Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-23
Regrets From President,

The POSTMASTER read letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt. expressing regret that he
was unable to attend the dinner. With ref
erence to Justice Mott, the President said:
Il wish 1t were possible for me to be pres
ent In person to testify to the regard and
esteem l have for him. and to say how
appreciate what his services on the Court
of Claims have meant to the government"
A letter of regret was also read from
Grover Cleveland, the only living former
President of the United States. in which
Mr.. Cleveland said: Il am in thorough
sympathy with such q recognition of long
and conspicuous public duty we'll discharged,
and l hope the occasion will prove no less
gratifying to the recipient of the honor in
tended than stimulating to those by whom
K is to be rendered"
Other letters of regret were from the pres
ident of Union College, where the chief JUS
tice received his education; Frederick w.
Seward and Leonard Meyer, the last named
having been member of the Congress of
1861 and whose death occurred four days
after the letter was written. A letter was
read from Chief Justice Charles B. Howry
of the Court of Claims who said that illness
prevented his attendance.
For his work as POSTMASTER Mr.. Pratt
was most admirably qualified, interfering
wit and humor into the more serious vein
of his praise of the guest of honor and for
the court over which he presides. He said
the work of the court would remain q
monument upon WHICH Judge Mott had left
the impress of a master hand in record SO
worthy. so stainless. 1t is much to have
served so long" he added; ut Is more to
have served well at all times; to have
been righteous Judge He told the guests
that the business of the court was varied
far beyond the comprehension of most per-
sons, and referred to case which was dis
missed the other day which involved $780,
O00.OO0. This case, he said, involved the
property of a man in Wise .nsn, who when
he made his will. forgot that he owned it
nd I.s.
testament. He made a complimentary ref
erence to the military record of the chief
justice, saying that 'he went through the
supremest test of serving under his coun-
trys flag In his country's cause, and since
that conflict closed he has won the affection
of the men of the south who fought against
him in those days.
From Supreme Court
Mr.. Justice Harlan responded to the toast:
THE Supreme Court and Chief Justice
Mott" A pharse beneath the toast was
taken from Georgia case and was as fol-
lows: Some courts live by correcting the
errors of others and adhering to their
own" Justice. Harlan reviewed the his
tory of the Court of Claims. which, he
said. until the late Chief Justice fancy de-
ciared that 1t was no court at all, had been
subject to the review of the departmental
officers of the government. I'VE have,
he said, "a system IN which arbitrary
power has no place, and in our country the
judicial tribunals must be respected. We
have at least one tribunal which can say.
even to the President OF the United States
with the army at his back Thus far shalt
thou go and no farther
After 800 years of history" he said,
.'the Anglo Saxon race had. in the Virginia
bilkof rights, for the first time publicly de-
clared that there was separation between
the judiciary and every other branch of the
government So long as this provision re-
mains our liberty is safe. for every depart
ment of the government must take notice