Year: 1879

He has gone, and our loss Ia ire


parable. He was bright and shin


ing light of the profession. He


was useful not only to clients, but


he was q great educator of both


bar and bench; and in thar, l fear,


his place will not be filed.


Gentlemen, | second the motion.


REMARKS OF J. d. BICKNELL, ESQ.


Mr.. J. d. Bicknell-Mr. Chair


man, gentlemen of the Bar: There


are occasions when words seem to


be q mockery; when the only


language that seems consistent


with our feelings, or appropriate 10


the occasion, is silence and the EN-


blems of mourning. And, while |


feel constrained at this time to say


word in connection with what


has been said, / feel it is especially


true that no words are appropriate


when one who has stood with us
in business, one whom we loved,


turns suddenly from us and passes
out into that great unknOwn-that
sea that lies so near to US and yet
il so far away. A few days ago
Gen. John r. Mcconnell was with
us in in his usual health, and
IT seemed reasonable to expect
that he would enjoy years of labor.
To-day we meet to do honor to his
memory, for Gen. John r. Nc
Connell is dead. | was associated
with him for something nearly
two years as his partner In the
practice of law. While every mem.
Der of the bar knew him well as q
lawyer, l knew him intimately as
a man; and, Mr.. Chairman, l
speak advisedly when 1 say that
he was q remarkable man. He
was perhaps not great, in the gen.
eral acceptation of that term, but
he was remarkable in his learning
and his ability to learn. Few men
had as much accurate information
upon such variety of subjects as
the deceased. No man had greater
ability to work mentally. Gen.
John n. Mcconnell, If wearied of
law, would rest in solving some
of the most difficult prob
blems OF higher mathematics; he
would turn from that TO the most
abstruss questions of metaphysics;
he lulled himself to sleep by read
ing the classics. He knew no rest
in his mental work. He read
books as he ate food, to digest them
and assimilate them, and lie be-
came the most learned man that
have ever met


AS u lawyer, it is not necessary
or me TO speak OF him before this
Body or upon this occasion. His
record is made up upon nearly
svery Court record in this State.


AS citizen, the speaker who has
me has said perhaps all
hat is necessary upon that point.


AS a man, he was kind and true
% bis friends and his neighbors,
rue to all the world bur himself,
and if in his weakness he fell into
'aults that afft cted himself only, |
We cannot do less than cover them |
With charity and foreetfulness.


HIS connections with pJlilies in |
his State has been so prominent
hat it is Il part Of our history. As
a lawyer, and as a member Of that
GLASS of pioneers who came here
early, he stood think, even-should-
cred with those gentlemen of the
Bar that we are all proud to honor;
and by his death there is another
link gone of that grand old few who
yet remain of the pioneer lawyers
of the State of California who gave
shape to our Constitution and the
laws of this State.


While 1 feel deeply, as we all do,
his loss, can add nothing to what
has been said in the resolutions
I think it is we'll to
adopt them and let them be spread
upon our minutes as an expression
Of our regard and a tribute to the
memory of our deceased brother,
Gen. John n. Mcconnell.


The'resolutions were unanimous
y adopted, after which the meeting