The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-28


the Court Room Saturday morning at ten
o'clock. There were present large number
of the members of the Cumberland Bar be-
sides very fair attendance of outsiders.
AS soon as Mayor Kingsbury had taken his
seat. Recorder Kidder arose and read Judge
Morris commission, at the conclusion of
which Mayor Kngsbury administered to the
new incumbent the oath of the Office Prayer
was then offered by the Rev. w. E. Gibbs.
pastor of the Congress Square Universalist
Church, after which MAYOR KINGsBURY said :
May 1t please your Honor-It seems TO me
not only appropriate but especially my priv
leSe to be the hrst to congratulate your Honor
on ascending the Bench. My long acquaint-
ance and connection with you CONNIE nced in
lne court and extending throughout many
years was marked one during which it was
our good fortune to unders and each other
perfectly and to act in perfect harmony.
therefore congratulate with you all my neart
at the honor conferred upon you ana beiieve
that all the duties of your office VIII De wisely
performed. This is an old Court established
before Portland became city and we lind in
the charter-of 1882 that 1t is a continuation OF
| the old Town Court. 1t is essentially the
same court 1T was before that charter was
granted For Que year the Municipal Court
was abolished aud Police Court took its
place but the Police Court was not a popular
one aud at the expiration of that te RIM 1t re-
turned to its former condition. The Municip.
al Court is of more Importance than is gem
orally believed by the people. 1t is court OF
record and its proper name should be the Mu-
nicpal Court for the COuHty of Cumberland.
since its jurisdiction extends over every town
in the county with the exception of the town
Of Brunswick. 1t is the cOnservator OF the
personal and property rights Of the citizens OF
Portland and without such Court and wise
Judge to administer justice, the city would be
thrown into confusion.
In my opinion this is the most important
Court in the city. The daily interests invov-
ones. felt while occupying this Bench that
the small rights of the people were as impor-
tant as those that involve a greater amount OF
property in the higher courts. The poor man.
rights and property are as important as those
of the rich man. I have always felt this to be
true and am confident that your Honor, from
your former connection with the Court, will
see it TOO. The children brought before you
will form an important feature of your juris-
dction ana it has always been question of
great weight with me what to do with them
the first time have often suspended senteuce
to See whether the future would not be prolific
in good results from so doing. 1t is most fire.
Quently the case that these children are put
| up 10 their acts Of wickedness by their parents
| and if sent TO Jail they mingle with older and
| more hardened criminals and come out worse
| than when they went 10. The same is true in
regard to sending them to the Reform School.
While there the costs of their keeping come
upon the city and have to day received a
long bill from that institution in relation to
The support OF boys sent there by this Court.
1t seems all important that il these children
can be saved and made better boys by keeping
them from the Reform School and the JAN it
necessity of an Industrial School for girls, aud
remarked that he should press this matter on
the attention of the State.
A great number will be brought up before
you for first offences. In such cases my meth
I'd has been to suspend sentence anu let them
go on probation, especially in first cases OF
drunkenness, where have felt that if any one
ought to be punished it should be not the un-
fortunate drunkard but the man who sells the
liquor. IL stands upon record that more than
three fourths OF the cases thai have been p,ac-
| ed on probation in this Court have never
troubled the police afterwards. I will there
| fore plead with your Honor Tor all these cases
while at the same time you will strictly regard
the rights OF properly and person.
We must REMEMBER that all are human
though drpraved, and that the vices of those 10
the dock before us NAV be no greater than we
ourselves secretly indulge in.
During your term of Office you will have
the confidence and assistance Of the Bar, and
take this opportunity for thanking my breth-
rem for the uniform kindness and courtesy they
have shown me during the past seven years,
although sometimes my decisions have been
against them. I bespeak for your Honor the
same courtesy that have always received,
and again tender you my congrat 1lations.
At the conclusion of Mayor Kingsbury's re-
marks Mr.. JAMES O'DoNNELL arose and ad-
dressed the Court:
| May it please your Honor
The speaker said that his brother he'd stated
that he had presided over the Court for seven
DuriuO that tima the kpr had hoo m
practitioner 10 the Court aud he knew of NO
judge who had filled the position with more
satisfaction than Mayor Kingsbury. He coin
cided in the Mayors opinion that this court
was a most important one, and adduced IN
support of the fact that many of the most hon
ored members of the Cumberland Bar has irst
practised there. He cited the names OF the
Longfellows, Greenleafs. Fessendens, Hop
Fitch was the first judge and presided for thir-
" years, followed by Carter, Williams, Paine,
Chadbourne, Lane, Holden, and Judge Kings
bury, who had held the Office next longest to
Judge Fitch. Gov. Crosby appointed Judge
Williams and during his administration the
He Administered justice conscientiously, but
the people we're dissatisfied and tried to i'm
paanh him. and falling in that they established
police court. It failed, because cases bad to
fed with Judge Kingsburys administration
| and was sorry that he had resigned aud &C.
| cepted the Mayoralty. He was afraid that at
the year Judge Morris might find himself in q
| similar position. He closed with a compli.
| ment to the members OF the Bar and copgratu
lations to Judge Morris.
s. L. CARLETON, ESQ, made few remarks
after which JUDGE MORRIS delivered the fol-
lowing
Mr.. Mayor and Gentlemen of the Cumber-
| land Bar:-I am not insensibe tD the honor
| you have done me by your presence on this DC.
| casiOp. For your words of kindness and cour-
| tesy, most sincerely thank you. had thought
| to enter upon my duties without other witness.
| es than the usual attendants of the Court, but
| his Honor the Mayor, 10 the genial exercise oil
his authority, and with his usual kindness Of
| heart, more irresistible to me than his oficia
| prerogative, has decreed these fattering inaug.
uration ceremonies. The delicate compiimen,
he has paid me in laying aside the dignitirs o
| the Mayoralty, and himself administering Il
me my official oath, appreciate beyond tht
ability OF words fifty to express: Icannot hops
| to fill the Municipal Judgeship SO acceptably
| and ably as my predecessor has done. But
shall seek equal his integrity, which in this
community has been without reproach Hi
grace and dignity, his power of analysis, and
his legal bearing can approach only at a dis
lance. My best judgment-my best endeavol
and a mind free from personal favor or preju.
| dice will be devoted to all matters which shall
come before me. In all questions touchine
| public or private wrongs, and the rights of per-
sons and property, it will be my single object
to determine what are the facts aud what the
law. shall respect all existing laws as bav-
ing the sanction OF the highest human wisdom.
1 shall respect all persons accused as having
thrown around them the presumption of limo
cence.. shall sometimes err in my conclu:
sions, but you need no assurance from me,
believe, that shall do no int nded wrong.
ask in the outset the continued friendship, the
| assistance and the cousiderate indulgence o.
the members of the Bar, in all my endeavors
| to perform the duties of this office in accord
ance with the oath have taken.
The Court then adjourned, when the mem
bers of the Bar and officers of the Court tool
occasion in person to congratulate the new
| Judge.