The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-01-17

OF the arduOus duties he would be called
upon TO perform. At the time OF his first
election the work OF the Office was COM
paratiyely light, and he was then able TO
formulate that system OF procedure which
has proven so conducive to the prompt and
efficient dispatch Of business and the con-
venienee of attorneys. The dry and dusty
records Of his court will long proclaim
how we'll and faithfully he has discharged
the duties Of his Office. There is not law
yer in this city who does not believe that il
Is moral impossbility for Judge Fitzhugh
TO depart hairs breadth from the path OF
the strictest moral rectitude; not only this,
sir, but there is also the most absolute con-
fidencc in the integrity of his purpose. As
/ once heard a distinguished gentleman
say, nothing would influence him but an
argument.
The slightest intimation that Judge Fitz-
hugh could or would be influenced by fear,
favor, or partiality in the discharge OF his
duties would, sir, be resented by any law
yer OF standing in this comriu $ ~ per-
sonal insult.
The loss of Judge Fitzhugh to the bench
will be felt in this community TO be pub
lie calamity. He was, sir, untiring in his
zeal TO determine the equity OF every cause
presented TO him, laboring from morning
till night in the discharge Of his duties,
never losing moment in the indulgence
OF an idle pleasure. His heart and soul
were in his work; his chiefest pleasure was
the faithful and conscientious discharge Of
his official duties. lie treated, sir, with
the same Difference, consideration, and re-
spect The humblest as well as the ablest
practitioner at his bar. He always took
especial care that no cause presented to
him should suffer from the ignorance or in
experience Of its advocate.
Mr.. Speaker, when i'm the full strength
and yigor OF his intellectual ability the
last and best OF the judges Of Israel was
called upon to yacate the high judicial po-
sition which he had filed with such credit
TO himself and advantage to his country, he
called up the people unto him and said {:
" am old and gray-headed, and ] have
walked before you from my childhood unto
this day. Behold. here | am Witness
against me before the Lord. and before
His annOinted. Whose OK have i taken |?
or whose ass have | taken? or whom have
/ defrauded! Whom have | oppressed? !?
or of whose hand have | received any
bribe TO blind my eyes therewithI and
will restore il YOU" And they said,
:" Thou hast not defrauded us nor OPP
pressed us, neither has thou taken aught OF
any mans hand
Mr. Speaker, a competent, conscien-
tious. an upright, and an honest Judge is
from Us. Ii / may be permitted
to rest my hands upon his hOnored head,
speaking for those whom have the plea
sure 10 represent, wish him God-speed,
length OF days, fulness OF years, and hap
piness OF hours. | desire TO assure him
that he bears with him the prayers and the
blessings Of widows and orphans, the
honor, the respect, the admiration, and the
Of his fellOw-citizens.
MeSsrS. Taylor and Lyons, OF the Rich
mond delegation, made eloquent speeches
in seconding the nomination OF Judge
Mr.. SteuaIt, OF Alexandria, said that the
OF the Richmond bar was not
needed TO tell who Judge Fitzhugh was.
He was known by his decisions, which
were regarded with that respect accorded
to the decisions Of the highest courts i'm the
land. In all the Statd there was NJ man
better qualified to discharge the duties OF
Judge OF the Chancery Court Of Richmond
than the present incumbent.
Mr.. Giddings seconded the nomination
OF Mr.. Holiday. In reply to what had
been said by some OF the speakers who
preceded him, he said that ii came with bad
grace from the other side to plead that the
judiciary should not be dragged into poll
ties. He charged that the opposition had
on a previous occasion displaced compe-
tent men solely on account Of their politi-
cal opinions. He said that the present Su-
Of Public Printing was 4 man
whom the Democrats had once or twice
elected to office. Why did they oppose him
in the last election? Why didn'tthey for
Elam, man who was known and respected
i'm all parts Of the State, and who possessed
all the qualifications requisite for the posi-
tion to which he aspiredy When Judge
was first nominated for the office
he now holds many lawyers doubted his
fitness for the place. yet his subsequent ca
reer had proved the fallacy OF the doubt.
Might not the same thing happen in the
case OF Holiday? He recognized Judge
rs an able Judge, but did not
think il impossible that even young man
could come up 10 the requirements OF the
position.
Mr.. Scott, OF FauQuier, charged that
Holiday was until recently IN Out-and-
out Republican, stranded by the fortunes
Of war in Chesterfield county. Mr.. Gid
dingS had referred TO the displacement OF
Riyes Us a member Of the Court OF APP
pealS. Was it strange that the people did
not want him there when we consider his
f,xt-.r1. thafn I'ha oflipa ~ Gil
OF Public Printing was
purely political, and there was no impro-
priety in opposing man for that position
on political grounds.
Mr.. Scott reminded the House OF the I'M
portance Of the Office about to be filled, and
said that it was proposed TO put in young
man without the requisite learning or eX-
perience, and nothing to recommend him
beyond the fact that politics had decreed il.
He protested against the displacement Of
Judge Fitzhugh i'm the name OF two cOun-
ties LOudoun and Fauquier) that pay, ex-
elusive OF the cities, one tenth 0f the taxes
Of the State.
During his remarks Mr.. Scott referred TO
the member from Chesterfield (Mr. Gid
dings) as the newly-hedged Nirginian,"
and wanted to know why somebody else
from the Readiuster side OF The house bet
ter qualified to speak had not youched for
their candidate.
Mr.. Duff Green made the sweeping
charge that the entire judiciary OF the State
had heretofore been Il band Of partisans.
Mr.. Green is very eXcitable, and he speaks
with great rapidity, accompanied by yio-
lent gestures, and his manner is not apt to
create converts.
Mr.. Frazier was sorry that the discussion
had taken such an unpleasant turn. He
thought it was wrong to arraign man be-
cause he was born out Of Virginia. He
CMr. frazier was Nirginian, and en-
dorsed Mr.. Holiday, although no more
capable Of doing so than the gentleman
from Chesterfield.
Mr. Conrad agreed with Mr.. Frazier that
the discussion should proceed without ac-