The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-10-28

One of the most pleasant affairs that ever
transpired in our quiet little village, occurred
at the Dyckman House on Monday evening
of this week. 1t was the occasion of present
ing to the Hon. Josiah l.. Hawes Circuit
Judge of this judicial circuit, by the MEM
bers of the bar of this county, a beautiful
clock which the bar gave to his Honor as a
token of the high regard and appreciation in
which they hold him, who, for nearly seven
years has acceptaby presided over the Cir
cult Court of this county, and is now about
to retire from the perplexing duties of the
bench to private life. A meeting of the
bar was held in room II at the Dyckman
House-the import of which was wholly I'M
known to Judge Hawes-of which b. f.
Heckert Esq. was made chairman, and
Chas. Fitch, Esq, was made secretary, and
before his Honor was introduced to the
meeting, the question of organizing bar
association of this county was discussed by
the attorneys, and a committee appointed
composed of Judge Mills, Chas. Fitch and
Judge Richards, to draft articles of associa-
ton and present them to a bar meeting to
be held at the Court House, on the evening
of the second day of the next term of court.
A committee was then appointed to wait
upon Judge Halves, and invite him to the
room in which the meeting was held. 1t had
been previously arranged by the unanimous
consent of the members of the bar, that
Hon. Geo. w. Lawton should make the pre-
sentation of the gift, which they had pro-
cured for him, which he did in the following
pleasing and very acceptable manner:
been entrusted to me by the kindness of my
associates of the Van Buren, County Bar, to
present to you testimonial, selected for the
purpose. l am permitted to say. by him
who is to succeed you upon the bench, of
the professional and personal esteem fairly
won by you during the long years you have
presided as Judge of this Circuit.
There is a proposition of law which
trust "The Court will not hasten to over
rule, that an intent must always be found to
have occasioned the act brought under judg-
ment, in order that the judgment rendered
may defy writ of error and remain light
in the dark and intricate affairs of life with
which we have so much to do. But it is not
required that the act shall rise to the inn
portance of the intent manifested. nor that
they should be Commensurate
So in this matter we would not have you
measure the kindness we entertain for you,
nor the purpose of this presentation, by the
market value of this useful ornament but
rather that it should be to you suggestion"
of that which we cannot count out to you in
money.
Please accept this gift and place it on some
unoccupied spot in your study where, when
withdrawn from the coarser occurrences of
the day, your eye may fall upon it, and thus
constantly have in mind, without change,
the opinion which it is our purpose you
shall hence bear away with you, of the en-
tirety of the goodwill entertained 10y the
bar for you.
Perhaps this gift may effect other and
personal service for you. 1t may aid you in
casting of the night-marc-that darker
brother of long habitude. For after you
have laid aside the ermine, it is possible. at
times, the will may close all the evidences of
the body, and the habitude of the bench will
come back to you and you shall deem your
self again presiding in court, watching
contest waged at the bar, for victory with
perhaps Brother Tabor at the front, with
his long forefnger thrust forward threaten
ing all the consequences of writ of error if
his Il object" is not Immediately sustained:
or perhaps it is Brother Tucker deferentially
declining to differ from the Court: or per-
haps it is Brother Richards driving with
rough power over his adversaries case. as the
heavy mail goes over the stony highway; or
may be, all of us, are there arrayed
before you, persistently insisting upon dis
tinctions in "Your Honor's" rulings, until
worried and fatigued by this too realistic
scene you gladly welcome the resonant
bur-r-rr of this timely monitor, and rouse
yourself to "adjourn the court" and get away
to "health and quiet and loriag words" else
where.
Other scenes will no doubt come to you
out of your long experience upon the bench.
There will arise in memory the occasions
where you have justly exercised the great
power entrusted to Circuit Judge of this
State, to secure the innocent, right wrongs,
and expose and punish the guilty-with
which recollections probably we shall remain
more or less associated.
On the whole, Judge, we are inclined to
yor, x,o,, ora about % II