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 The Highest Courts of Law in New Hampshire.

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resumed practice, being followed by two of work of the New Hampshire Historical So his associates, Judges Eastman and Sawyer. ciety, and was one of its most active mem The new Chief-Justice was Samuel D. Bell, bers. He left the bench in 1864, and died who held the office till 1864, when he was in Manchester four years later. Asa Fowler was a plain, methodical man, succeeded by Judge Perley; thus these two eminent men, by an unusual course of of extraordinary habits of work. He was a events, were made to succeed each other. patient investigator, whom drudgery never In 1869, having reached the constitutional frightened. After leaving the bench he re limit as to age, Judge Perley left the bench, sumed practice, continuing it until the last

and as a consulting years of his life, when lawyer passed the re he gave his attention mainder of his life, to extensive travel dying at his home in ling, visiting Europe and California several Concord in 1874. times in quest of rest In 1860 the Su and pleasure. preme Court con sisted of the following Judge Bellows came justices, — Samuel D. from a distinguished Bell, Asa Fowler, Jfamily in the western Everett Sargent, part of the State, and Henry A. Bellows, he added more lustre Charles Doe, and to its honorable name. George W. Nesmith. He was a jurist of Within a year Judge high order, as his Fowler resigned, and labors on the bench William H. Bartlett amply attest. His was appointed. opinions run through Chief-Justice Bell fourteen volumes of came from that cele the reports, and are brated stock of men proof of his wide that have been identi and thorough learn fied with the history ing. As a painstak of New Hampshire for ing student few ex ISAAC N. BLODGETT a century, holding celled him; his whole offices of great trust life was in the law and honor, and discharging their duties with and its intelligent interpretation, and he exceeding ability. Judge Bell was a close knew no such thing as leisure. With Judge student, a ready lawgiver, and an evenly Bellows it was always work; and when the balanced man. He brought to the bench end came with such shocking suddenness, it learning and diligence, and contributed his found him with harness on. In the still share in the labors of the overworked court. hours of the night death came unan He was a candidate for Congress in 1861, nounced, and the State mourned one of her suffering defeat; but this diversion in no purest sons. Unlike Perley, he was a slow degree lessened his standing as a judge. worker, and his opinions cost him much His industry produced the well-known "Jus labor; but he had a splendid genius for tice and Sheriff" and other legal works, work, which always enabled him to keep besides papers and addresses on historical abreast of the requirements of the docket. subjects. He took great interest in the Judge Bellows was a man of charming