New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-23

III the try years that interviewed before his appoint
mcnt a. Justice of the supreme Court he was en-
gagged in many Of the most important and difficult
cases that In the New-Jersey courts and in the
courts of the United states and his services as coun
selor were sought in multitude Of other business
transactions In 1850 he argued the New jersey bridge
in the supreme Court of the United states. For
many years he was director and the principal
sellOr Of the New-Jersey. Trenton and Philadelphia
and OF the Camden and Amboy railroad companies.
His chief distinction I'm these posts was due
to persistent efforts to secure the abandon
ment of monOpolies which were obnoxious
to the people. from 1851 TO 1868 h
the acuary Of the Mutual Benefit Insurance Company
OF NewJerscy and from $50 to president Of the
New-Jersey Mutual Life Insurance Company. lie
was also director Of various other financial insu-
tons.
Notwithstanding the range and variety of his prac
teal duties he found time for academic exercises. In
1ei9 he delivered before the literary societies Of
Rutgers College address Progress" and was
occasional lecturer to classes in political economy
and constitutional law. lie delivered the annual ad
dress in 1851 before the Historical society Of New
Jersey, his theme being g. The Pcrls Through Which
the Federal Constitution has Passed and Which Stil
Threaten IT," In 1858 he delivered on address in
memory OF William l.. Dayton and In 1870 was the
orator at the centenary Of Rutgers College. He was
only celebrated i'm Newark for his ability and In
SAINT activity but also for eccentrices that gave
due mainly To nervous cXctabiiity. For cN-
ample occaeion ex- Governor joel Parker and
Robert Allen converslng I'm the library Of the
Capitol at Trenton and startled by what seemed
to be the sound Of angry voices and of flying furniture
Through the glazed bookcases they Bradley. who
trying to write upon table HAT wobblcd under
the pressure Of lis arm. Bradley was mutcring
| angry. suddenly he overturned the table and sawed
at one Of its legs with pcnknifc The table wolbcd
still and Bradley fnmcd with Again he over
turned the table again he hacked az the leg and then
with Redeemed face and ferOcOus aspect. hc seized the
table and hurled it, leg, under the yelling.
Now you'll stay where you're put once he lost a
In the Court Of Chanccy ard as lee was leaving
the courthouse in anger and WAS muttering to himself
he desc ended the stairs. one asked him II the
| court was closed. mo" lie murdered. happily.
though perhaps unconsclously paraphrlsine cele
binted bon mot Hell and the Court Of Chancery are
always Open7
In 1890 he ran for Congress, but defeated. In
1865 he headed the New-erey electoral ticket PreSi-
dent Grant, in May 1870 appointed him justice "l
the Supreme Court thus unconscously gratifying the
ambition which Bradley had expressed when lad.
At first he had the southern Circuit but upon the death
OF Justice Strong he assigned to the Third CIRCUIT,
embracing the States Of Pennsylvania, New jersey ana
Delaware His legal learning accurate and varied
his acquaintance with decisions o. courts. both In Eng
land and America extensive while hi, analytical habit
problems and 10 note obscure hut none the les I'm
portant Distractions The special bent Of his mind,
also t0wnrd mathematical and mechanical studies gave
him exceptional skin In patent cases. hut bis opinions
in maritime In relating to civil rights ana
habea> corpus. I'm suits upon policies oi insurance ""
In cases In which statutory constitutional consuc
ton Wa required. have been Of great Impotence.
In 1877 Justice Bradley was member Of the Flee
toral Commission appointed To consicr and report
spon the questions respecting the counting Of the
votes Of the Presidential electors In the contest Ice
| tween General Hayes and Mr. Tdtn. lie conenH'd
In the conclusions OF the majority, which b" supporter
by elaborate arguments published In the proceedings
OF the COMMISSIONS A letter written by Justice Brad
ley in September 1877. TO the editor Of The Newark
Advertiser may properly be recalled at this time" n,
frank and definite expression OF hi, sentiments re-
| garding the work OF the Electoral commission and his
| own share therein. There eNtan n charge that
after preparing written opinion IN favor Of the ridden
electors I'm the Florida submitted to the Electoral
| Commission, he changed his views during the mIit
preceding vote In sequence OF pressure uiuutht
10 bear upon him by Republican politicians aud Pacih,
| Railroad men. whose cRrnagc~ II u SAID, surfVnhhcI
| his house during the evening The whole mug
wrote Justice bradley, Is falsohood. Not single
the whole sitting al the Commission had 10 private
DISCUSSION whatever Of the Subjects at Issue win any
person nt'reStcd Oh the Republican sl1e ana hui NTS
few word with any leron. !hcca seauIo.IS
itself The allegation mat rcad an opinion |"
Clifford and Field f. entirely untrue. read no oh"
| TO either OF them. Tho question VIZ one OF grave
| importance and, 10 me. Of much dihculty and cm
| harras snent. earnestly -ndcavorcd to com" 10 q
night dcc ion free from all political or other eN
t'ans0us considerations. In my private cAnHlhh
ton Of the principal question abont going behind
the retu"u~l I wrote and rcWrOte the aTgnm,hl ~
and considerations both side a. they occurred L.
me. sometimes being inclined to one vie" 81 uI
subject ard sometimes to the other Lul hnAlN
threw aside these GcuhratiOn. aud wrote out ih'
short opinion which read in the Florida ca,c during
tie sitting Of the Commi,>iOn TIA opinion Yrc~ec'
the honest conclusion 20 which ] bad arrived ano
which, after fdll cOrfidcra Ion Of The whole SaD'r
seemed H. me the only satisfactory solution Of Inc
question. And ! may add. that The mr.. h"vt
reflected on II since. the more satisfied have bccom"
that II was right. Al all events. II was the result OF
my own reflections and consideration. without any
IL gees lions from any quarter except tie argument
a6dnccd by counsrl 10 the public discussion ana bl
members ~ the Commission III IT. private oon'ni'i
/ tlOns." . go.
In 1af4 he married Mary, daughter Of thi"f Justlc.
JrornlInvcr Of New Jersey. Their children number
Two -nu, and two daughters. lie and his family lived
very quietly in Washington, the principal enjoyment
OF his leisure being found in bis extensive library