The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-01
COURT OF EQUITY.
LAST DAY-oLosING SCENES.
Addresses by Chancellor Lesesno, General
James Simons, General w. G. Desaus-
sure and Hon. James d, Campbell.

James W. Gray, Esq, who has held h,s COMMISSION
as Master in Equity since 1920 period OF moro than
| thrty-uine years, during which time he has dis'
charged the onerous AID responsible duties OF his
high oficc with energy, intelligence and integrity
| which have Justly received the comm :ndaton not
only of the cench and bar, but of all who have had
business relations with him.
To tn, right OF the ex.Chief Justice sat James i.
CAN'T Esq. Register in Equity, who succeeded his
father in 1861 and has SINCE discharged his duties
most accepably and efficiently as did his predfces-
sor, who filled the Office for thrtysix ye4rs, with
honor to himself and without ever having been op-
posed by rival candidate, so creditably were his
| official labors and courtesles performed.
Hon. James Simons, on behalf Of the Bar, address
| ed the Chancellor as follows:
Huy il please your Hono,-It cannot be matter
of surprise to YOU that there should be SO large
| assembage of the bar. aey are present on most
| solemn occasion. Were even sringer 10 e"fer
into this temple, at the present momeht' he would
| naturally iIfcr that some very grave event nad
caused these earned men who surround me 10 leave
their avncations and eagaseme rs to appear before
| you. Indeed, it is solemn and grave occasion.
We have assembled now to bill farewell 10 tnls
great institu' ion-the High Cour5 OF Chancery-1s
| separl:e anI independent forum i'll this State.
When you look n the venerable personages who
now sit on yorr right hand aud Oh your left, who
are deprived of tGeir honors and places wei IS
Yourself you will see the persona: etc: o! the
great changes are suffering. But how lnuch more
is the whole community affected by the catastrophe
which this day brings upon uSl
This great institution has bad lis origin, history
and celebrity in the wisdom and experience oil the
most learned and best men oil past and OF the pres
| ent day The Court of Equity, as heretofore adpln.
istered IN this ate, has not only been means OF
arbtramcnts by which the CONVERSATIONS between ci-
izen. as man and man have been adJudcate' ana de,
telmined, but from its peculiar to:ens no:cs anI
| Sow nn III a
great moral engine. Other co1rtS merely dccl c u.s.
putes and give remedies in the ordinary way by re-
marathon in damages. In this court I'll: moses oi J
dicial redress and the means OF enforcing IL nave cA
tended themselves every hearthstone. into the in-
most recesses of the family circle, and TO al tpe So
cal relations o. life; providing for domc tic neccssi.
ties, repIessps and restrainin2 the commission OF
injuries, and enforcing the performance OF mofs ana
| legal duties and obligations.
| These gcear ends canEot be efactually accom-
| pllshcd BY other cours, which, from tile ory ana
technical modes OF their procedure saonos aoapt p
themselves to tho peculisrtics and d'ssncilJis OF
| caoh case that shall be brought tctolc them-and
hence theirinsufh:iency for the complications Oh ie-
| gal and social relations
On the bench me most learned, elevated and crudIe
| Judges, and at tho bar the most accomplished and
experienced solicitors, who have devote t.eu aoo
and spen. their lives in the service of the coug
sea al my side some OF my brctaren distinguished
for their earniuG urt virtues, who have been scrVl
tors in this temple and 1t this bar for foc.y-1ra
years. !, Ayseli, although somewhat their nm or,
according to my imttd learning and c1QS .lencc,
have laborcd to tie best Of myabiity Oh tAi5 spot
tor four and thirty yeas 1t is but REASONABLE tncn'
that We should feel ourselves Identified with ths no
BILE institution. For myself. confess 1t has bsen
school of instruction and has, in very cat de!rea'
shaped my character, my h.lit OF Thought, ana my
modes OF dealing with my !ellow.men
But, may it please your Honor, we paintuuF rarl
with the court and its esteemed and reyered ON
this day and the further administration Of justice IN
those cases which iormery wero considered IN TINS
forum must tc guided and gov rned by those fresh
and novel views which have lately been promulgated
in the State. and hove brought down this s1cred
temple in crum ling ruins over our neaus.
hold IN my hand paper which viii ASK your
Hones permission to read, as expressive OF the sen,
m.nts Of he Bar OF Charleston ON this OCCASION anu
will submit to your Honor for such dsposilon rs you
my be pleas Il to make OF Il.
He then read tho following preamble and reso.u'
tons:
The Bar of Charleston have been assembled his
aay upon which, according to The present Ut
rangement Of tie governme:i oil this Sta'e,
the Court Of Equity as separate juHdcal
| orga, izaiiop, is to terminate i!s cXisteree-an
organization that has subsis,cd since tho frs;
| ettlement of this State; that lad lis o:lgln
| and derived It's history from that couatEy irem
which our system OF Jurisprudence has spr unS, q
/ system which has been adorned, honored and l'ius-
trated by the ofuest character, the most accurate
and extensive erudi'ion, aud hls in the courSe ot
/ time impressed itsolf upon the respect ana con-
sderation of the people OF south Carolina WI. now
Fave overturned the dosm9s and teachings OF WIS
dom and .cricnce II is therefore not matter OF
surprise that the Bar Of Charleston, participating with
the largest portion of the intelligence OF he state
cannot pact with this ancien: ana time honored In
sution without expressing heir resrct a. lis depart.
ure and tcsiiynSf heir venera'lo for the aepared
judges who once here presided, and tht:r esteem
and respect for those whose places are now % ce w.
| cated, The Bar of Charleston have therefore,
Iesolrea, That the foregoing preamble expresses
! their views aud sentiments on this occasion.
| R:sslred That in taking leave OF the Eoa. hcnry
Deas Le>esne, nov presiding II this court, the Bar
OF Charleston hereby testify their sense ci MS car
ac:er q, integrity ss man hi aoli;y ana eafnins,
as judge and his uniform courtesy ano K, loEesS ~
apresiJing maSistta:s. Mltn tE psst "isito iot "s
future prosperity.
The Hon. Wluo. G. DeSa1ssuro seconded the
preamble and resolution. ana spoke in eloquent
terms of the character o. The corr and the dis tin.
guished gentlemen WHO hal alosaed IT, and e1'
pressed deep roget that the tencc erected ceatu.
ries ago was to be destroyed. iIe chccrIul!y ea-
dorsed the preamble AMI resolution.
Chancellor Lescsnc :a!d that he coala not End
words to express tic qualification which he cis at
this evidence OF appreciation of his services Ho
would bear to The cnd OF life grateful recollection
of the o:casiou and he felt deep Friendship ior tie
members OF tho bar, who had al! extended to him
| every courtesy With earneslncss and III e. qient
terms he recrrol to the court. and expressed re-
Gret that he had been able 70 Ge docrccs IN al
| the causes which lie had heard il consequence OF
press of business aad wact oi health
The touching remark OF tho Chancellor drew :or;h
from the Hon. James B. Campbell few words Il
parting, in which he referred 20 the high character
and The great antiquity OF the cout which ne hocd
would be revived
The Chancellor then adjourned the coir:.
Throughout tic whole proceedings profound 81
lence reigued and Tho bar generally seemed greatly
affected.
This is but al oerfcc. sketch o: ihc proceedings,
which we hope 10 lay before tie pubic in cztenso BE-
fore long.
REAL ESTATE SALE. - alessrs. Leitch u
Bruins sold yesterday for James W. Gray, So, Mas
tor IN Equity, the following pieces o. property:
Plantation in st Pauls Parish, one thousand one
hundred and thirteen Gcre for sG.5O onethirl cash,
balance in six equal anrual irstalmcnts.
Lot of laad, north side Queens.rce:, twca.y-cight
feet front by one hundred and tweuty feet deep for
s26OO, onc-third cash, balance in and two years.
Lot Of land, with buildings thereon. cast side OF
Norman-strect forty feet front by hvnred deep,