BIENNIAL REPORT

OF

JAMES BINGHAM

ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE STATE OF

INDIANA

OF THE

BUSINESS AND CONDITION OF HIS OFFICE FROM
SEPTEMBER 30, 1908, TO OCTOBER 1, 1910

TO THE GOVERNOR

INDIANAPOLIS :

WM. B. BURFORD, CONTRACTOR FOR STATE PRINTING AND BINDING
1910

LITTAUER LIBRARY, SSP
HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Jud & 2.10

MAR 10 191

Indiana State Library

THE STATE OF INDIANA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., October 1, 1910.

Received by the Governor, examined and referred to the Auditor of
State for verification of the financial statement.

OFFICE OF AUDITOR OF STATE,
INDIANAPOLIS, October 10, 1910.

The within report, so far as the same relates to moneys drawn from the State Treasury, has been examined and found correct.

1910

JOHN C. BILLHEIMER,
Auditor of State.

Returned by the Auditor of State, with above certificate, and transmitted to Secretary of State for publication, upon the order of the Board of Commissioners of Public Printing and Binding.

MARK THISTLETHWAITE,
Secretary to the Governor.

Filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Indiana, October 12, 1910.

..19....

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FRED A. SIMS,

Received the within report and delivered to the printer, October 12,

Secretary of State.

A. E. BUTLER,

Clerk Printing Board.

BIENNIAL REPORT

OF

JAMES BINGHAM.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, October 1, 1910.

HON. THOMAS R. MARSHALL, Governor of Indiana:

I have the honor of submitting to you my biennial report as attorney-general of Indiana, of the business and condition of my office for the period from September 30, 1908, to October 1, 1910. The legal opinions reported herein only relate to the official opinions, and do not include the numberless unofficial opinions given at the request of county, city, town and township officers from all parts of the state.

In this connection I again suggest that the custom of long standing in this office of answering all inquiries of such local officers has become exceedingly embarrassing to the proper discharge of the duties of the office, on account of the work entailed thereby. In almost every instance the inquiries are important to public interests, and with a few exceptions the officers making such inquiries are not clothed with authority to employ counsel to advise them. In my judgment, legislation which would provide such local officers with legal advisers, who are so situated as to intelligently and properly advise them, would be most wholesome.

I incorporate in this report a table of criminal cases decided by the supreme court, and now pending in said court, which table is as follows:

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