Evening journal., 1915-01-04
CHIEF JUSTICE PENNEWILL
CONGRATULATES SUSSEX AT
COURTHOUSE REOPENING

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL
GEORGETOwN. Del, Jan Am
the greatly enlarged and refurnished
court room made possible by rcmod
cling of the old Sussex county court
house. the January term of General
Sessions and Superior Courts began
at noon today Chief Justice James
Pennewnl and Resident Judge Henry
G. Conrad presided.
Formal reopening of the courtroom,
with its many new facilities for bench,
bar and the public was featured by a
large attendance of lawyers and citi-
zcns generally and was marked by a
congratulatory speech by Chief Jus
! tico pcnnowill i'm behalf of the court
/ He also reviewed the history of the
bench and bar of Sussex county. re-
fCriing with pride to the many men of
that county illustrious in the law. I.
/ Chief Justice penneWll i'm the course
of his speech said.
Before entering upon the business of
the Germ. we wish TO say a few words, /
suggested by our changed conditions
and new environments. Many pleasant I
thoughts and 'ceolcctiuns will mo- doubt
still cling to the old building that stood
here for thrre-quartcrs of a century I
and which sullitcd, n way. io. the re-
quircmcnts of all those years. When
it was first used. iu lS30 there were
seven members of this har. 1t is al
pleasure. and almost an inspiration, TO
speak their namcs Elisha ID. Cullen.
Thomas Robinson, ,lr. Edward !. Wells.
Caleb $. Layton. Edward Nootcn. John
Ia
of these was am honor To his profession
, and a credit to hs State. II was al
small numltr. tn be sure. bus il is a
, question whether amy bar. of equal size
, before or since. has possessed more legal
ability and a greater love for the law.
They were deeply la love with their
profession. and in its practice were ac-
tuatcd more perhaps by that ics.lng
S than anything else. II is quite certain
. thcy did moi nstkc mitch iHor4t, biit
$ they made something better s,ill. VIZ:
regulations in their profession that VIII
. endure longer and surcr than any ma
/, tcria fortune lawyer can -c.tIe.
"In the old court house which this
has superseded the able lawyers have
v mentioned practicod their profession.
u They worked and spoke and fought ior
their clients in "a court room which
!. seemed To u- uncomfortable. barr ano
D. plain. Perhaps eases viii hc no better
II tried in this new room than in 80" "ld
and it may hr that some of our friends
10, in Sussex think the accommodation.
, which were good enough fo. the lawyer
. Judges and Others having business witt
" the courts n the past are good cnon@'
" fnf those who follow ON. Sucl thOagl
might be urged with respect to any
10 improved condition. but 1T loses Sigh
cf the fact that great progress ha
Il been nadc in all material things In th
+. last hftv wears. and that Sussex g
kecping mettv well abreast of th
times Our ancestors were deserving %
far greater comforts and advantage
than they had but many of the com
forts and pleasures we enjoy today wcr
not possible then. The possibilities q
water. light and heat in the creatur
ID comforts Of life as worked ont no.
were not dreamed of seventy years ag
g From the development of these element
d, and the demand for ctter condition
81, has emerged this s.; e did building. ia
-. beautiful and comfortable room. No
d. withstanding the objections aud crit
cism~ that seemed justified at time
ie during the progress of the work. ! Ia.
u il that no one will withhold a need
pc uraisc as ho looks upon the complete
liS structure as IL stands today. OF cou
the building is of more use TO the hI
We and bench than TO any other class, an
lg the Judges are happy n the thous
fthat Sussex has given us habitati'
or and a hom, during the sessions of q
court compared with that which
found in amy town of equal size. y
have no doubt that sucl. Is the tcclil
. of ihis bar, which is three times
larno as the bar of 80, and which. wi
greatly increased business, requr
more ample room and greater ipciliti
tor its work.
IN "While the old court house has a
N plrently gore, ITS strong walls and ~
Ill foundations still remain intact. and II
nish "a sure support for the buildl
;hat is new. And their retention,
Tn seems 10 us. was a very happy thougI
I'm the eNuhcrauce of modern ilie
arc sometimes inclined to believe ia
~ every new thing is better than the GO
,s"' responding old. hut 1T isn't always tr'
/ nc nc "In the qualities that 90 to the m"
IT inc of strong mon and women. it is No
cen doubtful that any real progress has D'
inc made in tine last half century. II dc
! sNllt' lIiltN rftiN ANNN 'Nt
Gus builded better than they knew. and b
9o" ter perhaps. in some respects, ~
cry their descendants can ever build.
ep' "Thcsc old walls ard foundations
lh- pcrmitted TO stand because they
~" deemed better and safer than amy IA
'"e ones that could be made today. FOR
most q century they have withsto
~ the force. of nature and today q
m m'u found 10 hc az strong as when the for
u" eI dations first wcrc laid The matcri
IN an were perfect. the Workmanship tr
~; and this should he an incentive TO ma
,an the things Of today ns good as inc
ao,, of Yesterday. May not the strength
,,od these old walls be typical of the nl
nal Of om profession who lived and pr'
~ ticed in the days when the walls We
;r' nadeg And may not that thought
.ss an incentive for MS to strive To be
IN. strong in the law and in the coniidci
.enf of the people as those who were h'
,uld i'm 1899? Three of those lawyers w'
o,,s appointed 10 the bench of the Sta
saw and contributed much to the splcn'
vbo reputation the bench enjoyed and
nble served. They live not only M the
opinions which iluminc our rcpoi
. hut also in the thoughts and aliectl'
cf tbo peonlo for the names of layt