New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-29
JUSTICE OBRIEN HONORED.
A DINNER TO HIM AT WHICH WERE MANY
OF HIS ASSOCIATES.

DANIEL DOUGnERTY. GENERAL HORACE Fun"
| TER, JUSTICE BARRETT AND OTHERS
| Seldom has more ample justice been done TO
| dinner than was done to that last night at which
the Lotos Club entertained the newly elected JUS
| ticc of the Supreme Court Morgan j. OBrien.
| Five of his brethren Of the Supreme Court bench
I were there, Justices Charles H. Van Brunt
George G. Barrett John r. Brady, Abraham
| r. Lawrence, George p. Andrews, and Judge
| George L. Ingraham Of the Superior Court. The
| other guests were ex-Judgc Hilton, and Daniel
| Dougherty of Philadelphia. Among those present
| were General Horace Porter, Colonel Richard
| Iathers. Colonel Thomas W. Knox, Colonel E.'C.
| James, A. r. King, Judge Gedney, F. Z. Elwell
| DR.. Charles Inslcc Pardee and A. Z. Burbank
WELCOMING THk GUESTS.
| When the judicial and other appettes had been
fully satisfied the President of the Club proposed
the health of the guest Of the evening in the follow
| ing speech
For once We have the Court at a disadvantage. They
generally have full power and our belongings
| but tonight they are at our mercy We shaii ,cn
them to take the stand when we choose anH VIC may
tell them the stand II we think they nave o,u
| all they know naughtcr) We may good naturediy
allow them to tell their story In their own way or VIC
may bring them up as suddenly a. they or'he Wy VIZ
nesses the judicial adnonition to tell only what
they know Of their own knowledge How mat woo spo
many inc sentence and how we might then ru'c out
| what left as having no bearing on the case !
QaughterD.
| We have an imposing array of them here-six
supreme Judges by actual count, besides several Others
who arc understanding the part-eooo enough supreme
Judges TIL after the next assignment Many OF you
faced much Justice before and one or TWO
hard have admitted to that they never
wanted TO again. (Lauglser)
There are enough for a full Bench anyway but tho
Vice Pres dent saws fault II the Club bar
is still full. For that matter 1t IS their own fault
too that the other bar is still fu-the one they are
popularity supposed TO have the most to do with IL
| lamentably needs thinning out There Is no bog of
men In NewYork among whom number OF vacancies
| would be hailed with such enthusiasm tLaushter
| and applausel
! But nobody can say that about the Bench. We
have dono our best to degrade it but not oven our
| system of nominations party assessments ana
| popular elections has boon enough to weaken inc
| authority or faint the character of the New-York
Judiciary 1t is tho only part Of our Government ,ha
modern degeneracy has not touched We pay our Juoges
better than any other STATE: we keep them nor long
MS and amid tine wreck of Aldermen and The quarres
| of Governors and Legislatures, We are sui aDie 10
respect them Nppiause). -,
| Your frsr purpo.c tonight Is to do hohr to the
Youngest OF themyoungest In service, youngest on this
| Bench years, and one Of the youngest, beheVe
that this city has ever contributed to the supreme
Court OF tho State of New-YoIk 1t Is tho sunicient
explanation of his presence the Bench 10 add that
he Is an old member of this club, and further that
In spite of his youth Ii has never occurred 10 elmer
friend or foe question his experience as lawyer or
his petence a Judge In fact, this young New
Yorker born and Bred has risen through the various
stages Of his professional without seeming to
the envy PROVOKED the VI
| anybody. Appause) One exception must MAKE
have heard his politics spoken Of as extremely Dad
Nevertheless there several good men let In new
York who. strange as 1t may SEEM stu suck 10 .he
Game party. And further It must be admitted mat Inc
prisoner at the bar, already under sentence 10 iouf-
teen years confinement hard labor Qaughler), no
| longer has politics enough 10 hurt
Centiemen Of the jury, the case DsiCro you
! What is your verdict Is the prisoner guilty as
charged ia the indicinent-a good citizen, good lawyer
| and worthy addition to good and honest court Al
|
with me In drinking health, prosperity ana career
as distinguished the Bench ii has been active ana
honorable the Bar to our new supreme Iuso Morsd
J. OBrien. prolonged appiausel
RESPONSE OF JUSTICE O'BRIEN.
When the applause had subsidized Judge O'Brien
spoke as follows
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen Of the Lotos Club =
! | am sure that for tie very rambling achho"icuso
| mcnt that l will make TO you this evening Ioi 'ho
| very beautiful compliment that you have paid me-
you must feel sufficient apology In my statement Una,
until half hour before came to this dinner 1 hsu
been confined to bed with z severe cola. IL Is ON!
| The pleasure Of hearing you and the feeling, since
l have come among You, that have got much better
which incnes me to get up and return my thaih' iU
the presentation of your president. VI COURSE, III
| all these social compliments, moro or less must DO
| allowed for the relations which the gentleman VINO
receives them may have had with those who pay MN
| the compliment. l have received In the last three
months some social attentions for which OF course
have been very grateful, but none OF them Win
ono exception, which was OF purely PcIso .'ai
! character, has touched inc moro decpy than the
kindly reception have received from TINS, my own
| club / cannot take to myself the compliments which
have been paid to the Judiciary. They have eafheu
IL and they are entitled to it. No ono can speak
better than myself on that point They are e'tao-
lshcd and am bit at the beginning OF my hst eru'
am just like soldier. soldier putting ON MS amor
| all that can hope Is that may acquit myse1 as
well az those whom around me. tApplapsc1
Now allow me in conclusion to extend TO yonr pit bo
club my heartfelt thanks for this very warm ana
cordial reception. 1t is a pleasant thing to feel al
the very outset of which regard as The most
| honorable and most useful man can pursue that i
| have your good wishes (ApplaUseD thank you
| sincerely for the kind greeting which tonight you
| have extended to mo through your president pFo-
longed applauseJ
THE PRESIDING JUSTICE SPEAKS.
The president next proposed the health of the
presiding justice OF the Supreme Court, Justice
| Van Brunt In response, Justice Van Brunt made
some facetious allusOus to previous entertain
meuts by the club, Of gentlemen who
had been elected to municipal o,ices
| and the kIndly advice which was
| gratnitousIy rendered them on such occasions he
| SAID that 1t had come to be 50 much DREADED py
| some whom their telow-citI zens had elected 10
| Office that when the club rendered Ma or Hewitt a
| banunet Mir. Hewitt at once took SICK anu re-
NAMED in that condition untii the oaneer was
passed He Justice Van Bruntl affected 10 be SUI
| prsed that Justice o Brlen had been 20 lenlehtV
dealt with IN the matter OF advice as to no" no
| should conduct his Office. Justice van BrunI COLI
tinued:
In regard to our new associate, the testimonials no
has received since his election to such high olce mas
certainly been a matter OF great satisfaction 10 MS as
soclates. IL is always matter OF great concern VINO
our new associate is to be-. We have no voice In
putting him there, and yet We are much dependent
upon the characteristics he may display for WORKING
smoothly and tremendously. ! feel certain from the
testimonials that have been given to Judge oBrleh
that his relations with his associates In the supreme
Court Will be Of the pleasantest character. Anu III
view az this fact extend him the right hand OF TEL
lowshp and assure him that We will receive him with
open hearts. (AppauseJ
A VOICE FROM PHILADELPHIA.
The president next called upon Daniel Dough
erty for speech. Introducing him as one whom
New-York would be glad TO number among hef
| oiti,ans though he lived in Philadelphia Mf.