Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/285

 No. I," and promptly elected Governor Chamberlain the democratic candidate to the Senate, and thus was inaiigo^ rated a great reform that had baffled odier states for many decades.

The Oregon Snpieme Cy r L The organization and growdi of the Oregon Supreme Court affords a fine illustration of die caution displayed by the framers of the stale constittttion in the matter of preventing the esteosion of financial burdens upon the people. That instrument provided for d&e creation of four judicial districts and four circuit judges vd&o constituted ihe slate Supreme Court, sitting at staled intervals to pass upcm sudi cases as should be appealed to diem from the lower courts. When sitting as a Supreme Court, however, no judge was permitted to pass upon a case which had come from his own court. In 1862 a separate judicial district was created by the establishment of a fifth district composed of the then five counties constituling Eastern Oregon. From that date until 1878 the state Siqureme Court consisted of the five circuit judges. This measure of economy was pursued until the year 1878 when, under a provision of the constitution authorizing such step when die white population should reach 200,000, a separate supreme court was created, consisting of diree memb ers. Under a requirement of dus act Governor Thayer appointed James J. Kelly, P. P. Pite and R. P. Boise as justices, to serve untO the people should sded their successors^

In 1907 the business of the Supreme Court had grown to such proportions dial diree justices could not 6upo9e of it and the legislature provided for the appointment of two commissioners to assist in the work. Two years later the membership of the court was increased to five, and in 1 9 1 3 Digitized