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270 associated in laying out the grounds that surround the capitol and Smithsonian institution, Washing- ton, D. C, and other work of landscape gardening. On his suggestion, public competition was invited for the plans of Central park, and, in connection with Frederick L. Olmsted, he presented a design which was accepted, and possessed among its origi- nal features that of transverse traffic roads. Dur- ing the completion of the work Mr. Vaux held the office of consulting architect to the department of parks. In 1865 he presented a design for Prospect park, Brooklyn, which was ac- cepted. Subsequently he was associated with Mr. Olmsted in designing the parks in Chicago and Buffalo, and the state reservation at Niagara Falls. They also designed the plans for Riverside and Morningside parks in New York city, and Mr. Vaux is now landscape architect of the department of public parks, with charge of the improvements of city parks. Meanwhile he has been exceedingly fertile as an architect, designing country residences in Newport and elsewhere, also dwellings and public buildings in New York city. The Belvedere in Central park, which is shown in the accompanying illustration, was designed by him. He has published " Villas and Cottages " (New York, 1860).

VAUX, Roberts, jurist, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 25 Jan., 1786; d. there, 7 Jan., 1838. He received his education at private schools of Philadelphia, was admitted to the bar in 1808, and rose rapidly to prominence in his profession. In 1835 he be- came judge of the court of common pleas of Phila- delphia. He was one of the originators of the public-school system of Pennsylvania, and for fourteen years held the first presidency of the board of public schools of Philadelphia. He was also one of the founders of the Deaf and dumb asylum, the Blind school and asylum, the Phila- delphia savings fund, the Historical society, and other benevolent societies of Pennsylvania. Early in life he became interested in prison matters, and as a penologist he acquired his greatest distinction. He was one of the commissioners to adapt the law of Pennsylvania to the separate system of impris- onment, and also to build the eastern state peni- tentiary, and labored zealously in the cause of prison-reform. He was a member of scientific so- cieties in Europe, and of the Philosophical society of Pennsylvania, lie refused several public posts that were offered him by President Jackson, among which was the mission to St. Petersburg. He pub- lished " Eulogium on Benjamin Ridgway Smith "' (Philadelphia, 1809); '-Memoirs of "the" Lives of Benjamin Lay and Ralph Sandiford " (1815) ; "Memoirs of the Life of Anthony Benezet" (1817; with alterations, York, 1817; French translation, Paris, 1821) ; and " Notices of the Original and Suc- cessive Efforts to improve the Discipline of the Prison at Philadelphia" (1826).— His son. Rich- ard, lawyer, b. in Philadelphia, 19 Dec, 1816. was educated by private tutors, studied law with Will- iam M. Meredith, and was admitted to the Phila- delphia bar in 1836. Shortly thereafter he became the bearer of despatches to the U. S. minister to the court of St. James, by whom he was appointed secretary of legation on his arrival. He held this post for one year until he was relieved by Benja- min Rush. Declining a similar post at St. Peters- burg, he went to Brussels to aid in reorganizing the American embassy there, made a tour of the continent, returned to London, and accepted the post of private secretary to the IT. S. minister, Andrew Stevenson. Returning to Philadelphia in, he was nominated as candidate for the lower house of the Pennsylvania legislature. In March, . he was a delegate to the convention that nominated Martin Van Buren for president of the United States. In 1842 he was appointed recorder of deeds of Philadelphia, holding this post, though it was bare of emolument, for seven years. His " Recorder's Decisions " (Philadelphia, 1845) made him known, and is now an authority. It is note- worthy that no decision by him' during this incum- bency was ever reversed by a higher court. In 1842 he was the Democratic candidate for mayor, and, though failing of election, greatly reduced the Whig majority. In 1843 the supreme court appointed him inspector of the state prison, and shortly thereafter he was elected comptroller of public schools, to succeed his father, and thus filled three important posts at the same time. He resumed the practice of law after resigning the office of recorder. In 1854 he was again defeated in the mayoralty contest, but was successful at the next election, and as mayor effected a complete reorganization of the city government. He is one of the chief penologists in the United States, and, like his father, has achieved his highest renown in this branch. He has been a most voluminous writer on the subject. Besides about fifteen pub- lications on general penal matters, he has written forty-five volumes of " Reports of the Penitent iary " (1842 et seq.). He was largely instrumental in the framing and passage of the act of 1885, which is now the charter of the city of Philadelphia, having laid the first plan for this reform charter in 1857, in his message to the city councils.

VAUX, William Sansom. mineralogist, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 19 May, 1811 ; d. there, 5 May. 1882. He was a great-nephew of George Vaux. of London, a noted medical practitioner, who died in the early part of the century. When a boy he acquired a strong taste for mineralogy, and he pursued the study of that science and later that of archaeology with enthusiasm throughout his life. He acquired extensive mineralogical and archaeo- logical collections, which he bequeathed to the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences, with a handsome endowment for their preservation. These collections are arranged in the academy in a separate department, and are known as " the William S. Vaux collection." Mr. Vaux was presi- dent of the Zoological society of Philadelphia, and from 1864 until his death, with the exception of 1874-'5, was vice-president of the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences. He was one of eight founders of the Numismatic and antiquarian society, its senior vice-president, and from 1871 till his death treasurer of the American association for the advancement of science, of which society he had 'been a member since its foundation.

VAWTER, John, pioneer, b. in Orange (now Madison) county, Va., 8 Jan., 1782; d. in Morgan-