Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/270

244  which he continued to do for twenty-two years. He became judge of probate in 1856, and was judge of probate and insolvency from 1858 till 1872. He declined a superior court judgeship in 1869, and the same year became assistant secretary of the U. S. treasury. He went to Europe as a financial agent of the government in 1871 to negotiate for the sale of the funded loan of the United States, and made the first contract abroad for the sale of the bonds. He became secretary of the treasury in 1873, resigning in 1874 to accept a seat on the bench of the U. S. court of claims, of which he became chief justice in 1885. In 1863-'75 he was an overseer of Harvard, and he was lecturer and professor in Georgetown law-school, D. C. Columbian university gave him the degree of LL. D. in 1873. His publications include &ldquo;The Banking Laws of Massachusetts&rdquo; (Lowell, 1855); &ldquo;Supplement to the General Statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,&rdquo; with George P. Sanger (Boston, 1860-'82); &ldquo;Practical Information concerning the Debt of the United States&rdquo; (Washington, D. C., 1872); and &ldquo;National Banking Laws&rdquo; (1872); and he prepared and edited a &ldquo;Supplement to the Revised Statutes of the United States&rdquo; (1881); and &ldquo;History of the Court of Claims&rdquo; (1882-'5).

'''RICHARDSON. William Alexander.''' senator. b. in Fayette county. Ky., 11 Oct.. 1811: d. in Quincy. Ill., 27 Dec., 1875. He was educated at Transylvania university. came to the bar at nineteen years of age. and settled in Illinois. He became state attorney in 1835. was in the legislature several terms. serving as its speaker. and was a presidential elector on the Polk and Dallas ticket in 1844. He entered the U. S. army as captain of an Illinois company in 1846. and was promoted major for gallantry at Buena Vista. He was elected to congress as a Democrat in 1846. served in 1847—'56. when he resigned. and in 1863 was chosen U. S. senator to ﬁll the unexpired term of Stephen A. Douglas. lie was a delegate to the New York Democratic convention in 1868. but after that date retired from public life.

RICHARDSON, William Merchant, jurist, b. in Pelham, N. H., 4 Jan., 1774; d. in Chester, N. H., 3 March, 1838. He was graduated at Harvard in 1797, studied law, and settled in Groton, Mass. He was elected to congress as a Federalist in 1811, and served one year, when he resigned and removed to Portsmouth. He was at once appointed chief justice of New Hampshire, and discharged the duties of that office for twenty-two years. He was a jurist of great industry, talent, and information, and was highly regarded for his inflexible integrity. Dartmouth gave him the degree of LL. D. He is the author of the &ldquo;New Hampshire Justice&rdquo; (Concord, 1824) and &ldquo;The Town Officer&rdquo; (1824) and was co-reporter of the &ldquo;New Hampshire Superior Court Cases,&rdquo; of which the reports of several volumes are his alone (11 vols., 1819-'44). See his &ldquo;Life,&rdquo; (Concord, 1839).

'''RICHE. George lnman'''. educator. b. in Philadelphia. 21 Jan.. 125253. He was graduated at the Philadelphia high-school in 1551. studied law. and was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia in 1854. During the civil war he was pa) master of U. S. volunteers. and in 1864-'7 he was a member of the common council. He was for several years president of the Republican Invincibles. a political organization in Philadelphia. Mr. Riche is best known for his educational work. In 1867—36 he was the principal of the Philadelphia. high-school.

'''RICHE. Jean Baptiste''' (re—shay). president of Hayti. b. in Cape Haytien in 1780: d. in Port au Prince. 25 Feb.. 1847. He was a negro. and began make life as a slave. but afterward joined the army of the insurrectionists. and took part in the struggle for independence that terminated in 1803 after the surrender of Gen. De Rochambcau (q. v.) to the English. He then attached himself to Henry Christophe. who promoted him general in 1807, and made bim his lieutenant. Riché also took part in the war against Alexandre Petion (q. v.). decided the success of the battle of Siebert. 1 Jan.. 1807, and commanded the left wing of the army under Christophe that besieged Port au Prince in 1511. By his readiness in executing the sanguinary orders of Christophe he Won the conﬁdence of the latter, who appointed him to the command of the northern provinces. Here he followed a policy of extermination against the mulattocs. and even. to please Christophe. murdered. according to several historians. his own wife and children. Notwithstanding his acknowledged incapacity. he retained his command under the following administrations. Which always found him a docile Instrument. After the downfall of the party of Riviere Hérard. the chiefs of the oligarchic. faction of Boyer (q. v.) established a system of government which continued to elect to the presidency an old negro general, noted for his incapacity. under whose name they could rule. but. as the newly elected president. Pierrot. showed a tendency toward reforming the abuses of the administiation. they organized an insurrection in the provinces of Port au Prince and Artibonite. and proclaimed Itiché president. 1 March, 1846. Pierrot endeavored at ﬁrst to resist. but the defection of his army compelled him to make his submission. 24 March. After re—establishing the constitution of 1816. Riché. incited by the foreign population. proposed thoroughly to reform the administration. when. on returning from a journey of inspection in the department of the north. he died suddenly. poisoned. according to several historians, by the same men to whom he owed his elevation.

'''RICHEL. Nicolas Antoine''' (re—shell. Haytian naturalist. b. in Jaemel in 17-1.") ; d. in Cape Francais in 1799. He was one of the founders of the Academy of the l’hiladelphes. and a member of the Scientiﬁc society of Cape Francais. and the privy council of Gov. Blanchelande. He also took an active part in the troubles in Santo Domingo after the revolution of 17%. but was always on the side of the royal authoritv. At the arrival of the com- missioners of the Directory he raised a hand of partisans, and once nearly succeeded in kidnapping Etienne Polverel (q. v.). but was taken prisoner afterward and transported to France. where he was kept in conﬁnement for several years. Toward the close of 1795 he obtained permission to return to his country. where he lived in retirement till his death. His works include " Histoire et description de. l'ile de Saint Domingue" (1785); “Tableau de la ﬂore de Saint Domingue" (6 vols.. 1885-‘90): and “Expose de la théorie d'acclimatation des plantes Europeennes dans les iles Antilles" (1791).

'''RICHEPANSE. Antoine''' (reesh-pahns). French soldier. b. in Meta, 25 March. 1770: d. in Basse-Terre. Guadeloupe. 8 Sept., 1803. He was a sergeant at the beginning of the French revolution. and soon rose by his valor to high rank. He was appointed in 1802 captain general of the French possessions in South America. and. landing in Guadeloupe. forced the entrance of Pointe à Pitre. compelled the northern provinccs to make their submission. and. after defeating Magloire Polage (q. v.). restored the exiled governor. La-Crosse (q. v.). After suppressing a new insurrection. and compelling the rest. of the insurgents to their submission at Anglemont. be pre-