The Sierra citizen., 1854-05-13
Dinner to Elk. Judge McCann.

On Monday evening we were honored
with seat at a pleasant little dinner
party, given at the house of Spear &
Cossitt, on the occasion Of the retirement
of Hon. Ferdinand j. Mccain from the
Office of County Judge Of Sierra County.
At the appointed hour the party assem-
bled, and found just such a set-out as
might have been expected under the sue
perintendence Of the committe, VIM. s.
Spear and Col Taylor, and further depo-
nen.s saith not.
After the cloth was removed an appro-
pirate acknowledgment was made by the
guest of the evening, for the uniform cour-
tesy which he had met with from the
members of the Bar, at the same time
expressing the pleasure he felt in resuming
his profession. He was followed by Judge
Pettibone, his successor in Office, who in
few well chosen words paid high COM
pliment to his predecessor, and hoped that
it might be his good fortune to follow in
his footsteps. Afterwards, the "lesser
legal luminaries' were each called upon
for sentiment, which was given with the
usual accompaniments. The flow of soul
and champagne continued until late hour,
and rarely has it been our good fortune
to pass an evening more to our taste.
The resignation Of Judge McCann has
been very much regretted both by the Bar
and others who have had an opportunity
of knowing him. 1t is not more than
justice to him, to say that he has presided
with distinguished ability, and that he
possesses the confidence of the people and
the respect of the legal profession. He
was elected to the bench in June, 1852,
at the time when everything connected
with courts of justice was in chaos-when
there was in reality no law, and little or
no respect paid to the form. Officers could
not execute their commissions, except
when the mob saw proper to allow it;
merchants refused to pay their license, and
the citizens tried every means to evade
their taxes, because they had no confidence
in the administration of justice, and did
not believe that the money would ever be
applied to the benefit Of the State or
County. The execution of his official
duties, was then attended with peculiar
difficulties. The confidence of the PEOPLE
had to be gained, and the power of mob
law overthrown, before any thing could be
accomplished. How we'll he has succeeded
in establishing system and order in the
affairs of the county, may be learned by
an examination of the report of the County
Treasurer, which will be published in
few weeks. At the time of the resigna-
tion of Judge McCann, $4,000 remained
in the treasury, almost enough to complete
the new county buildings.
Judge McCann is native Of Maryland,
and was educated at Mount ST. Mary's
College in that State. Should his life be
prolonged to the ordinary limits allotted
to professional men, it requires no pro-
phetic ken to predict for him honor and
distinction.
The appointment Of Hon. Sam'l j.
Pettibone to the Office of County Judge,
gives general satisfaction. He is native
Of the Green Mountain State, and has been
resident of California since 1850. He
has for some time held the Office of Asso-
ciate Justice of the Court of Sessions, and
his gentlemanly department and social
disposition, as we'll as his requirements,
have won for him the respect of the CON-
munity at large.