The Green Bag
454
was to form a charter which would com bine these into one great municipality,
with working machinery adapted to the whole and to the separate parts. He took an active and leading part in framing this charter of Greater New York, which went into effect on the first
day of January, 1898. The difficult niceties of this work are apparent, and its vastness will be appreciated by refer ring to the charter which is embodied in the legislative act which vitalized and
When he retired from the federal bench to go to New York to become
Professor of Equity and Real Estate Law in Columbia University and to engage in private practice. there was
universal and profound regret on the part of the profession in his judicial circuit.
The bar of every state em
The report of the commissioners recom mending the charter to the favorable
braced in the circuit took prompt action through meetings, resolutions, addresses and other testimonials to show their personal affection and their appreciation of his rare qualities and valuable services These tributes are especially noteworthl‘i because they were given not to a man who had been elevated to a higher office. but to one who was leaving the bench to
consideration of the legislature covered
return to practice. Mr. Justice Miller‘s
thirty-two pages.
remarks in response to addresses of prominent lawyers at the opening of the June, 1879, term of the United States
put it into effect.
It consists of sixteen
hundred and twenty sections and covers seven hundred and
thus
effected
forty-two pages.
The consolidation
remains,
with
certain
minor changes, and I am authentically told that it is remarkable how little litigation has sprung out of the con solidation itself as respects the meaning and application of the different sections of the charter. I think this result may be largely traced to the clear vision, keen foresight and wide and varied legal experience of Judge Dillon, which enabled him to practically apply his thorough knowledge of the law relating to municipal corporations to the particu lar work in hand." His career as United States Circuit Judge was notable. He presided 0n the bench with dignity, yet was courteous to the bar and showed great considera
Circuit Court at Leavenworth, Kan sas, give a glimpse of the feelings of the Bar and of himself occasioned by
Judge
Dillon's
retirement.
HE
Said:—
“The court is in full sympathy with the bar in the sentiments which have just been expressed in regard to the retirement of one of its members Judge Dillon's resignation is a i055 which must be felt by the bar of the eighth circuit, by the people among whom he has administered justice so long and so well, and by his associates on the bench of which he is about to take leave This loss, however, is not equal to its
tion to the young lawyers that appeared
effects upon all these classes.
before him. The first day of his term
brethren in the courts, who have so
of court was motion day and he made
operated with him in the arduous duties of a judge, who have received his aid, who have been with him in council
it a practice always to decide every motion before adjouming the term. This often required him to sit up late in the night studying the cases and con sulting the authorities, but he felt the litigants and lawyers were entitled to prompt action by the court.
Hi5
and shared his labors, are the heaviest losers. ltis, therefore, eminently appro
priate that they should join in testifying to their appreciation of the man and his services by directing that the com
