Hon. Martin Ingham Townsend. Mr. Townsend was left as white as the driven snow. Mr. Beach was two months the senior. Mr. Beach rather sneeringly said of Townsend : "That remarkable old man in his long life has seen things which nobody else ever saw." In reply Mr. Townsend, referring to those remarks, stated, " Mr. Beach is my senior in point of fact, and so it would appear if nature had her course, but even as things arc, the difference in age between the gentleman and myself is merely eolorable!' In October, 1898, a new court-house was dedicated in the city of Troy with highly interesting public services. On that occa sion the Bar presented a fine oil painting of their venerable brother member, Mr. Townsend, to be hung upon the walls of the new building. Mr. Townsend spoke upon the occasion, and his topic was, " Some of our Dead." At that date Mr. Beach had not been among the living for several years; but Mr. Townsend paid the following eloquent tribute to his memory: — "William A. Beach came to us from Saratoga with a State-wide reputation as a very eminent lawyer already secured. He remained with us for about twenty years, and then advanced to the city of New York, where great reputations are amplified and perfected, and where great fortunes are lost and won. "Mr. Beach had early adopted a personal carriage of the most elevated character, and had schooled himself in the use of a vocabulary, as well in his public and legal discussions as in con versation and social intercourse, suited to the most elevated conditions of life. "From the time when he entered Troy as an accomplished lawyer, until the last hour of his last visit amongst us, he was never heard to utter a word or phrase below the elevated standard which he had adopted. He was always eloquent before the public, and charmed every ear so favored as to come within the sound of his superbly educated voice. "He never entered court without a complete preparation for every exigency which might be
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expected to arise. He was not a better judge of legal questions than many of his brethren, but it was rare that any of us could present our con clusions to the court and jury in as elevated and attractive a form as he. "When, at an advanced age, he entered the tribunals of New York city, he there maintained to the close of his life the elevated position which he had vindicated for himself in the lands of his early efforts." A biography of Mr. Beach appears in Vol. II. of the Green Bag. Mr. Townsend, like Mr. Lincoln, always had great confidence in the plain people. He was an early advocate in this State of the election of judges by the people, for short terms, which was adopted in 1847. He had much experience in the United States courts while he held the office of U. S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, and used to speak of those courts as made " for the benefit of sons-inlaw." As a political speaker on the stump he had long experience and few superiors. His ready wit, genial humor, and strong expressions, had great power before a pop ular audience. During his four years in Congress, he took an active part in many important de bates, especially in support of appropriations for the Centennial of 1876. Also he entered actively into the great contest in the House when the electoral commission was formed to decide the title to the Presidency between Hayes and Tilden. When the War of the Roses in England occurred between Edward and Henry, the latter offered to submit the question of title to the Court of King's Bench, but the latter court refused to entertain it for want of juris diction, and left the matter to be settled by the sword. Our Congress, with greater wis dom, assumed jurisdiction, and probably avoided a civil war. The Hon. Ingham Townsend, of Floyd, Oneida county, N. Y., a cousin of Martin I.,
