Year: 1872

Tho summary of evidence against Judge u.
G.. Barnard prepared by the Committee OF the
Bar Association, seems amply conclusive upon
all the points which have heretofore been urged
against the accused. The charge to be estaD-
lished, say the Committee, is OF either NAL
conduct or corrupt conduct in office. VI these
two classes of offenses, the first named
is the most venial form; but either one
is sufficient to render him liable to lmpeacl-
mcnt. This dictum of the Committee will be
universally acceptable. The judiciary must
be spotless and above suspicion. If the char
acter of q judicial officer be even so much as
tainted his high position should be at once
vacated. Therefore tho Committee OF the
Bar Association have made up in compact
form the various allegations against Barnard
in order that the Legislature may examine
the whole case, with their argument, and so
be assisted to an intelligent conclusion in the
matter of his proposed impeachment.


The Committee urge that Judge Barnard
should be impeached and removed for various
reasons, based on charges already made IA
miliar to the public through the columns OF
TIE TRIBUNE. 1t is worth while, however, TO
run rapidly over the case, as now finally
summed up by the Committee. 1t Is charged
that Judge Barnard has granted orders ana
decrees corruptly; not that he has been PAID
any one sum of money by any one per-
son, for any one order or decree, but that these
have been paid for by other things than
money The sudden change of Judge Barnard
from a prosecutor of the Erie Ring to friendly
iudicial officer in 1868, is cited, together with
the remarkable series of orders and proceed
ines which followed, when the machinery OF
Barnard's Court was made wholly subseryient
to the desires of Fisk, Gould. and Lane. This
is followed by recital of the costly pres
ents made by the Erie King to Judge Barnard.
Next follows the Sherwood case, in which
Judge Barnard, in defiance of all law, granted
an order compelling the Inspectors OF Elec-
ton of the New-YOrk Pier and warehouse
Company to receive the vote OF +. A. Lane
on 10000 shares, by proxy, and then arrested
Sherwood, one of the Inspectors, for alleged
cOntempt of Court, and cast him into jail,
mifhout bail. and took from him the books of
the Company, of which he was then Secretary.
The Committee pointedly call attention to
the details of this gross outrage upon the
rights of the citizen and the corporation.
The shameless proceedings against the Union
Pacific Railroad Company which drove that
corporation out of the State, the virtual
robbery of Mr.. David GrOesbeck of his Sls-
uuehanna stock, the Chase and Wilbur scan
dal, and the whole series of Outrages there
with connected, are passed in review, adding
to the fearful Indictment of this bold,
bad man. Several similar Of1enses charged
against Judge Barnard are adduced and
proved, and the case closes with an
analysis of the proceedings under which
iniunctions were obtained; most Of the
details of this the public already know too
well. OF course. no summary of the NAL
conduct of Judge Barnard would be complete
without some reference to the rcceiverships and
the manner in which the "Gratzes" came into
existence. This part of the chapter is one of
its darkest features.


The pccuniary loss suffered III consequence
of Barnard's malcOnduct in Office Is put
at an enormous sum but the loss which has
been sustained by the State and the Country
by reason of his abnormal judicial admins
tration cannot be reckOned. 1t has disgraced
the judicial system of the Republic; it has
brought scandal on the American name, and
has sapped the very foundations of public
morality. His continuance in Office is an in
tolerable nuisance.