90 Memorial of George Broivn Goode. 



Cutbush's address before the Columbian Institute, nearly three- 

 quarters of a century ago, is well worthy of study at the present time. 

 It is full of enlightened patriotism and of hopeful prophecy for the United 

 States and for Washington. "Where genius and talent are respected, 

 rewarded, and promoted," wrote he, "the arts and sciences will flourish 

 and the wealth and power of the nation increase. ' ' 



The wisdom of such men as Cutbush opened the way for the organi- 

 zation of the National Institution, which in its turn, as we shall see, had 



usages, but through his efforts the taxes were diminished to a moderate sum, a 

 greater number of pilgrims would pay it, and, while the demands of the revenue 

 were fulfilled, "purposes of humanity were forwarded and the pious feelings of the 

 natives were gratified." [Law's " Reply," p. 7.] 



Mr. Law's removal from England was due in part to an act of injustice on the part 

 of the East India Company, which resulted in considerable financial loss to himself, 

 and in part to his ' ' decided disapprobation of an impolitic and exhausting war that 

 the administration was then carrying on against France." 



He conceived a great admiration for the character of Washington, and when he 

 knew of the efforts being made to establish a national capital, he became anxious to 

 identify himself with its growth from the very beginning. 



He invested all of his property in houses and lots in Washington, and for forty 

 years was one of the most zealous and enlightened citizens. 



S. Iv. Knapp (Ignatius Loyola Robertson, LL.D. ) wrote of him in 1830 in his 

 Sketches of Public Characters : 



" He purchased largely of the soil, built on an extensive scale, suggested ten thou- 

 sand plans for the improvement of the city and for the prosperity of the nation ; but 

 the slow, doubtful, and often strange course of Congress came not only in his way, 

 but in the way of all those deeply interested in the welfare of the city ; and he has 

 spent the days of his maturity and wisdom in unavailing efforts for the improvement 

 of it. It is happy for him, however, that he has lived to see the dawn of a better 

 day for Washington, and, if he can not stay here long to enjoy it, he will rejoice in 

 the hopes of his friends and descendants." 



Among the enterprises in which he participated at an early day was the erection 

 of the great building south of the Capitol which has for so many years borne the 

 inscription "Law House." 



Three sons, born in India, accompanied Mr. Law to America, one of whom, Mr. 

 John Law, a lawyer in Washington, died before 1824, and all before 1834. 



Mr. Law married, as second wife, Miss Custis, daughter of George Washington 

 Parke Custis, the stepson and adopted son of Washington, thus allying himself by 

 family ties with the man whom he so much revered. 



Mr. Law was a zealous advocate of a national paper currency and published a 

 book on currency. 



He also wrote poetry and contributed to general literature. 



He was one of the leaders in the intellectual life of the infant capital, and not- 

 withstanding his personal eccentricities was universally respected. As one of the 

 founders of the first learned society in Washington, he is worthy of our veneration ; 

 and since he has been ignored by the biographical dictionaries this notice of his life 

 has been written. 



He died in 1834. 



Reference to Mr. Law's character and career may be found in an obituary in the 

 National Intelligencer, 1834, quoted in the New England Magazine, September, 1834, 

 in Sketches of Public Characters, by "Ignatius Loyola Robertson " (S. L. Knapp) in 



