The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-07
ROBERT s. GREEN
The Ex-Governor and Vice
Chancellor Gone to
His Rest.
a CAREER OF DISTINCTION
To Have Received a Medal From
the State Historical Society
Sketch Of His Life.
spsesal to the Jerseu Ctg Neaus.

ELIZABETH, May z, 1S95-Vice Chan
cellor and Ex-Governor Robert S. Green
died this morning at nine o'clock at his
home on Cherry street here.
He had been ill for considerable
time.
on the 18th of this month Mr.. Green
was to have received a silver medal
in commemoration of the Washington
Centennial Celebration in New York from
the New Jersey Historical Society, which
is to meet in Newark. Ex-President
Harrison, the only other statesman to
receive such medal, will now be hon
ored alone on that occasion.
Princeton, March 25, 1881, and was IN
his sixty-second year. He was the son
of James S. Green, a lawyer and g STURDY
Jerseyman whose fa5hsr, dne f dsgs ,,,ce. Da
ton College. Roberts great-grandIaIInsr'
the Rev. Jacob Green, of Hanover, Nor
ris county, was chairman OF the comlnit, II
tee which prepared the first constitution
for the State of New Jersey at the FRO
i776.
training, aGdng eoeers e1tered s Nassau Hall from
whence he graduated in 1850. lie then
began to study for the profession OF
law, and was admitted to, the. bar 81 IN
1858 and became a counsellor in 1886.
While residing in his native place he
took lively interest in its AFFAIRS ana,
in 1852 was elected a member OF us
Council He removed to Elizabeth in
1856 and at once became interested IN
the movement then on foot for the crea-
ton of Union county He was iargely
i,,e, ,-&o1 in
of 1857 which designated Elizabeth as
the county seat. During 1851 he was
appointed Prosecutor Of the Borough e .
following year became City Attorney OF
Elizabeth, which position he filled with
marked ability fol-. ten years In lS6s
a strong Republican ward, and so great
was his popularity that he continued to
hold the office by successive reflections
until 1873, when he, retired. He was elect, lects
ed Surrogate of Union county in 1852
and appointed Presiding Judge of the
Court of Common Pleas and County
Courts in 1865 pqring gv tie Ran
,dolph to the Commercial Convention at
Louisville as a representative OF New
Jersey. In 1873 he was appointed by
Governor Parker, and confirmed by the
Senate, as one of the Commissioners to
suggest amendments to the constitution
of the State.
In this convention he was Chairman
of the Committee on Bill of Rights,
Fights Of Suffrage, Limitation of Power
of Government and General and SPECIAL
by the Commission We're adopted by
the two succeeding Legislatures and rati-
fed by the people at the general elec-
ton Of 1870 In 1853 Judge Green fas Sas,s vas
gress, and was only defeated by a few
votes in the convention, two klckerS IN
his own county being the 1 sole 4o,s cause q s;
Bird of Hunterdon. In 1884 he was nolni-
mated for Congress from the Third DIS
trict, comprising the counties of Union,
Middlesex and Monmouth, after mem
orable contest Two conventions Were
held Judge Green being nominated by
both. After the first convention the
friends sof William Mcmahon of Rah-
way claimed he had been cheated out
of the nomination. Judge Green hearing
this, positively refused to accept a nom
ination that had the slightest cloud
of unfairness attached to it,. There was
nothing left but to reassemble the con-
vention, when Judge Green was declared
its nan9as Resn chSee hess bH e ISIS sfago maiory
Judge Green had always been stanch
Jeffersonian Democrat, and was one OF
the delegates to the Baltimore Gonyen,
ton of 1860, which nominated Stephen
A. Douglas for the Presidency, and was
delegate to the National Convention
in 1880 which nominated General Han
cock. In January, 1874, the Judge be-
came member of the bar of New
York as a partner of the firm of Brown
Hall & Vanderpoel. which afterwards
Cunning. Judge Green had been. very
successful in his profession, and was
ranked as one of the ablest constitutions
Instrumental by his ability and tireless
energy in working up the preliminary
litigation in the passage OF the Tree ran,
road bill by the Legislature in lsio, I.s whlcE
was the first triumph of popular rights
over the oppressive railroad monopoly
that then had control of the entire State
Judge Green had always manifested ar
active interest. in .perfecting and keeping
up the organization of the Democratlt
party in his county and State. For sew
eral years he served as member OF
from the Seventh ward of Eliztbeth, in
which he resided. His cool, we'll -balanc-
ed Judgment has always exercised
powerful influence in the deliberations
Of this committee, which had to con-
duct the entire mapping out of the cam
paign. In personal appearance he was
tary-looking in his bearing, and had 8
Arm, determined expression on his fea
lures, indicative of strong Will-poWer
Judge Green was married mar In 1921. ans
one son and three daughters, with whom
he spent most of his time when no.
engaged in the practice of his profes
In 1886 he was elected Governor after
a very exciting canvass, by a plurality
of 5000 over ex--Congressman Benjamin
r. f1OW6y, lSPupilCdii, vi W cbl lS1l COulr
ty. His term expired in 1890.
In 1890 Governor Green was appointed
Vice Chancellor by Chancellor McGill
He was considered an excellent authority
on divorce matters and most of the case.
of that nature which came before tht
Court We're referred to him. Last yea
when William Walter Phelps died, leav
ing a vacancy among the lay Judge:
of the Court of Errors and Appeals /
was deemed wise to have larger rep
resentation of the equity branch of tn,
Judiciary in the Court, and Governo,
Werts appointed Governor Green to tn,
vacant Judgeship.