The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-30

sat the middle-aged man at the large
table in the middle of the room, and, as
he turned his face toward me, saw
that he was the attorney general him
self. 4
His countenance, indeed, was far
from being as commonplace as his
aspect otherwise. He is of somewhat
spare, but sinewy habit, with broad
and prominent cheek bones and pair
of remarkably clear and penetrating
eyes. His hair and short beard are
greyish, his nose a long, finely cut
aquiline, his upper lip short, his chin
prominent. His forehead is broad and
imposing and developed at the corners.
His look is sagacious, honest, resolute
and devoid of self-consciousness. His
mind, should suppose, is retentive in
memory, orderly in ideas, full of knowl-
edge, judicious and bold. He is swift
of apprehension, circumspect but firm
in decision, and all his faculties are
lightened and broadened by a quiet
sense of humor. i fancy could have
known him anywhere for a lawyer.
and for great lawyer. We're he to
sit on the English bench, clad in wig
and robes of state, he would look a
lord chief Justice.
Republican simplicity takes away
everything picturesque; but it cannot
take away the features and the mind of
a man competent to perform high du-
ties. The room in which Attorney Gen.
eral Miller sits is.hung round with the
portraits of many former attorneys
general; but none of the painted visages
seemed to me to represent man better
suited to the arduous and important Of
fee than is the present incumbent.
"Were to be appointed attorney gen.
eral tomorrow" said I, by way of de-
fning the situation, ''what routine Of
work should have to perform?"
sWell,' said Mr.. Miller, in full-bod-
led baritone of deliberate and leisurely
enumeration, ''to put it, in word, the
attorney general is the lawyer for the
government. He is called upon to de-
liver opinions on all matters involving
legal Discrimination, that come before
the president, or before the secretaries,
provided, in the case of secretaries, that
they can show the matter in question
to be one which, it falls within their
scope to have determined. Every sort
of'legal question is referred to this of
fee from the sources named. The state
department contributes many; then
there is much from the treasury-fscal
questions: the interior department,
which includes the patent Office, gives
great number; opinions have to be de.
1ivered regarding the Indians and the
land laws"
''But must you, individually, pass
upon all these questions?" / asked, be-
ginning slowly to feel that would prob
ably decline the Office of attorney gen.
eral, should it be rendered to me.
''There are three assistants here who
write opinions, Mr.. Miller replied, look
ing across at the portrait over the man
tlepiece, and playing with a pair of eye
glasses mounted in black enamel. '"The
solicitor general acts when am absent:
and there is secretary in the supreme
court. 1t is not absolutely incumbent
upon the attorney general to argue
cases. Mr.. Garland, I believe, argued
none, shall have but eight or ten this
term, Of course, l am responsible for
what is done in rny office"
Against whom are your arguments
delivered?" inquired.
! "Well," said Mr.. Miller, with slight
smile, Il am in the opposite category to
that of the newly-landed Irishman, who,i
you remember was agin' the govern
ment, be it what it might. ] am for the
government in everything" ---s--'' !