The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
rorrs or 1EsAL EVENTS.

Thomas Leverett Nelson, who had been for
nearly twenty years United States District Judge |
for the District Of Massachusetts,, died at his
homo In Worcester on Sunday, and was buried
on Wednesday with marked demonstrations of
respect and regret on the part Of the Massachu. |
setta bar. His death places another important
judicial appointment at the disposal Of Presi.
dent Mckinley. In Massachusetts, there is not
30 much difference between the compensation Of
the State Judges and the Federal Judges as
there 10 in New York, and 1t Will therefore DO
easier to find q competent lawyer there who is
willing TO accept q position on tho Federal bench. |
Judge Nelson, who was born in 1927, was a civil
engineer before he became a lawyer, and was
engaged in engineering pursuits for five years
after graduating from the University OF Yer
mont In 1916. He was not admitted to the bar
until 1855. His~p practice In Worcester, however,
In association with o number OF prominent law
ycrs in that city, among whom was Senator
Hoar. gave him 30 much distinction that he
was appointed District Judge of the United
States In 1879 to succeed Judge'Lowell, Who was
promotcd to tho Circuit Court. Among his
other prominent predecessors in the District
Court may DO mentioned Pelcg Sprague and
John Davis. Judge Nelson was an accomplished
amateur ornithologist, and his son, now de-
ceased, was tho author OF u little book about the
characteristic songs Of birds in the country
around Mount Wachusett.
On Tuesday the Justices OF the Appellate
Division of tho Supreme Court In this depart.
ment published their assignments of the JUS
ticos to hold special and trial terms in the First
judicial district for the year 1893. A com.
plete change is made in the personnel Of the tri-
bunal known as tho Appellate Term, which hears
appeals from the District Courts and the City
Court. This now consists Of Joseph I. DAILY as
Presiding Justice, and David McAdam and Hem
ry Bischoff, Jr., as Associate Justices. They
are to be succeeded by Henry r. Becknan as
Presiding Justice, with Leonard A. Giegerich and
Henry A. Gildersleeve as associates. Under tho
present system, the appointments to hold spe.
cial terms for tho hearing Of motions and for ex
parte business are regarded as the most compli-
mentary, inasmuch as tho work done In that
branch of the court involves greater RESPONSE
bility and the exercise of moro power and pat.
ronage than falls to the lot of a Judge in tho
trial of cases. OF the seventeen Justices in the
district. outside the Appellate Division. we OBJ
serve that every one Is assigned to the special
term for motions at some period in the coming
year except Mr.. Justice MaCLean and Mr.. JUS
tice Beach. Both these Justices, however, have
appointments to hold special terms for the trial
Of equity suits.
Some enterprising law students have started
q modest fortnightly publication called the
Cdlfskin, 'in the interest of law students In
general" with an office at / Broadway in this
city, whence 1t is issued under the direction of
Mr.. Barton W.. Curric, as editor.in.chief. There
are associate editors, representing the New
York Law School, tho University Law School,
the Law School Of the Washington and Lee Uni
versity at Lexington. Va, and the Law School of
Dalhousie University. at Halifax. Nova Scotia.
The idea Of the projectors of the enterprise is to
form a chain taking each law school as a link,
which will bind law students together through.
out the country. Whether such a journalistic
scheme is feasible or not can only be determined
by actual experiment, and the two numbers OF
the Cdifskin before us do not afford sufficient
material to form the basis of Il prediction. The
young men who have undertaken it show n
spirit which is worthy of success. The fault
of most law journals is the lack Of original mat
ter and the tendency to reprint good thing:
found elsewhere.
An interesting opinion has been written by
Senator David b. Hill upon the constitutionality
of a provision in the charter of the village Of
Saugerties concerning u poll tax. The charter
not only authorizes the village trustees to i'm
pose a poll tax OF one dollar on each male resi-
dent who is over 81 years of age, but provides
that no person assessed for such a tax shall bt
ptlLlltlSu W NolO az u NAiobO WV uhtii ~
has paid the same. Senator Hill pronounce!
this prohibition invalid. The Constitution pre-
scribcs the qualifications of persons who ar,
entitled to vote at elections in this State, ant
the Legislature can add no further require
ment. IF a poll tax can legally be exacted a
a condition of voting" he says, then a tax upoi
lands or personal property can also be mad
the means of Acknowledgement, and as IN sucl
case the imposition OF taxes and the amount o
extent thereof are both within the discretion o
the Legislature, ii is clear that by an abuse o
such power the suffrage can BIO largely re
stricted. the great mass of the citizens can b.
excluded therefrom, and a State governmen
by plutocracy can readily be instituted" Tn
opinion is q long one, and the conclusion statot
is well sustained by reasoning and the au
thority of decided cases.
An arrest was made at Knoxville early 4
the week under a curious law enacted by tn
Tennessee Legislature in March last. 1t is en-
titled IAN act for the protection of :boardinI
schools and colleges for females, and the prir
cipals and inmates thereof" The first sectio
OF the statute declares that it shall be unlawful
for any one ito wilfully and unnecessarily inter
fere with, disturb. or In any way disquiet tn
pupils of any school or college for females 1
this State or tho principal or teachers in charg
of them, while on any public road or street, Q
in any building or structure, or on the schoc
premises and makes the first offence punisl
able by q fine of from five to fifty dollars, an,
each subsequent offence by a like fine, t.
gether with Imprisonment for not less than to
or more than thirty days in the county jail.
5 similar penalty is imposed by the second SCI
/. ton upon persons who loiter, stand, or sit in tn
street or frequently and unnecessarily pas
along the same with intent to disturb, ammo!
~, harauu tl,a pupIla or taarhera nt a GIRL
school. The prosecution at Knoxville, whic
is the first under this singular law, has been II
stituted by a lady whose daughter attends ii
Girls High School in that city. There may |
some difficulty, we imagine, in determining a
Q curately the scope and precise import of Il
language Of the first section forbidding pc
sons to unnecessarily Interfere with. distur
Or in any way disquiet" the fair students.
A curious cause for adjourning court 10 Il
Il sleepiness of a juryman; yet such Is the reaso
which tho London Times gives for an adjour