National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-11
TO HIS MEMORY.
Action of the Court OF Claims Relative 20
tho Death OF Minister Hunt.

III HIS mEMOhls
Action of the Court OF Claims Relative TO
tho Death OF Minister Hunt.
A meeting Of the members of the bar Of the
court Of claims was held in the court room
on Saturday, March g. 1884, to take suitable
action in relation to the death of Hon. Will
liam II. Hunt, recently judge OF said court.
On motion of Mr.. Assistant Attorney Gem
eral Simons, the Hon. j. G. Bancroft Davis
was chosen chairman and John Randolph
esq. secretary.
The chairman, in stating briefly the object
of the meeting, said that in the death of
Judge Hunt the country had lost safe
and able statesman and the profession one Of
its brightest ornaments. To himself and
others present the loss was more that of q
dear personal friend.
A committee composed of Messrs. Davis,
Shellabarger, McCammon, Maury, HOvey,
Mcpherson, and King having been appointed
to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of
| the meeting reported the following:
1.-THE bar of the court Of claims, desiring to
express its sense of the public loss in the
death Of William II. Hunt, formerly judge
of this court, and later secretary of the Navy
and minister of the United States at st.
| Petersburg, do resolve as follows:
/. That by the death of Judge Hunt the coun-
| try loses statesman Of emlnence aud Of firm aud
| ueClueu CONVICTIONS, WHOSE COunhGlS anu Jug
nent were sought for by friends, aud were re-
spected even by those who differed from him.
Q. That the bar of the United states has lost a
jurist of national reputation, distinguished as an
advocate aud as judge, adding TO the character
| and usefulness of the reports of this court and
| winning the confidence and respect of this bar
| by his unvarYlng courtesy and dign lily OF man
| ner.
0. That this community has lost n citizen OF
| pure and upright character, whose daily Lille was
| full of good influences, and many of the mem-
| bers Of this bar dear and personal friend.
4. That the chairman OF this meeting be directed
ask the court to allow them to be spread upon Its
minutes and transmitted to the family of the
| deceased by the clerk of the court.
At the opening of the court yesterday Hon
J. G. Bancroft Davis, in presenting the above
| resolutions, said:
May it please the court, my brethren OF
the bar have asked me to present to the court
resolutions respectiong the death Of Judge
| Hunt adopted at meeting held in this room
on Saturday last. These resolutions in the
first place mark the loss which the country
at large bso sustei.sd- A. - It," etage Oh au
active life, but in the full plenitude OF MI
remarkable powers, Judge Hunt entered
upon the field of national politics. native
of South Carolina, his manhood. up to thu
time when he came to Washington was spen
in New Orleans. In the trying days before
the outbreak of the civil war, he stood almost
alone in favor Of the government in
community mad with excitement agains
| III. w nll6 tuo loauO b"SlNoh ~ tA'
clash of conflict, he never wavered in his
principles, and when the days of reconstruc
ton came he was equally decided in express
ing his convictions and in exercising his in
fiuence. And yet when he left that stormy
scene to make his homo here not an enemy
remained behind, even among his political
opponents; not traducer to question hi
motives or to sully the purity of his nobl'
character. This remarkable fact was feel
ingly alluded to by a speaker at the meeting
of the bar, and is, / think, worthy to b.
brought to your honor's notice, The SAINT
qualities Of integrity and judgment mad
him a man of note and influence in the large
sphere on which he entered when he becam,
Judge of this court. Before long he left thu
bench to enter again upon the field Of active
politics. But i'll health had undermined hi
constitution, and the country now mourn
the loss of statesman whose qualities o
mind and heart can i'll be spared.
1.-THE loss to our profession is next brought
to your honors' notice by the resolutions. We
all know his reputation as a lawyer, atiluen
in professional knowledge beyond most of hi
associates in bar famed for its learning; as
safe and prudent counselor and skillfuI advo
cate, possessed of scholarly eloquence ant
rhetoric not so common now as formerly. ant
always a gentleman, never forgetting himself
Upon his qualifications as a judge need no
dilate in this hall. He came here withou
previous training in tho varied, perplexing
and often difficult questions with which thi
court has to deal. Your honors know hoy
soon he overcame all ditiicultesand what al
his judg ment and good counsels gave in you
deliberations.
"My brethren of the bar know and hav
testified in their resolutions how dignitiet
and courteous no WAS on the bench. TIL
reports testify to his learning and indie
pendence of thought.
Ills last opinion, that delivered in the cas-
of tho Great Falls Manufacturing company
would do honor to any court in this countr
or in England. Without referring to the lay
which il decided aud which is still open TO
T review, may fairly say that it is q model ia
skillful arrangement Of complicated facts
plain expression without overstatement q
, what he and the judges who concurred wit
: him understood to bo tho law, and of felicit
of judicial style. Lastly, the bare mention Q
: Judge Hunts qualities us citizen and
, man. Your honOrs know how true the est
! mate Is. He WAS man of manly bearing, @
= unvarying courtesy, of upright purposes, q
: truthfulness, and ofintegrity. To these quail
, tiles he Joined varied culture and reading
thorough breeding, and ripe experience
| This combination made him man, in tn
language of the resolution, whose daily lii
was full of good influences But he was /
: many OF us more than this He was man Z
most tender and aliectiOnate nature, whic
made him tho life of loving family an
endeared him to wide circle OIL attached an
mourni ug friends.
. "In accordance with my instructions,
!. respecs fully ask your honors, in behalf OF tn
I bar of this court, to allow these resolution
to be spread upon the minutes of the cour
and to be transmitted to Judge Hunts famil.
Z by the clerk of the court
. Al the conclusion of hr. Davis'S remark
Chief Justice Drake responded as follows:
"We receive with sympathy and appreGi
, ton, at the hand Of one Of the former men
, beers of this court the expressions OF the bH
on the occasion of tho death OF another of il
former members, who, through nearly thrc
: terms, took part in our deliberations. IN
a tribute Of the bar to the character of Judg
Hunt is we'll considered and just. lie was
: man whom to know as we knew him wa
t to respect, admire, and aliectionately esteem
: His spirit was imbued with Controllin
sense Of Justice, which, though ever tempery
r by native amenity Of disposition, was clol
Q in purpose and inhexibe in adherence
the right as he saw it. Though his prole
sional life had been passed in the study an
, practice of the civil law, no adapted himse