The Portland daily press., 1870-03-02
U. S. DISTRICT COURT-Before Judge Fox.

U. S. DISTRICT COURT-Before Judge Fox.
Inauguration OF MIR. Webb as District
Attorney.
AT the coming in of the U. S. Court, this after
noon, Hon. George F. Taboo, announced his
resignation of the office of District Attorney in
the following language:
May it please your Honor-I ask leave to re-
sign the temporary appointment received from
the court, at the suggestion of the Attorney
General, under which have remained in office.
as Attorney of the United States, to complete
certain unfinished business, beyond the term for
which l was regularly commissioned and to
notify the court, that my friend, and successor in
office, Hon Nathan Webb is now present and
ready to take the oaths of Office have all the
more pleasure in making this announcement, in
that the responsible duties have endeavored to
perform will now devolve upon gentleman well
and favorably known to the court to this bar
and to the people of Maine, whose appointment
is not due to any solicitation made or procured
or consented to by himself, but solely to the
position OF confidence and respect, he has fairly
won in the profession and in the community. by
a career of integrity and fidelity, and by the
ability which he has shown in the important
public trusts, that have been committed to him
heretofore. L heartily commend him to the
courtesy of the court, and to the conf dence of
those people of the State who may have any
reason to respect my recommendation and have
no misgivng, that any of the public interests will
suffer under his administration.
cannot terminate my official, and necessarily
to great extent my personal intercourse with
your Honor, and with the distinguished Justice
who has hitherto presided with you over the
Circuit Court in this district, without expressing
my thanks to each of you for the kindness on
your part which has made the relation so agree
able to me, and for the substantial assistance
you have each accorded to me in relieving my
official responsibilities and guiding me towards
the proper and prudent performance of my i'm
portant duties.
1t was my fortune to assume those duties with
little previous study or training specially adapt
ing me TO them, at time when the country was
entering upon the prosecution of great war
and when the powers of the national government
were asserting themselves above the presumed
rights of States and of individuals. and some
times in modes little consonant with the popular
instincts and habits of thought. The offences
connected with this period OF peril and distur-
Dances were those arising from efforts of ndi-
yiduals to thwart or evade the military opera
tons OF the government, when the nqusiton
was necessarily harsh and the punishments
exemplary and severe. Disturbed finances and
heavy taxation accompanied and followed war,
begetting naturally, new crimes connected with
evasons of the customs and revenue laws, and
frauds connected with a currency which had
tecome wholly national; and l found myself
called upon to be the minister of the government
in exacting heavy penalties, and in inflicting
repressive punishments. Your chambers have
ever been accessible to me, and if have been
able at all to acquit myself of my responsibilities
to the satisfaction of my client, it is because
always feeling at liberty, by your invitation to
do so, have freely resorted for counsel and
direction to the larger experience and maturer
Judgment of the court.
l beg leave also to communicate here in court,
to all its other officers of various grades, with
whom have been so long and intimately as.
ISOLATED my sincere thanks for the uniform
kindness and courtesy, and for the scrupulous
justice with which they have recognized all my
rights, and to say that it will be my study here
after to maintain and deserve this friendship.
Judge Fox responded as follows:
During the whole time that have held the
Office of District Judge l have derived great as
sistance from the District Attorney in the in
vestigation of the many important government
causes which l have been called upon to de-
termine. During this period, there have certainly
been brought before the court many matters of
very great consequence, and it affords me great
satisfaction to declare now that my friend is
about to withdraw from his official relations with
the court, that under his administration the
interests of the government have always been
faithfully cared for and protected by him, with
great ability and fidelity and to the entire
approval of the court. Our relations have
necessarily been very free and intimate and most
certainly with much satisfaction and pleasure
to myself
The testimonial from the Attorney General of
appointment of his successor, and at the same
time communicating to him an expression of the
Departments approval of his discharge of his
official duties was but just and deserved tribute
to the learned council, in which l most heartily
concur.
1t may not be improper for me to remark that
the court felt authorized to manifest its own
approval of the manner in which the duties of
the office have been discharged by suggestion
to the department, that in the opinion of the
court, the interests of the government would not
suffer detriment if the Attorney should be
allowed to continue in Office, but a change has
been deemed proper and l would add, that under
the circumstances, there is no member of our
profession. throughout the entire State whose
appointment never would be more acceptable to
the court than that of my friend who is now
about to take the oath of Office have had the
pleasure, for long time of his intimate
acquaintance, and 1 know, that no one cond
have been selected, who would discharge
the duties of the position more ac.
ceptably to the court and the
public, and 1 am very thankful to whoever
may have brought about the appointment, that
gentleman so well qualified for the position was
selected instead of one whose or eat recommen
dation might have been his political influence.
Mr.. Webb then took the customary oaths of