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 The Supreme Court of Rhode Island. majority of the court to hold the Courts of Common Pleas in the several counties of the State. Two terms of the Supreme Court are held yearly in each county, but the judicial business of the county of Providence far ex ceeds that of the other counties combined. The court, as has been stated, is vested with original jurisdiction concurrently with the Court of Common Pleas in civil suits. It

also has concurrent criminal jurisdiction with the Common Pleas; as a matter of practice, however, this jurisdiction is exer cised in Providence County entirely by the Court of Common Pleas. A considerable part of the time of the Supreme Court is occupied with trials at nisi prius. At the last January session of the General Assem bly an act was passed providing for the ap pointment of a com mission to revise the statutes of the State. This commission is empowered to pre sent to the assembly CHARLES S. a plan for a judicial system for the State. They have given hearings to the bench and bar, and it is probable that they will report at the next session of the General Assembly. From 1875 until the present year the Chief-Justice received as salary $4,500, and the Associate Justices $4,000 each. At the last January session of the General As sembly these salaries were increased $ 1,000 each. Previous to 1852 the court sat in banc for almost all purposes; but now one justice is a quorum for many, and two for all purposes. The business of the court is despatched with reasonable promptness, con-

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sidering that the work of the Supreme Court as well as that of the Common Pleas all de volves upon five judges. It was not until the year 1847 that provision was made for reporting the decisions of the court. Among those who have held the office of reporter are Joseph K. Angell, Chief-Justices Ames and Thomas Durfee, and the present incum bent, Mr. Arnold Green. There are some dis tinguished names on the roll of judges from 1 747 to 1827. Stephen Hopkins, a signer of the Declaration of In dependence was ChiefJustice from 1751 to 1755, and again from 1770 to 1776. In civil affairs he was the fore most Rhode Islander of his generation. He was a man of wide in formation and extraor dinary ability, with a genius for public af fairs. Another name, immortalized by being affixed to the Declara tion of Independence, appears upon the list of judges, — William Ellery, Chief-Justice, BRADLEY. 1785-1786. He was a graduate of Harvard, distinguished for his scholarly attainments, a lawyer by profession, and a statesman of high order. James Burrill was a lawyer of large practice, a statesman who won fame in the United States Senate. He was ChiefJustice for but one year; but his learning and ability qualified him for eminent judicial ser vice. Following Judge Burrill was Tristam Burges, the orator, statesman, and professor of oratory and belles lettres. He was ChiefJustice in 181 7—1 818. James Fenner was another of those who held the office for a single year. He was a born politician, a