Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-15

Mr.. Clay, who had come into the House
during the course of the final debate and
vote, is said to have been 30 completely
overcome as to burst into tears, declaring
that the country was saved from civil
war.
In 1858, on account of his familiarity
with the Spanish grant law, the Califor-
mia delegation recommended the APP
pointment OF Mr.. Howard as United
States Attorney to the Land Commission
to settle titles in California. He came
to California in this capacity, but, after
few months, resigned, and commenced
the practice of law in San Francisco,
and sent for his family, who arrived via
New Orleans and Nicaragua, on the lst
of January, 1854. Mr.. Howard at once
took prominent position at the Califor-
MIA bar, especially in the management OF
land cases. He had a successful and
lucrative practice in San Francisco, up to
1856, when the celebrated vigilance COM
mitiee of that year was organized. 1t
declared martial law in San Francisco,
and virtually governed the State by
the point of the bayonet. Howard was
a strenuous advocate of the supremacy
of the law, and opposed the Vigilantes,
taking the ground that any good which
might be effected would be only
temporary in its character, and that
permanent evil effects would result from
utter disregard of the constituted
authorities and tribunals. The Cover
nor issued proclamation, ordering the
Vigilance Committee to disband, but
they deied this order. Thereupon the
Governor called FIR the organization OF
State forces to maintain it's authority,
and appointed General Howard to the
command of the State Militia. How
ever, the Vigilance Committee main
tanned its ground, and no success at
tended the effort to put it down, but
General Howard evinced a fearless
character in his attempt to effect what
he considered the public welfare de-
manded.
During this exciting time of 1856. when
the State was virtually divided into two
hostile camps, one at San Francisco and
and another at Sacramento, General
Howard removed to Sacramento, where
he had some property, and remained
there until 1868, when he moved to
Oakland, and resumed his practice in
San Francisco. But the part he had
taken against the Vigilance Committee
had gained for him much enmity in San
Francisco, and having some property
and many clients in Los Angeles, he re-
moved permanently to this place in 1861,
and has ever since remained here, being
always, we may say, foremost at the bar,
in politics, and in the estimation of his
fellow citizens.
Volney E. Howard has been from boy
hood staunch Democrat, and being
man of fearless independence of charac-
ter he has not hesitated, from time to
time, to kick over the party traces. He has
never joined any opposing party, but on
several occasions, when he thought it
opportune, initiated and carried to sue
cessful issue independent movements
against the regular party organization ;
and hence during series of years when
the Democratic party in Los Angeles had
such secure majority that the election
of its nominees was foregone conclusion,
Howard was an object of terror to the
party bosses, for they we're never sure
but that ''old Howard" would "buck,"
and elect an independent ticket.
General Howard, from 1861 to 1870,
was go actively engaged in the practice
Of his profession, and not being much of
a fnancier, with such a demand upon
LIN IOT INC COutlnuhnCe vi Ills pTdCJlCo,
that he was never really in position to
accept honorary political preferments,
but served several times as District At
torney, and in 1889 was member of
the convention which framed our pres
emit Constitution, and it may justly
be said, the most prominent member of
that body. At the close of the sessio n
he was attacked at Sacramento with
pneumonia, and going to San Francisco
was taken down severely with the dis
ease, and imprudently, for a man of his
age, got out of his bed to take an active
part in the campaign of that year, go that
at it's close he was completely exhausted,
and never again recovered his natural
robust health.
He was elected Judge of the Superior
Court OF Los Angeles in that year (hav-
ing declined the nomination for the Su-
preme Bench) and served out his term,
retiring at its end, his health being too
feeble to continue in harness. He has
remained in retirement for the past five
years, growing feebler with age. About
month ago he was taken to Santa
Monica, where he expired yesterday, at
the advanced age of eighty.