The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-12-17

cere coincidence and our sympathy
with them in their sad bereavement
THAT this resolution be spread
upon the records OF the supreme Court
and that copy be forwarded TO the
widow OF the deceased
Cecil Brown.-May it please the
Court, on behalf of the Bar I would
like to second the resolution read by
the Attorney-Generala and to say that
the late Justice Bickerton in all his
dealings with the Bar, his dealings in
all his relations with the people who
came before him were, as set forth by
the Attorney.General, gentle in every
respect. His handling of cases at nisi
prius know has been talked OF and
he complimented upon his handling
OF those cases more especially as we
all know that he was man who had
not had the training that the majority
of the members Of the Bar have had.
He was in fact self made man. My
fret acquaintance with the late Justice
Bickerton was in 1875 when he was
living at Waialua. After that he
came to Honolulu and there pursued
his studies. He pursued his studies
in the Office of Mr.. Jones and was ad-
mitted to the Bar and obtained a very
fair share of practice. We all know
that he filled the office of Police Judge
of the District of Honolulu, faithfully,
fearlessly and satisfactorily to all par
ties, from which he was promoted to
the Bench OF the Supreme Court. And
| we all know, those who have had the
pleasure OF practicing before him be-
fore the change in the Judicial system,
that at trials at nisi prius he was
fair, just and courteous and everyb body
practicing before him received their
| due without fear or favor. And in
this loss that the Bar has sustained,
and the Court itself, loss which we
all mourn, and we mourn for him al.
though we know from his life and for
the last few months Of his living here
that the change was happy one. We
also mourn for his family, but we have
| this satisfaction, that we know that his
life here as jurist, as Judge OF this
| Court, was such that no man can say
anything against, and it is therefore
with pleasure that the committee of
! the Bar has presented these resOlu-
tions and ask that not only should a
copy he sent to his family, but also
that with the permission of the Court
| they may be engrossed upon the
record.
A. S. Hartwell.-May it please the
Court [ should like to say one word TO
express my entire accord with the
resolutions and with what has been
said about Mr.. Justice Bickerton. L
knew him first when he was manager
of the Kalaia plantation, having the
pleasure of being entertained by him
on one occasion there. [ observed him
as he came in and out in this com
mupity for many years, as we'll as after
he became Police Magistrate and
Justice Of this Court. In an Isolated
community like this, in which lt is
said that the tongue of scandal, spite
perhaps, is more than ordinarily free
to wag, I certainly do not recOlleCt
ever having heard anything against
Mr.. BickertOn's integrity, impartiality
and fair dealing.
And certainly have never observed
anything of that sort in my long ac-
quaintance with him. 1t appears to
me that he had excellent sense and
tact in the affairs of men; in dealing
with men, excellent tact also. a
knowledge OF law alone is very well,
but is not enough either for practi-
tioner or for q Judicial officer. More
than that is required for successful
practice or administration of the law.
think those requisites OF tact, of
common sense and OF knowledge OF
men were possessed in very eminent
degree by Mr.. Justice Bickerton. He
also, it appeared to me, was in the
habit of making careful study Of the
facts in the cases before him, simple
enough thing to do, but still a thing
which a great many do not do.
L think he was in the habit OF study
ing the evidence and formulating the
facts in the case with great deal of
care and industry and precision; and
for constant and careful consideration
of all the statutes and rules OF practice
and the decisions of the Courts here
which bore or might bear upon the
case in hand, I think he was never
falling. Certainly he left not hing to
be desired in his record as an honest
man, as good citizen and as fair
judge, and am happy in these brief
words TO express my view to that
effect.
Charles Creighton: If Your Honor
please so much has been said that
may almost say that the ground has |
been entirely covered, but 1 desire to |
say a few words in order to express |
my sorrow at the loss of Justice Bick !
erton, gentleman whom [ knew well |
and intimately not only as jurist |
but in social life. As a jurist [ met |
him first, my first acquaintance with /
him beirg when he was on the Police |
Bench OF Honolulu. After that he
was promoted to the Supreme Bench |
under the old system of practice when
the Justices or the supreme Court sat
at ni-i prius and travelled on the cir
cult. l have had the pleasure on
many occasions TO travel with Justice
Bickerton to the other islands on cir
cult. I have been his Ruest on the
other islands and in San Francisco. I
have seen him under all circum-
stauces, when he was i'll and under
the most trying circumstances, and I
must say thatI have never seen him
fail in that c-urtesy and gentle treat
meut TO members of the bar for which
h. was noted. AS has been remarked by
the gentlemen who have preceded
NE, I think, "a Mr.. Brown said, as a
trial judge ir has been remarked very
often by the members Of the bar, 40
matter how trying, Lo matter how
no matter how long and
wearisome the case may have been,
be still maintained that Uniform
manner and courtesy, no matter how
i'll be may have been. remember