Bar Meeting

At u meeting ol the members ol tne Bar, of theeoupty of VVashtenaw, held at the Court House, in the vil lage of Ann' Arbor, on the iirst day of the December Term of the Circuit Cuurt for the County aforesaid, As D. 1845, to take into consideration the recent appointment of a Justicc of the Supreme Court, to preside on tliis Circuit, in the place of the Hon. Alphcus Felch, resigned. Gen. E. W. Mokgan, of Ann Arbor, was chosen President, C.W.Lane, Esq.of Ypsilanti and Norton R. Ramsdell, Esq. of Ann Arbor, Vice Presidents, and Col. A. D. Crane, of Dexter, Secretary. Tlie object of the. meeting having been fully stated, by N. R. Ramsdell. Esq.. in a brief speech, rcviewing the conduct o Gov. Barry n making said nppointment, just ns the term of his official existence was about to expire, againsí the expresscd and well known wisliess of the members of the Bar of said Second District. The meeting was then further addressed by Hon. A. Fletcher, late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of said state, wiih great torce and effect. And after some remarks by O. Ilavvkins, he moved the appointment of a cominittee of members of the Bar, to dmft a Preamule and Resolutions expressive of the views of the members of the Bar of ihis county, in regard said appointment. The following gentlemen wereappointed by the chair for that purpose. Hon. W. A. Fletcher, O. ilawkinr., and N. II. Ramsdell; Who, after a brief absence reported the following Preamble and . Resolutions, which wero unanimously adopled by the meeting : VVhereas, The Executivc of this State was bound by principie, and a decent respect fur the loca: rights and inler.ests of i the pcopleof the Second Judicial Circuit, ! and by a proper regard and the conside, ration due to the legal attainments and ■ capacity of the many persons residing i within the limits of this Circuit, which eminently qualify them to fill the station of Presiding Judgeof said Court, to have ' appointed some one of said persons to said office: And whereas, The principie of appoinling to said office some person residing in , the Circuit, was by his E.vcellency, John , S. Barry, expressly recognized and acted ■ j upon inthe year eighleen hundred 6 for, j ty two, as the only correct principie of action in snch case, the members of the 1 Bar had reason to hope and expeet a compliance with tlieir expressed wishes, and that lus Exccllericy would not deparl frum r a principie so just in itself, and sanctioned by his own expres;; approval, without , tlie most urgent, or at least some justiliable reason lor so doing: And whcroas, Mulal respect, csteem and confidencc the members oi 1 thé Bar and Presiding Judge, are cssential to an orderly and harmonieus administralion of Juslice, which we seriously apprehend the violation of the above mentioned principie, on the part of the Executive, is calculated to endanger: And whereas, VV'e have learncd wiih surprise, ihat his Excellcncy John S. Barry, has appointed to tho office of Presiding Judge of this, the Second Judicial Circuit, a person residing out of the Circuit, who is a stranger to ths people residing in saici Circuit, and who, as he has no interest, cannot be expecíed to havo . any feelingsin common with them: , Thercfore bc it Resolved, That in the opinión of tho members of the Bar of thiscounty, the conduct of Gov. Barry in liia recent appointment of a Prcsiding JuJge of this Circuit, ís iti viulation of every just considerntion which sliould have prometed liim in ihnl proceeding; is prejudicial to the charactor of iho membeis of the Bar of this Circuit, ís justly oflensive to us as i portion of that Bit, and is injurious to ho good administra! ion of Public jusice. Whereupon the following resolutions vere urmoimoiisly adopted. Jlesoh-cd, That the Hon. Alp. Felch. nn assuming tlic office of Governor is lereby rcspectfully requested in nominaing to tliö Senate, a Presiding Judge for his Circuit, to observe the just ruleadoped by Gov. Barry in makirig the snme ppointment in the year 1842. Resolved, That the pnblishers of everv newspaper within the Second Judicial district, are hereby respectfull v requesled o publish the proceedinga of thiá meetOn motion, The meeling adjourned un1 the first Friday of March, next, to take uch further proceedings as may ihen be ieemed necessary, in order to carry out he principies embodied in the Preamble and Resolutions above adopted.