Evening journal., 1895-05-31
FAME OF HER LAWYERS!
Delawareans Who Are Known
the World Over.
THE EARLY DELAWARE COURTS

where They Were Held and who Dis
psnsed Justfce-In No state Are the
Courts More Respected Lawyers who
Have Left Imperishabls Memories.
No state in the Union has greater cause
10 be proud OF its bench and bar than has
Delaware. Their high standing in public
confidence and esteem is not confined to
this state alone. but extends from the lakes
70 the gulf and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. The fame Of some OF her sons
who adopted the profession Of law has be-
come worldwide. Hon. John NJ Clayton
and Hon. Thomas f. Bayard being notable
examples.
IN no state are the courts more respected
by the people who made them than in Della
ware. This is partly because Delawareans
are and always have been a peace-lovlng
and law-ahiding people, and partly be-
cause OF the fact that the courts themselves
have never been guilty Of anything which
forfeited the respect OF the public They
have never been involved in any scandal
and the bar has been singularly exempt
from such offenses. Year after year since
Delaware became sovereign state her
fame for the administration OF justice has
grown, until now she stands in the fore
front OF the sisterhood OF states.
The nrst controversies were decided ac-
cordlng to the laws, customs and usages
Of Sweden and Governor Printz. who had
vested within himself judicial as weIl as
executive powers, exercised them with an
iron hand. He was the first Judge in Della
ware.
Swedish law and usage governed the ad-
ministration OF justice from 1643 un-
tn 1855. when the Dutch drove out
the swedes and took possession.
Jean Paul Jacquet was immedl-
ately appointed vice-dlreotor, and ad-
minlstered Dutch law and justice to clt-
zens as well as soldiers. A meeting OF
Council was the court where breaches OF
ordinances were tried, and 1t was con-
yened only by order OF the vlce-dlrector.
The first court held within the limits Of
the present State OF Delaware was in 1867.
DsIawRrs's First Attorney.
The first attorney to appear before
Delaware court was a man named Schel-
luyn lie prepared his first brief in what
is now New Castle county, in 1858 lie
represented the plaintif IN an action
against Dirck Cornellissen Heunfeh. cap
tain or the ship prnz Maurlts. In those
times the courts were held at Fort Altena.
or, as It was called under the Swedes. Fort
Christina. There were no stated sessions,
but they were held according to demand Of
circumstances. The judges who sat at Fort
Athena were Nice-Dlrector Beekmau Dele
stlle, Mats Hanson and Peter Cock. while
the court sitting at New Castle was com
1f ynfo
Rambo. Peter Cock and Peter Alrichs. the
latter being an ancestor OF State Senator
Samuel Alrichs, az present member Of
the General Assembly.
When, in 1864, the English under sir
RobertCarr subjugated the Dutch, Governor
Nichols. acting under the terms or the ar
ucles of eapitulatlon, retained Block,
Rambo. Helme, Alrchs and Cock as eoun-
clllofs. It was their duty to advise. hear
and determine by major vote what was
just equitable and necessary ia the case
or cases In question. a year later Heer-
manns Fredsrickson, Alexander Moiles.
tine, Otto Wolgast and William Gleason
were appointed as commissioners with
magisterlal powers for the Whoreklll and
the surrounding territory. This is the
earliest record Of anything like a judicial
tribunal In the region OF what Is now
Lewes.
Slowly. but none the less surely, the
English judicial system was put into prac-
tiee, and the Dutch dispensatlon Of justice
was supplemented. Governor Loyelace did
everything in his power to give the courts
all the pomp OF circumstance and power,
and, among other things, he caused the
Kings arms to be emblazoned in the court
rooms and borne upon the slaves carried
by the court officers.
In 1878 the English courts were again
supplanted by the Dutch, who continued
to dispense justice until 1874, when the
English again secured control and held il
until the Revolution. During all those
years the principles Of English law and
practice were inculcated, and no courts in
the colonies were more prone to adopt
them. Some sweeping changes and impor-
tant Innovations were introduced in 1776.
and the courts 50 constituted remained
practically the same until the constitution
OF 1882 was adopted. Then the courts Of
common pleas. presided over BY the chief
justice and independent OF the Superior
Court, were abolished. and a new system
put In vogue. Equity jurisdiction was
separated from the common faw jurisdic-
ton and invested In a chancellor. The
courts as they now exist were ordained
by the constitution OF 1881, but may be
changed again BY the constitution soon to
be framed by the coming constitutional
convention.
Delaware's Famous Juristn.
Amid all these changes the judges and
lawyers o. Delaware have won distinction
Tor their high personal character and pro
found knowledge Of the law. From the
time Of Hon. Thomas Clayton, first chief
justice, to that Of Hon. Charles b. Lore.
present chief justice, Delaware has been
the birthplace Of wondrous legal minds.
Her lawyers have argued the law, and her
judges have expounded il, melting out even
handed Justice. requiring OF all the same
respectful regard for the law and for the
decorum Of the courts.
The greatest state in the Union would
be proud 70 have inscribed upon the roll Of
her sons such talented men as Richard
Bassett, George Read, Caesar Rodney,
kensey Johns, Thomas Clayton. John NJ.
Clayton, Samuel NJ. Harrington. Edward
Woodward Gilpin. Joseph p. Comegys. Ed
ward Wootten, James A. Bayard, Nicholas
kidgely Daniel NJ. Bates. willard sauls-
bury, Sr.. John Fisher, Willard Hall, Ed
ward Green Bradford. Thomas Mexican,