The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-08-31

Oe man possessing In the nlghest de-
gree the public confidence for sound
ness of judgment, for thorough and dis
eliminating legal knowledge, for u
deeply seated love of free institutions
and an adherence of everything which
could impede their progress, and who
also combined with these qualities
never failing discretion of speech.
These requisites were well combined in
Governor Royce. His gubernatorial ca
reer fully justified the public choice
His public communication were mod
els for their comprehension, their brev
ty. their precision, the weight of their
sentiments and the felicity of their ex-
preston. A single brief sentence ON
some important topic relating to either
national or State affairs, often contain
ed all which by many writers would be
expressed in a succession of paragraphs.
Though naturally retiring in his hab-
its, and moderate in his speech, he was
heartily genial in his manner to all who
Noui'N'H'
and considerate, Sometimes, too, when
the occasion served, his usual gravity
was enlivened by sparkles of quiet hn-
NOR, which gave charming warmth
TO his conversation. Probably no Gov
ernor of the State was ever more thor
oughly respected by all the members of
~, \ til L. ha a
large, than was Governor Royce. With
the close of his Office as Governor, his
career as public man ended. The
natural infirmities of age kept him
thereafter at home, aloof from the pub
lie eye, yet his interest in public affairs
during the great trials which the nation
has gone through in late years, contin-
ued unabated His feelings were ever
those which belong to the Christian
lawyer, patriot and statesman. He
! died at the ripe age Of eighty-three
leaving few survivors from that group
Of eminent men of the past generation
| who either on the bench, in the Chief
Executive Chair, or in any of the re-
sponsible offices and professions of the
State, aided so largely to its credit and
prosperity, and more than repaid all
the honor and respect ever bestowed
| upon them by their constituents.
FRIEND MABEL HALL, son of Abra-
ham Hall, was born in Guilford, Conn,
Jan. 16. 1887, and died Aug. 6, 1865,
aged 81 years. He was a physician, and
practiced a few years in Berkshire,
since then he has been a farmer.
JUNIUs II. HATCH was born in Gran
vile, Mass, and died in Buffalo, n. Y.
aged about 80.
He was the son of farmer, and OBJ
tanned his education partly by his own
efforts. After graduating in 1873 he
taught school two or three years to Oh
tain moderate outfit rs q law student,
and then went to the city of New York
and entered the Office of the late VIM.
p. Van Ness, then distinguished law
yer and United States District attorney
for the Judicial District of New York
He afterwards studied in the Office of
the late Oden Edwards, since for many
years Judge of the Supreme Court in
the First Judicial District of the State,
The offices of those eminent lawyers,
thronged as they were with large and
multifarious practice in important suits,
were well adapted toadvance an active,
discriminating mind, like that possess
sed by Mr., Hatch, in the walks of his
profession.
Other advantages besides those gen
orally in reach of the student, were ell.
joyed by him. The leading politicians
of all parties at that time in the city OF
New Iork-from 1915 to 1885 5-were
distinguished for ability, family names
and associations, less recognized now
than then, and among them Van Ness
and Edwards and their associates were
leading spirits Their offices and other
places gathering at which they fire.
quently assembled, were the resorts of
citizens, where affairs of the State, the
political relations of parties and OF
men were freely canvassed, and Mr..
Hatch, by his facile pen, his intelligent
and ready powers of conversation, be-
came necessary adjunct to their va
rious consultations and doings.
lie thus acquired an intimacy with
the statesmen, politicians and most dis
tinguished lawyers of the city, and soon
after entering upon professional prac-
tice, secured lucrative business.
At an early age he was member oi
the Legislature, under the new Con
sttution of 1922, where he acquired
for so young man, u signal reputation
for acuteness and sagaeity rs legis-
lator. Mr.. Hatch was thorough stu
dent, not only in law, but in general
literature. In the application and
meaning of language, in -purity and
terseness of expression, in colloquial
power, in the puriN and elegance o
his written communications he was re,
markable. lnjudging the character o.
: men and their motives of action he wa.
discriminating. His memory was very
accurate and letentive.
| To his intimate friends it was delight
} ful rs well as instructive 10 hear him
2 narrate in hisown classical English ,th,
: political events of the city of N. York
b and Albany, of fifty years ago, and dis
= cant on the men connected with them
2 Aaron Burr, then out of political life
! but still profound and sagacioui
lawyer, he well and intimately knew
S AS well as the LiViupstons. Vnn n esses