Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-09-27
REMARKS
IA MES THOMAS
pEroRE THE
CIRCUIT COURT or s1s MARIss eouNTY
on THE DEATH or MN
MON. 3ENJAMIy><z HARRIS.
segtemis Term. 1866.

Nay IL please ns~euE1s Tbil
pause in your deliberations is to pa,
homage to no ordinary man.
an honored officer OF this Court
after long service OF assiduous la
Bor aud faithfuf discharge or duty
son of Maryland, distinguished
alike for his private worth and his
public virtues; one whose life glo
rilied the annals of his State and
enriched the chronicles of his coun.
try, has passed away, and it is EN-
inently fitting that this occasion bt
set aside and made to bear to the
sacred shrine the testimony of cnl
esteem for him and the merited tri.
bnte OF our veneration for his mem.
Dry.
1t is..'not my purpose to pro-
nounce on this occasion any stud.
led words of iyaise upon him whose
Gcath we lamerp. believing that the
highest eulogy TO. be paid him is
The plain and simple ss6ry of his
III.
Benjamin Gwinn Harris was born
in st. Mary's coupty the 18th day
Of December, 1905. lie belonged
to family which is closely con-
nected with the history of the Ma
ryland Courts and which deserves
to rank among its benefactors. His
father, Joseph Harris, was the Clerk
of st. Mary's county for the unus-
ually long period of ~ years-from
1896 to 1913. His great uncle,
John Gwinn, was Clerk of the Gen
eral Court of Maryland from the
date of its organization-1777 TO
1905, whom the Court was abol.
ished; ane lie, Thomas Ha.
ris, was Clerk Fl the Court of Ap-
peals of Magyland from 1901 to
1929, and was one of the compilers
of that invaluable contribution to
judicial history-ths. Harris & Me-
Henry, Harris & johnson and Har.
RS & Gill Maryland Reports.
If this was the time and place,
examples might also be furnished
of noted jurists and fervent patri.
OTIS to be found in the line of his
maternal ancestry-the Reeders.
Mr.. Harris was educated at Yale
College, was admitted to the bar in
1927, and at once began the prac.
tice of his profession in the forum
which now honors his memory. lie
apparently soon rose in public con
fidencc. for the Court records show
that, from all early period in hi;
professional career, he transacted
an immense volume of legal bust
ness and that, for half century
was engaged in nearly every i'm.
portant case tried in st. Mary's
county.
While his study of the law. and
of political science, did not ranl
him, perhaps, with the most learned
and profound lawyers of the coun
try, yet he was most Efficient in the
conduct of his cause, successful in
the management of business, emi
nently safe as an advisor aud ar
able advocate. His mind was wei
/ adapted to the science of the law
and its broad principles of even and
exact justice were il perfect con
sonance with his own lofty nature
As a man Dir. Harris stood al
an honorable representative Of tha
high toned and educated class o
country gentlemen who gave char
acter 20 Maryland society ar1 exer
cised salutary influence upon tn
community in which they lived
He was a man of clear judgment
sterling integrity, pure thought anC
lofty purposes, and one whose stron;
individuality marked every affair il
which he took part. The manly ac
tivIties of firm and resolute ma
ture, courage Of conviction, chiyal
rous courtesy, warm sympathies
ardent friendship and gentle, ten
der natCre, were characteristic
which were also mingled in beauti
ful proportions on the page of hi
history. lie shrank from all i'm
posture and false pretensions, cul
tivated no grace at the expense @
sincerity, but was always just wha
he appeared to be. His appeal
were to reason and not to passion O