The International Law Association. TWENTY-SECOND CONFERENCE. CHRISTIANIA, 1905. FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. MONDAY, 4TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1905. THE Members of the Conference assembled at 12 noon at the Nobel Institution, Drammens Veien 19, Christiania, and were welcomed by the President of the Exchange and Chamber of Commerce Committee, Mr. J. ANDERSEN AARS, and by Mr. LANGE, Secretary of the Nobel Committee. Mr. J. ANDERSEN AARS,-Mesdames and Messieurs, Au nom du comité de la bourse de Christiania, j'ai l'honneur d'adresser un salut de cordiale bienvenue aux membres de l'Association de Droit international. C'est avec un vif plaisir que nous avons appris que l'Association avait bien voulu choisir notre ville comme lieu de sa 22me Conference, et c'est avec un sentiment de juste orgueil que notre comité, qui remplit ici sous plusieurs rapports la fonction d'une chambre de commerce, avait pu offrir l'hospitalité à une institution si illustre autant par la haute position de ses membres que par le but élevé de ses efforts. Grâce au comité de Nobel et par une serie d'heureuses circonstances nous avons pu mettre à la disposition de la Conference cette maison, fondée en souvenir de l'éminent ami de la paix, cette maison que vous allez à present inaugurer d'une manière si conforme à l'esprit du noble fondateur. En même temps que nous vous souhaitons la bienvenue, il nous sera permis d'esperer que la presente Conference puisse vous donner la satisfaction de faire avancer d'un pas important votre travail vers le but élevé de votre Association, si important pour les rapports commerciaux et maritimes du monde tout entier. Nous sommes heureux que par votre presence içi vous nous avez permis de nous associer à votre travail, et non seulement mon comité mais, j'ose aussi ajouter, le comité de Nobel et la ville de Christiania sont justement fiers de pouvoir en quelque degré contribuer aux bons resultats de vos efforts en vous offrant une cordiale hospitalité et en essayant de rendre votre sejour ici aussi agréable que possible. Mr. C. R. LANGE: Ladies and Gentlemen, in the absence of Mr. Lovland, the President of the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament, I have the great honour on behalf of the Committee to give you a cordial welcome in this building. The Nobel Committee consider it as a happy omen that the first Meeting to be held within its walls should be of an Association whose professed objects are the reform and the codification of the Law of Nations. This building is erected to serve the ends of that great friend of humanity, Dr. Alfred Nobel, whose bust you find in this hall. He designed one of the two prizes which he founded for the person who shall have best promoted the fraternity of nations, and the abolition and diminution of standing armies, and the formation and increase of peace Congresses. The fraternity of nations! That exalted ideal may be promoted in many ways, but the work in which your Association has been chiefly engaged, the work of preparing for international use the international rules for a peaceful intercourse amongst nations for treaties and negotiations is one of paramount importance. It is those rules laid down by international agreement upon a settlement of a conflict of law which constitute a further step in that good work which will at last end in binding together the peoples of the earth in one common brotherhood. (Applause.) The Nobel Committee is glad to see this hall inaugurated in a manner so much in conformity with Dr. Nobel's will. It ventures to express the hope that the meeting of the International Law Association in Dr. Alfred Nobel's house, the house of that great friend of peace, may also be a happy omen for the work of the Association. (Hear, hear!) The Law of Nations for centuries was chiefly, if not exclusively, a Law of Nations for War. I may perhaps be permitted to conclude these few words of welcome by expressing a hope on behalf of the Nobel Committee that your work, as a consequence of the steady increase of the pacific intercourse amongst nations, may tend to be more and more a work for the development of the Law of Nations and for Peace. (Applause.) Sir WALTER PHILLIMORE: Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a compliment which the Norse people pay to the English, that most of them, I am glad to say, understand the English language. We are here, and I am here, in the first place, to thank the Committee of Reception, to thank the distinguished mover and seconder of the address of welcome, and to thank all our Norwegian friends here present for so kindly inviting the International Law Association to meet at Christiania. We have been, I believe, during our twenty-one previous meetings in a great many of the countries of Europe. We have met more than once, as is natural, in England, where the Bureau, or permanent Committee, sits. We have met more than once in France and in Belgium and in Germany, and we have met, I think, in Holland, and certainly in Italy, and on one occasion we met in the United States, where we had distinguished representatives not present here to-day; but this is the first occasion on which we have received an invitation with which we have been able to comply to meet in one of the three Scandinavian countries, and there is certainly a very great fitness in that meeting being held in the Institution founded by the late Dr. Nobel. He entrusted his principal prize to the disposition of the Norse Parliament, and this Hall, as I understand, is now for the first time used for an object which I cannot help thinking would have gratified him very much. We are called the International Law Association. Our old name was the Association for the Reform and Codification of the Law of Nations. The objects are the same. The title has only been adopted for shortness. The reform and codification of the Law of Nations are very good things in themselves, but after all they are only means to ends, and the two ends are peace and justice. (Hear, hear!) Sometimes one and sometimes the other has been the prevailing note of the Association. Latterly the prevailing note of the Association has been specially devoted to peace amongst nations, peace promoted by international harmony, peace promoted by international arbitration, and above all things peace promoted by international good understanding. (Hear, hear!) It is the abolition It is the abolition of misunderstandings which will, with the blessing of God, finally bring peace upon the nations of the world. It is when we meet on these occasions, and we shake hands fraternally with distinguished representatives from other countries, that we learn so much ourselves, and we hope that we impart some pleasurable reminiscences to those who have been our hosts. Now I need hardly say in the presence of this gathering, largely composed of Norwegians, that their country holds a very prominent place on the higher side of intellectual culture amongst the civilised nations of the World. (Applause.) Speaking only of recent and present times, the country of Björnsen, of Ibsen, of Nansen, and of Grieg has claims upon the admiration of the whole of the Universe, and it is as a humble admirer of some, at any rate, of those great men that I find myself here to-day, and on behalf of the Association and those of its members here present, as Chairman of the Executive Council, I have to thank you for your reception, and to trust that our deliberations will be productive of mutual understanding, of mutual improvement, and of mutual harmony. (Applause.) As Chairman of the Executive Council, I conduct the formal business until the President of the Conference has been elected, and I venture to propose that the following be the Officers of the Conference : President. Mr F. V. N. BEICHMANN, President of the Court of Appeal, Trondhjem; Delegate for Norway at the Private International Law Conferences at The Hague. Honorary President. Mr. E. LÖCHEN, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway. Norway Vice-Presidents. Dr. OSCAR PLATOU, Professor of Maritime and Municipal Law in the University of Christiania. Mr. J. ANDERSEN AARS, Christiania. England The Hon. Sir WALTER G. F. PHILLIMORE, Bart., Judge of the High Court of Justice. France Dr. HENRI FROMAGEOT, Avocat à la Cour d'Appel, Paris. United States Mr. CEPHAS BRAINERD, Counsellor-at-Law, New York. Belgium Dr. C. A. EMILE STOCQUART, Avocat à la Cour d'Appel, Brussels. Secretaries. Mr. REIDAR DUE, Commissary of the Exchange, Christiania. Mr. JOSEPH G. ALEXANDER, LL.B., Tunbridge Wells. Mr. THOMAS BATY, D.C.L., London. Dr. BENJAMIN F. TRUEBLOOD (Boston, U.S.A.): I have great pleasure in seconding the nomination of these gentlemen as the Officers of the Conference. |