Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/587

 540

The Grem Bag.

Brown University in 1824, and studied law longest term of judicial service in the history in the office of Hon. Albert C. Greene, after of the State. He died April 21, 1880. wards Attorney-General of the State and United States Senator, and at the Litchfield Among the later Associate Justices of the Law School. In 1832, and again in 1843, Supreme Court were J. Russell Bullock, Wal he was a member of the General Assembly. ter S. Burges, Elisha R. Potter, and George He was a member of the Constitutional Con M. Carpenter. Judge Bullock was a mem vention in 1842. In 1843 he was elected ber of the court from 1862 to 1864. Before an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, his appointment to the bench he had occu

and after nearly pied in succession the twenty-five years' ser offices of a Represen vice was promoted to tative and Senator in the General Assembly, the Chief-Justiceship. Collector of Customs, In his eulogistic re and Lieutenant-Gov marks upon Judge ernor. In 1864 he Brayton before the resigned as Associate Bar Association Justice, having been shortly after his death, appointed by President the present ChiefLincoln Judge of the Justice said : " If I District Court of the wished to express United States for him in a word, my Rhode Island. He word would be ' Fi resigned this office in delity.' . . . Other judges have doubtless 1869. been more learned, Judge Burges is a more eloquent, more nephew of Tristam Burges, who for one gifted, and greater or stronger minded; but year was Chief-Justice seldom, if ever, has any of Rhode Island. He one excelled him in was United States judicial faithfulness." District Attorney for His opinions are well Rhode Island from GEORGE A. WILBUR. reasoned, and show 1845 to 1849. For careful and thorough eight years he was research. " He excelled chiefly as a judge Attorney-General of the State, He was in banc, though he frequently presided at elected an Associate Justice in 1868, and nisi prius. He lacked the qualities of an continued in office until 1881, when he re accomplished jury judge, — quickness of per signed. He has since devoted himself to ception, readiness of resource, fluency of his private affairs. utterance, — but nevertheless he was so Judge Potter was a member of the court patient, so fair, and while so succinct, so from 1868 until his death in 1882. He was clear in his statements of the law, and so for fifteen years Commissioner of Schools. careful not to encroach upon the province In 1842 he was elected a delegate to the of either counsel or jury, that he was a fa Constitutional Convention, and in 1843 a vorite with many lawyers, even in the trial Representative in Congress. As a judge he was learned and diligent. No other of jury cases." Judge Brayton resigned in 1874, after the judge in Rhode Island ever wrote so many