Bar, Plea in, is a plea or defense, which, if supported by evidence, forms a conclusive answer to an action, such as a traverse, or denial, of all the allegations upon which a civil action or criminal prosecution is based. See Plea.
Bar, Trial at. Formerly a trial before all of the judges of a superior court in England.
Bar Associations are voluntary organizations or unions of lawyers, having for their primary object the elevation of the bar. Some of them are local, and, to an extent, cooperative. Such is the 'Association of the Bar of the City of New York.' Its active membership is limited to law- yers residing or practicing in the city of New York, and it maintains a fine law library and building for the use of its members. It was es- tablished, however, not simply as a social club, nor as a library association, but "to maintain the honor and dignity of the profession of the law, and to increase its usefulness in promoting the due administration of justice." There are also State bar associations, whose membership is limited to the lawyers of a particular State. On the other hand, to the American Bar Association any person is eligible who has been a member in good standing of the bar of any State for five years. The object of this organization is de- clared in its constitution to be "to advance the science of jurisprudence, promote the administra- tion of justice and uniformity of legislation throughout the Union, uphold the honor of the profession of the law, and encourage cordial in- tercourse among the members of the American Bar." It has a membership of nearly 2000, and is exercising a powerful influence in many ways. It has done much to elevate the standard of legal education and to promote uniformity in State legislation upon various subjects.
Bar Council. A body of elected barristers (q.v.) supported by the four Inns of Court (q.v.) as the voluntary representatives of the entire English bar, charged with the duty of dealing with all matters affecting the profession. They have no disciplinary authority, but they exercise a strong moral influence as guardians of professional etiquette, and, in connection with the Attorney-General and benchers of the Four Inns, may secure the punishment of barristers who are guilty of misconduct.
BAR, Karl Ludwig von (1836—). A German jurist, born at Hanover, and educated at the universities of Göttingen and Berlin. Both as a member of the Reichstag (1890-93) and in his capacity of jurist, he strongly advocated the introduction of publicity and of more humane procedure in criminal cases. His important works are: Das internationale Privat- und Strafrecht (1862; 2d ed., 2 vols., 1889); Die Redefreiheit der Mitglieder gesetzgebender Versammlunqen (1868); Die Lehre vom Kausalzusammenhange im Rechte (ib., 1871); Das deutsche Reichsgericht (1875); Staat und katholische Kirche in Preussen (1883).
BARA, hii'ra, Jules (1835-1900). A Belgian
statesman. He was born at Tournay, and pur-
sued the study of law in his native town, show-
ing remarkable intellectual gifts and a fine power
of oratory. Shortly after he had begun the
practice of his profession, he was summoned to
be professor of law at the University of Brus-
sels, and presently established his reputation by
a treatise on the relations of Church and State.
He was chosen to the House of Deputies from
Tournay in 1862, and affiliated himself with the Liberal party, then under the leadership of Frère-Orban. In the fierce conflicts between Liberals and Catholics, Bara speedily obtained a reputation as one of the most effective de- baters in the Chamber, and upon the resignation of Tesch as Minister of Justice in 1865, he was appointed by the King to that position. In line with his extremely Liberal tendencies, he attempted, in 1808, to bring about the abolition of capital punishment, but failed because of a powerful opposition in the Senate; in the following year, however, he succeeded in effect- ing the abolition of imprisonment for debt. After the fall of the Frère-Orban Cabinet in 1870, Bara reentered the Chamber of Deputies, and by his great power of invective, caused the resignation of the Clerical Ministry of d'Anethau in 1871, and helped to overthrow the Ministry of Malou in 1878. This was followed by the acces- sion of the Liberals to power, and Bara be- came once more Minister of Justice under Frère- Orban, resigning in 1884 after the overwhelming defeat of the Liberals at the polls. From 1884 to 1894 he was leader of the opposition in the Lower Chamber, but in the latter year failed of reëlection, entering the Senate soon afterwards. He died at Brussels, June 26, 1900.
BARABA, b;i'ra-ba'. A steppe in the govern-
ments of Tomsk and Tobolsk. West Siberia, be-
tween the rivers Irtish and Ob (Map: Asia, G
3). It is a large stretch of low, flat, stoneless
land, covered by lakes and marshes, and traversed
by a number of rivers. The soil is generally fer-
tile, with extensive forests in the north, but the
climate is unhealthful. The first Russian settle-
ments were established about 1730.
BARAB'AS. The principal character in Marlowe's tragedy, The Jew of Malta, a monstrous creature who delighted in slaying others. He poisons nunneries, and devises instruments of torture and death. By accident he himself meets the terrible death plotted for a victim. Shakespeare's Shylock is a humanized copy of the character. The rôle was created by Alleyn.
BARAB'BAS. The name of a prisoner whom Pilate released at the Passover when he condemned Jesus to death. It is the Greek form of Bar abba, 'son of the father,' or 'son of the master.' The oldest witness as to the text in Matt. xxvii. 16f. read Jesus before Barabbas, and it is therefore probable that his proper name was Jesus, 'son of the rabbi,' being added as a distinction. Mark seems to have derived from an earlier source the information that he had been arrested as participant in an insurrection (xv. 6-15). His release may have been particularly gratifying to the people because he was the son of a rabbi.
BARABOO, bar'a-boo.
A city and county-seat of Sauk County, Wis., 37 miles northwest of the State capital, Madison; on the Baraboo River, and on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad (Map: Wisconsin, D 5). It has a beautiful location, at an elevation of over 1000 feet above sea-level, in a picturesque region, and is but 3 miles north of Devil's Lake. The city is an important fruit market, and has linen and woolen mills, a canning-factory, a foundry, railroad-shops, and a creamery. Manufacturing interests are promoted by good water-power. Bara-
