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 The Supreme Court of New Jersey.

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of the Legislature was actually passed, which and equipped, at his own expense, a com provided that no judge should hold a circuit pany which went into the patriot army. in the same county for two terms in succes He was born in 1771, was graduated at sion. Judge Rossell's ignorance of the prac- Princeton in 1789, and licensed as an at tice.of the profession, especially of the forms torney in 1793. He removed to Pennsyl and modes of pleading, was so great that the vania, and was licensed there in 1797. This lawyers were afraid to trust their cases to fact, probably, prevented him from taking his adjudication. But he proved himself in the degree of counsellor in New Jersey; the end to be a very fair judge, certainly his name does not appear among the list of

counsellors in the Su an impartial one, al preme Court. While though, even while on living in Philadelphia the bench, he took a he held many public very deep interest in positions and was an political affairs and active partisan, sym was a leader,in his pathizing with the Re party. In some re publicans. In 18 10 spects he was an able he came to Morris judge; his great good County in New Jersey, sense and sound judg where his father had ment enabling him to large and very valua master the principles ble possessions. In which underlaid the 1812 and 18 1 3 he was cases submitted to elected to the Legisla him. He read an ture from that county, opinion in Arnold vs. and while a member Mundy, already re of the Lower House ferred to, which was was chosen by the sound and showed ex tended study and deep joint meeting a Justice of the Supreme Court thought. to succeed Judge At the death of Pennington, who had William Sanford Pen just been made Gov nington he was ap MAHLON DICKERSON. ernor. He was on the pointed to fill the po sition of Judge of the bench, however, for District Court of the United States for New only two years, when he became Governor. Jersey. He died in 1840, quite an old man. Then in 18 17 he was elected to the Senate Mahlon Dickerson was a Judge of the of the United States, and was returned as Supreme Court for two years, and Governor Senator in November, 1822. In 1829 he was and Chancellor for the same length of time. succeeded by Theodore Frelinghuysen, as Senator, but, by a strange combination of He was more remarkable for his public ser vices, as Senator and Secretary of the circumstances, was again returned to the Navy, under General Jackson, than for those Senate. Ephraim Bateman, who was then he rendered to the State as Judge or Chan Senator resigned the same year on account cellor. He was always a public man, a poli of ill health, and Mr. Dickerson was elected tician, but a politican of the better kind, free to fill the vacancy thus created, so that he from stain. He was descended from Rev held this office for sixteen years. He took a olutionary ancestry. His father raised prominent position while Senator, and was