The Portland daily press., 1870-02-21

years my senior, and not having been actively
engaged in the practice of the law since have
| been upon the bench, my opportunities tor
| personal Intercourse with him have been but
| few; ard do not feel that have that intimate
| Knowledge of his character of his every day, of
| his pecuiar characteristics, which will enable
| me TO speak of him as he deserves. But in
| common with ali his fellow citizens, and esprc-
| ially in common with the members of this bar,
| | can bear testimony to the high esteem in
which he has been held by all who knew him,
| and to the fact that he leaves reputation pure
| and unspOtted. And justice to his memory,
justice to ourselves, and justice to posteriiy
| demand OF US to place on record the evidence
of this esteem and his great moral WORTH aud
| that we pause in the discharge of our official
| duties and Join his near friends aud relatives
in the performance OF those sad and last off es
which the living can render TO the dead. The
| resolves, therefore, which have been so feel
ingly presented and so eloquently advocated,
| will be entered on the records n mark of
| renect for the deceased. The court will now
adjourn.
PROCEEDINGS IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
Mr.. Haske j said:
May it please your Honor BY direction of
the Cumberland Bar Association am called
| to the painful duty to announce to this Court
| the death of another member of the Bar, the
| Hon. VIM. Willis, of Portland, and at the same
| time to request this Court to adjourn that YOUR
| Honor, as we'll as all members of the Bar, may
| DE at liberty 10 dlCeHu MS funeral, SOOftly
| take place, for it seems fitting that some marx
| of respect should be shown to the memory of
| the deceased by this honorat lie Court; for, al
though he had retired from active practice be-
| fore this tribunal was established yat his name
| has been so long associated with judicial pro-
ceedines in this county, both before and after
| the erection of our own State, and his acti ye
| practice at the Bar covers almost the entire
| period of the last half century. Aud he has
| been so prominent among the most worthy
| oil ofo cty and Stata nd
| identified with almo' all projects for the good
| of our people aud prosperity of our communi-
ty, we can do no less than follow his remains
| to the tomb.
| This we have done to various of his coten-
poraries who recently, one by one, have gone
before him, and among them was our honored
| Senator, Mr. Fessenden, who for more than
twenty yy years was associated in the pursuit of
ceased. Will ,he ae-
MIR. Willis oiH be missed, aye mourned by
the few relatives and mauy friends that survive
| him. He was a kind husband affection.te
| father and true friend-always the perfect gem
tleman. Missed by this community, for who
| can III his place as historian of our city and
| State? Missed by the several literary and
| scientific societies to which he belonged, for
| where is the man who, from experience and
| observation for three quarters of century,
aided with the culture and wisdom that could
| be acquired by the most patient study, perse-
| vering energy and dilleent application, is able
| to bring such fund of knowledge within their
reach? Missed by the benevolent and charita-
BILE institutions of our city and State, tor who
had a kinder heart than he and was more will
| ling to exert himself for others? Missed nv
the State and country, in the loss of venera-
| BILE citizen, wise and good man who, through
his long lite, though sadly aff1icted by domestic
bereavement. still kept on the even tenor of
his way in the path OF duty and rectitude, and
whose end was like the setting OF the sun in a
cloudless day.
Mr.. Willis bas gone; the places that knew
him will know him no more forever. But as
profession we must not forget that to bis pen
| are we indebted for the valuable sketches of
| the lives of our honored brethren who have
live. He has been the biographer of many,
but who can do him justice?
| ''We bid farewell to our brother
A good ID an has gone to his rest.
And as he rescued the pames of our DEPART
| ed brethren from oblivion, he has written
| bis own upon the tablets of our memories,
| there to remain. His example of recitude,
gentlemanly conduct and virtue, as we pass on
| the journey of life, will ever furnish us a
worthy model; and as one by one we fall by
the waysde, whether cut down in early man
| hood, in middle age, or like the deceased at an
age of more than three score years and ten,
may we enjoy life like him, a peaceful end.
| And in accordance with the wishes of the
| Bar, and as mark of respect to toe deceased,
! move your Honor that this Court now atl-
journ.
Judge Goddard responded:
Rarely has the bar of Cumberland been called
to mourn the death of SO worthy and honored
| member as Hon. William Willis
Removing to this city from Boston more than
fifty years ago, he entered at once upon the
practice OF bis profession first in the Cffice OF
Chief Justice Mellen, and sevefal wears after in
company with the late Senator Fessenden, a
partnership that continued for at least twenty
years: it was there that my earliest recollec-
| tion places him.
Although his modesty shrank from forensic
encounters and seldom permitted him 20 con-
| duct jury trials, his dllgent industry and pa.
tience made him an excellent. Office lawyer
| and cOnve yancer.
His active professional life extended beyopd
third OF century, and was emnenlly sue
cessful.
But Mr.. Willis was from The beginning and
| always much more than LAWYER
Graduating with honor at Harvard College
in 1913, be never forgot the claims OF literature
science and art: unlike TOO many of us, be
| found time amid the labors OF a profession
peIhaIs The most eXnausr1ng, TO cnitlvate anG
| improve to the last hours of long life his taste
Tor every branch OF knowledge which ennobles
| and dignifes the man OF liberal culture, learn
| ing and refinement.
On his arrival here in 1919, at the age of o.
| he took charge of week y paper and aIlhouo h
at the end of three years he resig ned the edito-
| RAJ chalr, he continued frequent and most
valuable contributor to the press of the city lit
| erally untll tne DAY OF his death.
He was hOrOred by the citizens of Portland
with an election to the highest Office in their
| glft ne was elected to the Senate from this
| county; and by the people of Maine be was
| CHOSEN Presidential Eleclor at Large.
| Fully alive to all that promised to advance
| the prosperity of the State aud to deyelone
| its resources, he took leading part in the con
struction and direction of onr railroads, OF one
Of which he was for time President
| sympathizing with the poor and unfortu-
iati,, fbo,
izrd action for their relief he was long at the
neaa OF one OF our most efficient benevolent So
ceues' and member and officer of nearly all
the rest. Ay "ii
Profoundly impressed with tbe oroo+ tr,,,,,,
Of revelation and their divine adaptatjon to tho
REDEMPTION of man, he was devout and con-
sistent Christian.
His habits of unwearied industry, patient
research, cOnscien 'ious thorougbuess and ac
curacy, and sound discrimination. led him Al
an early age to the study OF our local history:
While his pure and classic style, improved and
perfected by constant practice, most admirably
quahhed him for the task which crowned the
elegant leisure of his later years. during wb,ch
he was the Acknowledged and admired bisto-
rian and biographer of Portland and of Maine.
His History of Portland, his very numerous
notices OF all our prominent deceased citizens
for the last quarter of century, and his re-
peated contributions to every volume of the
Maine Historical Society, over which he so
long presided, are imperiShable monuments of
his industry, learning, scholarship and ability.
Few lawyers have written so much ma so
well; perhaps of hone can it be so Justly said. |
as OF the inmitable Goldsmith:
"Historicus
QuI nui um fere scribendi genus non tetigit
Nullum aod tet1gii, non ornavit."
Advancing years only seemed to augment
hls youthful enthusiasm in those delightful |
stud'es, Which he was unwilling, like so MANY
students, to eOjny alone, but which it was his |
pleasure and his pride to make so useful to the |
world. w VIZ
Upon his monument might well be inscrib- |
Gu tnat beautiful passage of Cicero
"Haec studia adolescen tam alunt, senectutem nh
Ieclaht, secundas res ornant adversis perfugum ac
soiatam pra@bent, delectaut domi. non im1 ed unt
ps peihoctant nobiscum, peregrinantur, rustican-
The learned counsellor in the appropriate re |
marks accompanying his motion has referred |
TO our friends History of the Courts and Law
yers OF Maine, published in 1863, a work of |
merit, the first of its kind in our State. and ot
peculiar interest to our profession.
His last act was a sub, cription with his own
hand OF $1,000 to the contemplated General
Hospital OF Maine, an act scarcely com mpiatad |
Deforo no passed INTO state OF uuconsciona |
ness, which, In few hours, terminate d his lte
Passing IN review the long list of bonored
names which have adorned the bar of his ]
county for more than oentnry, do NOT recall
one whose life appears to me TO have been more |
uefal Surely, none can be ionnd more free |
from reproach or worthier OF imitation. For
model TO the young men of our city and State
and particularly as bright exemplar M the
Young student where shall the people of Maine
direct the.r sons with more pleasure aud pride
HAN. In 4 1