The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-21
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
At Its Meeting Last Night Paper on the
Life Of the Late Judge Wales
Was Read.

reading Of paper on "The Life and Pub
lie services of the late Leonard X. Wales,
by 5. Redmond Smith, who enjoyed clos
legal relation with the deceased jurist
Among the audience was large number
of lawyers.
The paper first reviewed the birth, early
life and various offices held by Judg'
Wales. Then continued:
1T Is difficult in contrasting the recort
OF Judge Wales during the nineteen ant
half years he was on the State benGf
with his record during the thirteen years
he was on the Federal bench, to avoid com
parisons which may seem to belittle Al
work MS State Judge 1t must be 70
membered, however, that during tht
whole timo that he snt as associate justice
in tho Superior Court Of Delaware, there
were but two terms of the Superior Court
annually In each of the three counties and
that the population Of the State showed
but little increase during this period ex
the population had only increased in these
twenty years from about 26000 to about
$4,000 AS consequence tho trials were
comparatively few, and the amounts In
controversy usually small.
Under these circumstances 1t Is
not surprising that during the whole
period of nearly twenty years during
which Judge Wales sat on the state bench,
SO far as / can ascertain, he delivered only
ten opinions III the Court Of Errors and
Appeals, and four opinions In tho Super
ior Court, and one in the Oyor and Term
iner He delivered the charge to one Jury
in one reported case each in the Superior
Court and the Court of Oyer and Terlni-
ner. Of course he sat in relatively large
number of cases during this time and
doubtless delivered oral opinions from the
bench which have not been re ported.
Itmust not be forgotten either that he
transacted considerable business in the
Orphans Court-busines Of u very import
ant character which made no show in the
reports ard that he sat with his associates
In the Court Of Errors and Appeals, and
in the Court of Oyer md Terminer, and in
the Court of General Sessions of the Peace
and Jail Delivery. In all Of these years
he fulfilled every expectation that could be
reasonably demanded of him, and it Is not
too much to say that he met every call
upon him with credit to the state and to
himself
Major Smith then reviewed the work Of
Judge Wales on the Federal bench, his
sitting in tho United States Court of APP
peals and taking charge Of the Now Jersey
courts during the disability of Judge
Nixon. He also spoke of the various kinds
of actions ut law heard by Judge Wales,
some embracing questions of international
treaties. constitutional questions, ques'
tions of bankruptcy, admiralty patents,
copyrights common carriers. etc.
The speaker, continuing, said: EVERY
appeal which was taken to the Supreme
Court from his decision In this district
New Jersey was dismissed. ~ Judge
Wales sat in tho United States District
Court for tho Delaware district, and heard
argument IL 15l contested cases. and hand
ed down seventeen opinions; he sat and
heard argument in tho United States Cir
cult Court for the Delaware district in 173
contested cases and handed down thirty
two opinions, He handed down In the
United States District Court for the New
jersey district twenty-One opinions, and in
tho United States Circuit Court for tho
New Jersey district twenty-sevcn opinions;
and without knowing precisely in how
many cases he sat iu these courts, by an
aogy to The number CT opinions rendered
in the2 Delaware courts as compared with
this number Of contested cases in which he
sat
think it safe to say that ho must have
heard argument in tho New Jersey district
and circuit courts in at least 334 contested
cases He also sat and heard argument in
tho United States Circuit Court of Appeals
lOT GuB l ulIu ClEGulu III 10 COAVuSUCu Cuoc5
and handed down twenty.six opinions.
All told, he sat and heard argument In $50
contested cases and handed down 1913 opin.
ions, This is altogether aside from tho
innumerable hearings on ex x'parte npplicas
lions, both In his own courts and in the
New Jersey courts, often involving con-
siderable investigation and responsibility
in their trial and disposition.
Judge Wales, coming from an old
Wing family, was naturally Republi-
can. In his younger days he wrote edit
.orials for the Delaware State journal, a
newspaper published here, and think for
in his political belief without being in.
tensely partisan. He did not follow any
mans flag, but believed in principles; he
was always ready as a citizen to further
the cause of the party whose principles he
believed in. As judge he knew no man
nor the political party to which he belong.
ed; and this has been amply demonstrat.
ed to the disappointment of his ardent
party friends in the numerous force bill
cases tlied before him, No man IN this
respect can dispute his absolute fairness.
As q citizen he was always alert for the
good Of his community.
"If any law were proposed especially
detrimental in his Judgment to tho well
faro of the state it would encounter his
opposition. He proposed and drafted the
law which forbids the granting of divorces
to non-resdents for causes outside of this
state, unless the same wero grantable for
like causes In the state from which the pe-
tition came, and he suggested various
other remedial laws among which may be
mentioned the proposed United States
statute to permit comparisons OF handwrit
ing of the accused on criminal charge
,;tI Ltr 1,nu MI In 10.
faction of the court to be genuine aud not
otherwise in the cause.
This proposed law after, am informed,
receiving the approval Of the Judiciary
Committee of tho Senate, failed to pass.
A n act similar to the one above suggested
was passed in our State Legislature and
was approved March 2, 1881, and has doubt.
less prevented miscarrlages of Justice"
IN THE ARMY.
Major Smith then reviewed Judge
Wales's life as a patriot and told how he
Joined Company e, of tho First Delu-
ware Regiment of Delaware Infantry,
and was elected second lieutenant. After
commissioners of the Board Of Enroll.
ment for Delaware, which duty he per.
formed to the satisfaction of the state and
national authorities.
The speaker next took up Judge Wales's
life asa philanthropist and told how he
had been u loading spirit in tho Ferris In
dustrial School, the West End Reading
Room and several other charitable and his
torcal organizations. He also spoke of
him OH the bench and said that he was al
ways kird and was the friend Of the young
lawyers. who never had any hesitancy In
approaching him.
In closing Mr.. Smith said, "He was one
of the finest gentlemen have ever had tho
pleasure of knowing intimately. He was
honorable and true and just in all his
transactions and his death resulted in an
irreparablo loss not only to his family,
but to his friends and the community as
we'll"
Major Smith was rendered vote Of
thanks for the reading.
After Pennock Pusey had reported that
he had secured permission to mark the
rock Oh the Christiana river, the first
landing place of tho Swedes. Mr.. Pusey,
Bishop Coleman, Judge Grubb, Colonel
W. A. Lamotte and H. q. Conrad were
appointed con.mittoe to secure suitable
stone to DO dedicated next March. An in
vitation was received to attend the l0Gh
anniversary celebration of the Mercer
Firemen at Princeton on September 3Oth
and October 1st.
Tho following donations were received:
Photographs OF New Castle, from w. H.
Richardson of Norristown, Pa; photo.
graph of the Lambeth Conference and
copies of the London Telegraph containing
ocn,upt. of hn cop far.n 20 and thn Oueen's