton: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen :-I am happy to be here this evening, but I want to assure you that my happiness is not wholly unalloyed. I have been "guyed"—if that is a proper word to use in this assemblage-by several of my brethren, because my face has been long all this afternoon, and I have looked sober at this banquet. My feelings to-night, indeed, remind me somewhat of the feelings of the wife of a St. Louis gentleman; she had deceased, and the beloved husband went to a spiritual seance to have the consolation of a little conversation with his departed companion. So at the proper time he was told she was there and he approached the cabinet and began a conversation; "Maria, are you here?" "Yes, John, I am here." "Maria, are you happy?" "Yes, John, I am very happy." "Are you as happy as when you lived with me, Maria?" "Oh, yes; I am a good deal happier, John." "Where are you, Maria?" "I am in hell, John." (Laughter.) And that is about the position I am in, and have been occupying all the evening-in hell! happy to be with you, but "in hell" at the thought of having to make an after dinner speech. I suspect it is not generally known to those here present-unless it be to our Senior Senatorthat there are a vast number of trials and tribulations to be experienced and endured by a Lieutenant Governor; he is expected to be present if some one else is absent; he is expected to do something if there is -Oh, I see I was mistaken, Brother Mansur is here, and he has been through the mill also——as I was saying, the Lieutenant Governor is only expected to be in evidence in the absence of the Governor ; if the executive cannot attend, his "substitute" appears for him