Obituaries.

GEORGE PARMLEE WEBSTER.

George Parmlee Webster was born at Watertown, Conn., on the 24th day of June, 1828. He was the eldest son of George Butler and Eliza Jane Webster. His father was sixth in descent from Governor John Webster, fifth colonial Governor of Connecticut, and his mother was the daughter of Temperance Parmlee and William Noys. He was educated in the Lancasterian School under John E. Lovel, in New Haven. Upon leaving school he went to Newport, Ky., where he entered as a law student with the firm of Webster & Root, the head of the firm - Francis M. Webster- being his uncle. In 1850 he was seized with the gold fever and went to California, crossing the plains with a team of oxen. After an absence of three years in the gold fields he returned to Kentucky, resumed his study of law and was admitted to the bar. The following year he was appointed city solicitor for the town of Newport and elected city attorney. Col. Webster was a Democrat and took an active part in politics. His great activity and ability soon won for him the admiration of the people of his own party, and his fairness toward opponents commanded their respect. Open, frank, high-minded and courageous, unassuming and loyal to friends, his genial nature was never forgotten by friend or foe. In 1860 he was elected to the Kentucky Legislature for the county of Campbell as a Union Democrat. When the vote finally

came up in the house in 1861, Col. Webster cast the deciding vote against neutrality, and held Kentucky in the Union. The vote stood 96 to 97, Col. Webster's being the last name called. In honor of the result a salute of ninety-seven guns was that night fired in New York City Hall Park. The attention of the nation was again drawn to Col. Webster, when he cast the deciding vote that elected Garret Davis to the United States Senate from Kentucky on May 12, 1862. President Lincoln appointed and commissioned Col. Webster assistant quartermaster in the army with the rank of captain. He was made major and lieutenant-colonel by brevet December 13, 1865, and February 17, 1866, he was brevetted colonel, in each case "for faithful performance of duty."

Col. Webster served actively in the field in Kentucky with Generals Lew Wallace, Grant and Goodloe, but his most important work was done while in charge of the post at Covington and Cincinnati. When General Burnside moved hastily into Kentucky to protect the State against invasion by a Confederate army, then moving on Covington, his army was greatly in need of supplies. Col. Webster supplied this army in one day with $500,000 worth of rations and clothing while it was on the move. He handled government money and property during the war to the amount of $40,000,000, and when he was mustered out his accounts with the department at Washington were settled without delay and without a dollar of balance standing against him. He was offered a commission in the regular army, but he declined it. He was honorably discharged from the United States service October 20, 1866. Col. Webster, just prior to the Civil war, married Miss Agnes Hayman, of Kentucky.

After the close of the war, Col. Webster moved to New York city, where he established himself in his profession,

which he successfully followed, with his characteristic energy, till near the time of his death.

He was elected to the New York State Legislature in the fall of 1889, and succeeded himself for four consecutive terms. As a member at Albany, he took a leading position as a hard worker, able and clear in debate and honest in public affairs.

Much important legislation for New York city was conducted through the house by him. He became a member of the New York State Bar Association in 1889.

He was a member of the Loyal Legion, the G. A. R. and many other organizations.

He died at his residence, 60 East One Hundred and Twenty-seventh street, New York city, Wednesday, January 11, 1899.

His wife, two sons and two daughters survive him.

STEPHEN PAYNE NASH.

Stephen Payne Nash, for over fifty-five years a member of the New York Bar, died on June 4, 1898, at Bernardsville, N. J., where he had gone for a brief sojourn in search of health. His widow, five sons and two daughters survive him.

Mr. Nash was born in Albany, N. Y., August 26, 1821. . He was the son of David Nash and Hannah Payne. After pursuing his studies at the Albany Academy, and later in the French College at Chambly, Lower Canada, he began the study of law in the office of Esek Cowen, a Judge of the Supreme Court at Saratoga. Mr. Nash aided in the preparation of Cowen and Hill's Notes to Phillips on Evidence. After his admission to the bar, in 1843, a brief partnership with Augustus Bockes, afterward a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Fourth Judicial District, was followed by his removal to Albany, where he became a

partner with Nicholas Hill, whom he assisted in editing the later volumes of Hill's reports. In 1845, he changed his office and residence to the city of New York. There he was successively a member of the firms of Walker & Nash, Spier & Nash, Owen, Nash & Gray, Nash & Holt, Nash and Kingsford, and finally, S. P. & J. McL. Nash.

He was specially proficient in the law of trusts and Ecclesiastical law, and among other important and influential clients he represented the corporation of Trinity Church.

He was selected as referee in very many cases of the first importance. In the celebrated Lauderdale peerage controversy he testified as an expert on the law of marriage in the colony and State of New York before the committee on privileges of the House of Lords in England. He was one of the founders and in 1880 and 1881 he was the president of the Bar Association of the city of New York.

Among the most important of Mr. Nash's cases were: Roderigas v. East River Savings Institution (63 N. Y., 460), where he induced the Court of Appeals to decide, in the face of all the precedents, that a surrogate has jurisdiction to issue letters of administration on the estate of a living man, on apparent proof of his death; Cutting v. Cutting (88 N. Y., 522), where the question was whether the rule of common law that the exercise of a power of appointment subjected the estate to the claims of creditors still existed in this State; Luce v. Dunham (69 N. Y., 36), where the question was whether a widow was included in a bequest to the next of kin; Barry v. Equitable Life Assurance Society (69 N. Y., 587), where the question was whether a life insurance company could repudiate liability to a creditor who had loaned money on the security of a policy of life insurance payable to the creditor, issued