The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-01-03

State Legislature. He served through
the several sessions, devoting himself,
with his accustomed vigilance and fidel-
ity, to tho interests of his constituents
and of the State, and took II prominent
part in the debates and the business of the
body o. Which he was member
In January, A. ID. 1886, and while
then Judge upon the bench, he was a
delegate from his town to the constiu-
tional convention then holden at Montpe.
licr, to consider and TO act upon proposed
amendments to the State constitution, the
most important of which was PROPOSE
ton to abolish the old "Gubernatorial
Council" so called, and in its stead to
constitute legslaative branch having
coordinate powers with the House of
Representatives. to be called "the Sen
ate" This proposition was vigorously
opposed in the convention, and brought
out protracted and perhaps the ablest
parliamentary discussion ever had in the
State on single question. The conven-
ton contained an unusual number of the
leading and foremost men of the State -
Judge Coamer led the debate in the
affirmative of the question. The propos-
ition was carried and | feel myself au-
thorized 10 say, mainly through his
influence.
In 1888, and after successful and even
brilliant career of just twenty years at the
bar, he was placed, by vote the Lcgisla-
ture, upon the bench of the supreme court
Of the State, position for which he posses
sed peculiar qualifications, and which he
held by successive elections nine years,
and until he was returned by the people
of his congressional district to the nation
al house of Representatives. As "A Judge
upon the beHch he added luster to the
reputation he had already acquired as a
lawyer at the bar. He possessed intel
lectua and moral qualities most essential
and requisite to the best discharge Of the
duties Of a high Judicial magslracy-a
clear and discriminating mind, AN impal
tial judgment, strong practical good sense
a profound and instructive sense of right
and wrong, patience of investigation, an
iniexible integrity, and a sincere and ear,
nest desire to reach just and correct
y conclusion. He held the scales of Justice,
therefore, with firm and even hand. -
All these qualities were brought into
practical application. and were beautiful.
ly exemplitied throughout his whole jude.
ial career; and when he retired from the
bench he laid aside the Judicial crmine
untarnished, and without spot or wrinkle
or any such thing"
From the bench he was transferred by
the voice of the people of his district tc
the United States House of Representa-.
tlves where he took his seat in 1913. sue.
ceeding Horace Everett, long distin.
guished member of that body. by
successive elections, he continued an act.
i've and useful member of the House,
though most of the time in small polit.
ical minority, until March 1919, wher
he was called to the Cabinet of President
Taylor as one of his confidential and con.
stitutional advisors, and placed at the
head of the General Post Office Depart.
ment. Under his judicious and energetic
administration, the vast and complicated
machinery of that Department was
brought into system and order and eff.
cheney. He held this position until the
death of President Taylor in July, 1850,
when, with all his associates in the cabi.
net, of whom the distinguished Senator
from Maryland, Mr.. johnson, now
present, was one, he resigned his place,
and returned, private citizen, to his
home in Vermont.
lie was not long permitted however, to
remain in the quietude of private life
The people of his State still demanded
hs services in public capacity, and he
was chosen in the following October, by
the Legislature, presiding judge of the
judicial circuit in which he resided. lie
held this office through four years by sue
cessive legislative elections, discharging it.
duties with "all diligence and fidelity"
and to the entire popular acceptance and
approval, when in October. 1854, he was
elected to the Senate of the United States
and he took his seat rs member of thi:
body the first Monday of December
1855. lie was reelected to his seat in
1860, with an almost Unprecedented de-
gree of unanimity. He has been with Us
and of us just ten years. His course
through all this decade, embracing, as il
does, perhaps, the most important period
in the history of the republic, is familiar
to US all-it is familiar to all the country.
During this period, and on this forum,
where grave questions Of State where
questions of peace and war where ques.
tions of foreign and domestic policy
where questions of trade and commerce
questions of finance and revenue and tax.
alton; here where every variety of ques.
ion,pertaining to governmental admins
tration, is presented for consideration, fol
discussion, and for final discrimination
here, in this forum, he has won for him.
self national reputation, an honorable
and an enduring name, as a learned and
able Senator; as wise and discreet
counselor; as judicious and upright
legislator in short, as a christian states
men and christian statesman, it ha,
been well and truly said, is the glory q
his countrywide has borne himself erecl
and above reproach through all his ca
reer. and kept himself "unspotted from
the world" by the very constitution O
his nature he revolted at every form anc
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