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ship of the court in character and learning On the 19th day of March, 1849, President has been high, and to almost every member Taylor appointed the members of the first may truly be applied the eloquent language territorial Supreme Court. Governor Ramsey of Bishop Home : " When he goeth up to reached St. Paul on the 27th day of May, the judgment-seat he putteth on righteous 1849, and on the first day of the following ness as a glorious and beautiful robe, to ren June issued a proclamation declaring the der his tribunal a fit emblem of that eternal new government duly organized, with the throne of which justice and mercy are the following officers : Alexander Ramsey of

Pennsylvania, Governor; C. K. Smith of habitations." Ohio, Secretary; On the 23d of De Aaron Goodrich of cember, 1846, Morgan Tennessee, Chief-Jus L. Martin, the territo rial delegate from Wis tice; David Cooper consin, introduced into of Pennsylvania and Congress a bill for the B. B. Meeker of creation of the Terri Kentucky, Associate tory of Minnesota; Justices; J. L. Tay but it was not until lor, Marshal; and H. the 3d of March, 1849, L. Moss, United States Attorney. On the day before the the 11th day of the inauguration of Presi same month the Gov dent Taylor, that the ernor issued a second bill organizing the new Territory was proclamation, divid ing the Territory into finally passed and be judicial districts in came a law. accordance with the Section 9 of the requirements of the Organic Act provided Organic Act. "that the judicial power of said Terri The first district was composed of the tory shall be vested county of St. Croix in a supreme court, alone, and to this was district courts, pro AARON GOODRICH assigned the Chiefbate courts, and in Justice. The second justices of the peace. The supreme court shall consist of a chief- district comprised the region north and west justice and two associate justices, any two of the Mississippi River, and north of the of whom shall constitute a quorum, and Minnesota River, and of a line running due who shall hold a term at the seat of govern west from the head-waters of the Minnesota ment of said Territory annually. The said River to the Missouri. To this district Territory shall be divided into three judicial Judge Meeker was assigned. The third districts, and a district court shall be held in district, to which Judge Cooper was as each of said districts, by one of the justices signed, comprised the country west of the of the supreme court, at such times and Mississippi River and south of the Minne places as may be prescribed by law; and sota River. The same proclamation provided the said judges shall, after their appointment, that terms of court should be held, to con respectively reside in the district which shall tinue one week, — in the first district at the be assigned to them." village of Stillwater on the second Monday,